COVID-19 positivity rates trend downward

HARRISBURG » Montgomery County and the six neighboring counties each showed a downward trend in coronavirus percent-positivity rates, according to the latest data compiled by state health officials.

For the period Jan. 8 to Jan. 14, Montgomery County recorded a COVID-19 percent-positivity rate of 9.8%, a decrease from the 11.7% positivity rate recorded during the seven-day period Jan. 1 to Jan. 7, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard.

Health officials believe having a positivity rate less than 5% indicates a county is controlling the spread of the virus and keeping it suppressed.

The county recorded the first two cases of the virus in March 2020 and this week marks the

46th week since the virus surfaced in the county.

Each of Montgomery County’s six neighboring counties, while still recording positivity rates above the 5% threshold for the most recent seven-day period, did report decreases in the positivity rates, according to the state’s data.

Lehigh County continued to record the highest positivity rate in the region at 18.6% for the period ending Jan. 14, which was a decrease from 19.8% the previous week.

Montgomery County’s other neighboring counties recorded the following percent-positivity rates during the seven-day period ending Jan. 14: Berks (15.7%); Bucks (12.6%); Chester (10.0%); Delaware (9.9%); and Philadelphia (9.3%), according to state data.

Gov. Tom Wolf said the state’s COVID-19 dashboard is designed to provide early warning signs of factors that affect the state’s mitigation efforts.

The statewide percentpositivity rate as of Jan. 14 was 12.7%, down from the 14.5% positivity rate recorded the previous week, according to the dashboard.

“We continue to see great progress on bringing our statewide percent positivity rate down and I think that is due to Pennsylvanians continued commitment to wear a mask, avoid gatherings, wash their hands and practice social distancing,” Wolf said on Tuesday.

“I believe we can continue these best public health practices to continue to bring the transmission of COVID-19 down in our communities and keep each other safe as we continue the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine,” Wolf added.

As of Jan. 14, the state recorded a seven-day case increase of 40,088 cases. The previous seven-day increase was 43,921 cases, indicating 3,833 fewer new cases across the state over the past week compared to the previous week.

All 67 counties remained in the substantial level of community transmission, the highest level of transmission, according to the latest data.

“As we continue to experience widespread community transmission of COVID-19, we continue our efforts to complete a case investigation with those who are diagnosed with COVID-19 to collect where they went and who they came in contact with while infectious,” state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said on Tuesday.

“We thank those who have participated in their case investigation and we continue to urge Pennsylvania to stay calm, stay alert, and stay safe by wearing a mask, avoiding gatherings, practicing social distancing, answering the call when public health professionals call, and downloading the COVID Alert PA app,” added Levine, who on Monday was tapped by President-elect Joe Biden to be his assistant secretary of health.

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.

Wolf said he expects to make an announcement regarding Levine’s replacement later this week.

On Tuesday, state officials also reported that through Jan. 18 there were 477,929 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines administered statewide, including the vaccines administered through CVS as part of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership. Specifically, 340,947 state residents received one dose of the two-dose regimen, and 68,491 people had received the full two doses, according to state statistics.

Pennsylvania is still in Phase 1A of the three-phase vaccine distribution plan.

County health officials have said the start of the vaccination program is promising news but added it will still take some time until everyone can be vaccinated and therefore people will have to continue to follow mitigation efforts to protect the health system and themselves.

“I believe we can continue these best public health practices to continue to bring the transmission of COVID-19 down in our communities and keep each other safe as we continue the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.” — Gov. Tom Wolf