Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Montco officials optimistic move to ‘green phase’ is close
NORRISTOWN » As Montgomery County began week 15 of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said decreases in hospitalizations and positivity rates among those being tested lead them to be optimistic the county can soon move to the “green phase” of the state’s color-coded reopening plan.
“Our county continues to do well,” commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said during a Monday news briefing.
Arkoosh explained data and “metrics” regarding hospitalization and testing rates, which are closely watched by health officials, continue to show the county is headed in the right direction when it comes to preventing the spread of the virus.
Arkoosh reported that the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to decrease in the county. On Monday, officials reported 95 hospitalized coronavirus patients in the county’s nine hospitals, which is a sharp decrease from the more than 400 hospitalizations recorded at the peak of the outbreak in April.
“This continues a steady decrease over the last several weeks,” Arkoosh said. “All of our county hospitals have capacity in both their regular and intensive care beds as well as ventilators.”
Additionally, the positivity rate among people being tested at the county’s community-based testing site in Whitpain also appears to be on the decline. During the last 14-day period of testing, the positivity rate was 12.9 percent. At the peak of the virus in early April, the positivity rate was 24 percent.
“Any person who needs or wants to be tested for COVID-19 is welcome to visit any of our county sites. In fact, we would encourage you to do so. The more people we test, the better our data is and the more we can be sure to pick up any kind of a hotspot or disease outbreak,” Arkoosh explained.
Arkoosh said the county has infrastructure in place to watch for surges in positive cases, or “hotspots,” monitor how much hospital space is available and measure testing and contact tracing capabilities in the county.
“Our contact tracing is up and running and fully staffed. We’re able to do 100 contact tracings a day. I do want to remind everybody how important it is to cooperate with our contact tracers. This is how we can make sure that we identify anyone who is at risk for having contracted COVID-19 and get them into quarantine so that if they are infected that they don’t infect anybody else. That’s how we get this stopped,” Arkoosh said.
“All of this hard work is paying off as we’re seeing our cases slowly and steadily decreasing,” added Arkoosh, referring to months of practicing social distancing and honoring stay-at-home orders. “So, if these metrics continue to hold through this week, we believe that moving to the green phase is getting close.”
However, Arkoosh said, the green phase does not mean “go back to normal.”
“There is still plenty of virus in our midst and we must each continue to take personal responsibility for our actions. Any one of us could have this virus and not have any symptoms and be contagious,” Arkoosh said. “So covering a sneeze and a cough, good hand hygiene, keeping your distance, particularly when you’re out in public around people who are not your household contacts, and wearing that mask in those situations is vitally important to keeping every single person in our community safe.”
On June 5, the county moved from the “red phase” to the “yellow phase” of Gov. Tom Wolf’s color-coded reopening plan, a phase that loosened some restrictions, including the stay-at-home order that was in effect since March.
However, officials pointed out that even in the yellow phase, telework should continue where feasible and gatherings of more than 25 people are prohibited. Visitor restrictions remain in place at congregate care settings and at the county jail. Inperson retail operations are allowable but curbside and delivery, if possible, are recommended. Gyms, hair salons and spas remain closed in the yellow phase.
Meanwhile, officials reported 91 new positive cases of the coronavirus over the three-day period ending on Monday, which brings the county’s total number of cases to 7,847 since March 7 when the first two cases of the virus were identified in the county. Ten of the individuals resided in longterm care facilities and the remaining 81 individuals were other members of the community.
The positive individuals, 47 females and 44 males, ranged in age from 1 to 95 and they resided in 33 municipalities, officials reported.
Additionally, officials reported nine more COVID-19 deaths in the county, bringing the county’s death toll to 777 since March 7. The deaths occurred between April 28 and June 11. The nine deaths included individuals who ranged in age from 43 to 94.
To date, 409 females and 368 males have died from the virus in the county, according to county statistics. Officials said 650 of the 777 total deaths were individuals who lived in long-term care facilities, representing about 84 percent of the total deaths.
The 777 total deaths were “confirmed positive” COVID-19 cases through the use of lab tests.
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.
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 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 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.
Information about additional testing sites at various pharmacies throughout the county can be found at www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 under the “County Testing Information” button.