Montco records 459 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths over three days

NORRISTOWN » Fueled by the delta variant, the latest surge of positive coronavirus cases continued in Montgomery County, which recorded more than 400 new cases of the virus during the most recent three-day period.

The 459 new positive COVID-19 cases reported in the county during the three-day period Sept. 11 to Sept. 13 brought the county’s total number of positive cases to 64,574 since March 7, 2020, when the first two cases of the virus were identified in the county, according to the county’s COVID-19 online dashboard. Fourteen of the new positive cases were individuals who resided in long-term care facilities.

The most recent daily figures for new cases included:

Sept. 11 – 209 cases Sept. 12 – 126 cases Sept. 13 – 124 cases New cases in the county have surged due to the delta variant since early July. Comparatively, there were only 78 new COVID-19 cases reported in the county during the sevenday period spanning July 7 to July 13 and 44 cases reported during the period spanning June 30 to July 6.

As of Sept. 13, the 14day average of daily positive COVID-19 cases in the county stood at 121.9, up from the 14-day average of 118.4 cases on Aug. 31. Comparatively, the 14-day average of daily COVID-19 cases in the county stood at only 5.2 cases on June 24, according to county data.

There were no new COVID-19 deaths reported in the county during the three-day period ending Monday, leaving the county’s death toll from the virus at 1,348 since the pandemic began in March 2020.

This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continued to list Montgomery County in the category of “high community transmission,” with a seven-day case average on Sept. 11 of 134.07 per 100,000 residents. There are four levels of community transmission - low, moderate, substantial and high.

According to the latest CDC data, as of Sept. 9, Montgomery County recorded a coronavirus positivity rate of 5.74%.

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

As of Monday, 439,935 Montgomery County residents had received either the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, representing more than 60% of those 12 and older who are eligible to receive the vaccine, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county has a total population of 830,915.

Another 60,077 county residents were partially vaccinated as of Monday, according to state data.

The county Office of Public Health is operating several vaccination clinics, at various hours, at multiple locations including malls and churches. Specific weekly vaccine clinic schedules, including dates and hours, are posted at www.montcopa.org/COVID-19Vaccine or residents can call the county COVID-19 hotline at (833) 8753967. The hotline is open five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. General questions can also be emailed to covid19@montcopa.org

The current county-run vaccination clinics are at the following locations:

• Bethel Community Church, 575 N. Keim St., in Pottstown

• Parkside Shopping Center, in the former Petco store, 2522 West Moreland Road, Willow Grove

• Human Services Center, first floor Innovation Room, 1430 DeKalb Street, Norristown

All county-run clinics will be closed on Friday, Sept. 17.

Additionally, testing is still available for all county residents and those who work in the county. The county established outdoor walk-up testing sites at several locations to accommodate those who want to be tested.

The 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.