Montco records lowest COVID-19 positivity rate in the region

HARRISBURG >> For the third consecutive week, Montgomery County recorded the lowest coronavirus positivity rate among Southeast Pennsylvania counties and all seven counties in the region continued to show signs of suppressing the virus, according to the latest week-to-week data compiled by state health officials.

Montgomery County recorded a coronavirus positivity rate of 0.5% for the period June 24 to July 1, which was up slightly from the 0.4% positivity rate recorded for the period June 18 to June 24, 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 latest data marks the eighth consecutive week that Montgomery County fell below the 5% benchmark.

The county recorded the first two cases of the virus on March 7, 2020, and this week marks the 70th week that the virus has been present in the county.

All six of Montgomery County’s neighboring counties also recorded positivity rates below the 5% benchmark, according to the state data.

With a COVID-19 positivity rate of 1.6% on July 1, Berks County recorded the highest positivity rate in the region but it was a decrease from the 1.3% positivity rate recorded for the period June 18 to June 24.

Chester, Delaware and Lehigh counties recorded COVID-19 positivity rates of 0.8% for the period June 25 to July 1 and each recorded a decrease in the positivity rate from the previous week, according to state statistics.

Bucks County’s positivity rate on July 1 was 0.6%, matching the positivity rate recorded on June 24.

In Philadelphia, the COVID-19 positivity rate was 1.0% for the period ending July 1, down from 1.1% the previous week.

The statewide positivity rate as of July 1 was 1.1% which was a decrease from the 1.2% positivity rate recorded the previous week.

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 state’s weekly report is based on nasal swab tests, or the PCR, which are considered confirmed tests.

The decreases in the positivity rates come as vaccinations continue to increase.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported on Tuesday that 355,574 Montgomery County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Another 179,598 county residents have received a first dose of a vaccine, according to state data.

All Pennsylvanians age 12 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine.