Arkoosh: County is at ‘extremely serious point’ in pandemic resurgence
With the number of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations increasing in Montgomery County during a fall surge of the virus, health officials warned residents “we are in an extremely serious point in this pandemic.”
During the most recent seven-day period ending Wednesday, the county recorded 571 new cases of the virus, which is an increase of 237 cases when compared with the previous sevenday period.
The overall 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate for the county, as of Oct. 23, was 3.16 percent, according to data gathered by county health officials. That marked an increase from the 2.31% positivity rate recorded for the 14-day period ending Oct. 16.
Additionally, officials reported that as of Wednesday, 70 individuals were currently hospitalized with
the coronavirus in county hospitals, which represented a 54% increase in hospitalizations from the previous week. Eight-percent of the current patients require a ventilator, officials said.
“I do want the message to be loud and clear that we are in an extremely serious point in this pandemic and that people must start to take the guidance seriously. Masks just have to be worn everywhere outside of your house. And social gatherings are really a problem. In this county, they are our number one contributor to spread,” county Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said during a weekly news briefing on Wednesday.
Arkoosh said the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Policy Lab COVID-19 Modeling recently showed that “we could have a very dramatic exponential surge of cases over the next couple of weeks if we don’t change some of the things that we are doing.”
On Wednesday alone, officials reported 92 more county residents, ranging in age from 6 to 87, tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the county’s total number of cases to 13,534 since March 7, when the first two cases of the virus were identified in the county. The new positive individuals included 50 females and 42 males, who ranged in age from 6 to 87, and who resided in 33 municipalities, according to the latest statistics.
Officials reported no new COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, leaving the county’s death toll at 838 since the pandemic began in March.
“For many weeks now we have discussed and public health experts have predicted that we would see a surge in COVID-19 this fall. Today, I want every Montgomery County resident to understand that the COVID-19 surge is here in Montgomery County,” said Arkoosh, who was joined at the news briefing by fellow Commissioner Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr.
To keep the positivity rate below 5%, the rate that indicates a county is suppressing the virus, Arkoosh urged residents to wear a mask when near non-household contacts, to avoid social gatherings, to abide by handwashing recommendations, to fully cooperate if they receive a call from a contact tracer, and to download the free COVID Alert PA app onto their phone.
“I know it’s painful and I know people are sick of this, but those are the things that need to happen to keep us from finding ourselves in a much worse place a couple of weeks from now,” Arkoosh said. “It’s really important to take these mitigation measures and use them together. Each additional measure that you employ will add a level of safety.”
COVID Alert PA is a free mobile app, offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, that uses Bluetooth low energy technology and the Exposure Notification System, created jointly by Google and Apple, to notify and give public health guidance to anyone who may have been in close contact with a person who also has the app and has tested positive for COVID-19.
“As of right now we are not mandating any changes. Our goal is to ask our community to cooperate fully with all of the existing mitigation guidance and measures and in so doing, we have an opportunity to flatten out this potential spike and continue to be able to keep our businesses open… and we will also hopefully, be able to get those school districts that wish to have some students at in-person schooling continue to do so,” Arkoosh said.
Officials believe cooler weather, more people returning to work and school and coronavirus fatigue are helping to fuel the spike in cases.
“The virus can stay airborne longer in colder air so it has more opportunity to infect someone. Second, cooler temperatures send people indoors at restaurants and for social gatherings. We also have more people going back to a workplace and more students going back in-person to school,” Arkoosh said.
“Finally, everyone is tired of COVID and because our Montgomery County numbers have been pretty good for a long time, people have been moving around more and some have gotten a little more lax about mask wearing and social distancing and others are still not wearing a mask and ignoring the guidelines,” Arkoosh added. “Social gatherings and youth sports and recreational activities continue to be our biggest challenge.”
More people in the county do appear to be taking advantage of testing opportunities for the virus. Officials reported that for the 14-day period ending Oct. 28, there were 30,604 county residents tested for COVID-19.
Officials said more testing provides the county the opportunity to do more surveillance and learn how the virus is circulating in the county and suppress any outbreak that may surface.
Officials said testing is available for all county residents and those who work in the county and want or need to be tested. The county has established outdoor walk-up testing sites in Pottstown, Norristown, Lansdale, Willow Grove, Ardmore and Green Lane to accommodate those who want to be tested Monday through Friday.
The six county-run sites provide self-administered tests at no cost, although insurance will be billed if you have it. The sites do require an appointment for testing.
To register for a test at any of the six sites, residents can visit www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 and click on the county testing information button. Residents can also register for a test at any of the six sites by calling 610-970-2937.
That phone number as well as the online registration will open at 8:30 a.m. daily.
In Pottstown, the testing site is located at the county’s Office of Public Health Pottstown Health Center at 364 King St. Testing is available by appointment Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
In Norristown, a testing site is located on the parking lot of the Delaware Valley Community Health Norristown Regional Health Center at 1401 DeKalb St. Testing is available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
In Lansdale, a testing site is located at 421 Main St. and is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
Another testing site is located at Deep Creek and Snyder roads in the Green Lane Park area, where tests are available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
In Ardmore, a testing site is located at 114 W. Lancaster Avenue where testing is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
In Willow Grove, testing is available at First Baptist Church - Crestmont, 1678 Fairview Ave. Testing there is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.