The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Dashboard
county’s community-based testing site in Whitpain, Arkoosh said the county currently has a positivity rate of about 13 percent over 14 days.
“I believe that they’re looking for our positivity to be down around 10 percent. So, we’re very, very close. We’re definitely getting there,” Arkoosh said. “Our cases are slowly and steadily decreasing.”
Arkoosh said while the community-based testing site does not account for all of the virus tests conducted in the county “it has reflected the overall trend for our county since we began testing here in March.”
“Our hospital beds continue to show improvement, which is really great news. We are now down to 155, approximately, patients that are hospitalized in a Montgomery County hospital with COVID-19. At our peak we were over 400, so we made a lot of progress in the last few weeks,” Arkoosh said.
“So, it just gives you a general
The dashboard includes statewide case data, county data, case data by ZIP code, hospital preparedness information, demographic information, including cases by gender, ethnicity, age and race, death demographic information and testing information.
sense of how we’re doing, which is pretty well,” Arkoosh said about all the data. “However, I just want to remind everybody that we still have plenty of virus within our midst and we must continue to be cautious.”
Wolf said the state COVID-19 dashboard further enhances data on demographics of cases and deaths and the reopening status of counties.
The dashboard includes statewide case data, county data, case data by ZIP code, hospital preparedness information, demographic information, including cases by gender, ethnicity, age and race, death demographic information and testing information.
“The more informed Pennsylvanians are, the more confident they can
feel in their understanding of this pandemic and how it affects them,” Wolf wrote in a prepared statement on Monday.
Arkoosh said the county has put infrastructure in place to monitor the county’s progress toward safely moving from the yellow phase to the green phase of the governor’s colorcoded reopening plan. Officials will be watching for surges in positive cases, or “hotspots,” and will monitor how much hospital space is available and measure testing and contact tracing capabilities in the county.
“The county has begun very much in earnest our contact tracing. We’re doing close to 50 tracings a day. Our community partner contact tracers will be up and running next week so that will just about double our capacity in terms of contact tracing,” Arkoosh said on Monday.
Last Friday, the county moved from the “red phase” to the “yellow phase” of Wolf’s reopening plan, a phase that loosened some restrictions, including the stay-at-home order that was in effect since March.
However, Arkoosh pointed out that even in the yellow phase, telework should continue where feasible and gatherings of more than 25 people will be prohibited. Visitor restrictions will remain in place at congregate care settings and at the county jail. In-person retail operations are allowable but curbside and delivery, if possible, are recommended. Gyms, hair salons and spas remain closed in the yellow phase.
More information about the reopening process can be found at www.montcopa. org/COVID-19
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, officials reported 51 new positive cases of the coronavirus, 32 females and 19 males who ranged in age from 13 to 98, which brings the county’s total number of cases to 7,637 since March 7 when the first two cases of
“The county has begun very much in earnest our contact tracing. We’re doing close to 50 tracings a day. Our community partner contact tracers will be up and running next week so that will just about double our capacity in terms of contact tracing.” — County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh
The roots of a tree were pulled up by the strong winds of last week’s storm. the virus were identified in the county. Seven of the new positive cases involved residents of long-term care facilities and the remaining 44 were other members of the community.
Additionally, officials reported 22 more deaths from the virus, bringing the county’s death toll to 762 since March 7. The eight women and 14 men ranged in age from 51 to 96. The latest deaths confirmed to be caused by COVID-19 occurred between April 21 and June 1, officials said.
Testing for anyone who needs or wants to be tested continues to be available at the county’s communitybased testing sites in Pottstown, Norristown and Whitpain.
A walkup 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 is located on the parking lot of the Delaware Valley Community Health Norristown Regional Health Center, 1401 DeKalb St., in 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 610592-0680 starting at 8:30 a.m. daily.
A drive-thru 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 610-6313000 to register for a testing appointment.