Montco numbers hit new daily low
NORRISTOWN Montgomery County officials reported 18 new positive cases of the coronavirus and only one death Tuesday, representing some of the lowest oneday increases the county has reported since late March.
The most recent death was a 78-year-old woman who had been hospitalized, according to county officials. The death brings the county’s death toll to 778.
To date, 410 females and 368 males have died from the virus in the county. Officials previously said 650 of the total deaths were individuals who lived in longterm care facilities, representing about 84% of the total deaths.
The 778 total deaths were “confirmed positive” COVID-19 cases through the use of lab tests.
Earlier this week, officials said 87 other deaths in the county have been listed as “probable” COVID-19 deaths. Those are deaths that list COVID-19 as a cause of death on a death certificate but in which there was no laboratory confirmation of the virus.
Additionally, officials reported 18 new positive cases of the coronavirus Tuesday, which brings the county’s total number of cases to
7,864 since March 7 when the first two cases of the virus were identified in the county. Two of the new cases involved residents of long-term care facilities and the remaining 16 were other members in the community.
The latest people to test positive included 11 females and seven males who ranged in age from 8 months to 91, and they resided in 13 municipalities, officials reported.
On Monday, officials said recent decreases in hospitalizations and positivity rates among those being tested at the county’s community-based testing sites led them to be optimistic the county can soon move to the next least restrictive phase of the state’s colorcoded reopening plan.
County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said the county has infrastructure in place
to watch for surges in positive cases, or “hot spots,” to monitor how much hospital space is available and to measure testing and contact tracing capabilities in the county.
“In an effort to focus on early detection and containment of any new outbreaks, the county has eliminated restrictions for testing so that anyone who needs or wants to be tested can be tested, whether or not they have symptoms. We have also expanded our contact tracing efforts to include a callback number for those who may have missed the call from our Department of Health regarding their results or status,” Arkoosh said Tuesday. “As the coronavirus continues to remain in our community, each of us must be personally responsible for our actions and work together to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in Montgomery County.”
People who have been tested or identified as a direct contact of an individual who has tested positive
for COVID-19 and have received a call from the ‘Results Center’ may return the call to 610-278-5923 to find out their results or status. All information discussed on the call is strictly confidential and is only used to trace COVID-19 cases, officials said.
Testing for anyone who needs or wants it continues to be available at the county’s community-based testing sites in Pottstown, Norristown and Whitpain.
A walk-up testing site is available at the county’s Office of Public Health Pottstown Health Center at 364 King St. Testing is available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment only. To make an appointment, residents should call 610-970-2937 beginning at 8:30 a.m. daily.
A walk-up communitybased testing site also is in the parking lot of the Delaware Valley Community Health Norristown Regional Health Center, 1401 DeKalb St., Norristown. Testing is provided
by appointment only from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and is open to Norristown residents and all established patients of the Delaware Valley Community Health Center regardless of where they reside. Residents can register for testing by calling 610-592-0680 starting at 8:30 a.m. daily.
A drive-thru testing site at the central campus of the Montgomery County Community College in Whitpain is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as testing supplies allow. Registration for each day’s appointments will open at 8 a.m. daily and will remain open until all available spots are filled. Individuals can register online at www.montcopa.org/ COVID-19 or can call 610631-3000 to register for a testing appointment.
Information about additional testing sites, many of which operate over the weekend, can be found at www. montcopa.org/COVID-19 under the “County Testing Information” button.