NORRISTOWN – As Montgomery County recorded nearly 300 new cases of the coronavirus and four more deaths during the most recent two-day period, officials announced Wednesday that all county and court employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18 or undergo weekly testing.
“We understand that this is a difficult decision for some, but please know this policy was put in place after lengthy discussion and consideration. Serving the public and keeping them and our coworkers safe is our number one priority,” Kelly Cofrancisco, county director of communications, wrote in an email message sent to county employees on Wednesday. “We thank you for your commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
The county employs about 2,800 people.
“Keeping people safe is at the heart of public service. We should be leading the way in creating a safe and welcoming environment for our constituents and co-workers,” Lee Soltysiak, county chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Under the new policy, medical or religious exemptions can be submitted however, those individuals must also undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The policy is for all employees, regardless of their work location, officials said.
“Due to the delta variant, the county continues to see high community transmission of COVID-19. COVID-19 is spreading quickly and hospitalizations are rising among the unvaccinated in our community,” said Cofrancisco, adding officials are working closely with the county Office of Public Health to deploy strategies to keep employees and residents safe.
Previously, on Aug. 16, officials required that all county employees and visitors in county government buildings must wear face coverings to prevent the spread of the highly contagious delta variant, regardless of one’s vaccination status. That decision came after data from state and federal health officials indicated that Montgomery County had been in the “substantial level of COVID-19 community transmission” for two consecutive weeks.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the county recently moved into the category of “high community transmission,” with a seven-day case average on Sept. 12 of 143.34 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. 12, Montgomery County recorded a coronavirus positivity rate of 5.54%.
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 285 new COVID-19 cases reported in the county during the two-day period Sept. 14 to Sept. 15 brought the county’s total number of positive cases to 64,859 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. One of the new cases was an individual who resided in a long-term care facility.
Specifically, there were 120 new cases reported on Sept. 14 and 165 new cases reported on Sept. 15.
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 seven-day period spanning July 7 to July 13 and 44 cases reported during the period spanning June 30 to July 6.
As of Sept. 15, the 14-day average of daily positive COVID-19 cases in the county stood at 126.5, up from the 14-day average of 125.5 cases on Sept. 2. 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.
County officials reported four new COVID-19 deaths during the two-day period ending Wednesday, bringing the county’s death toll from the virus to 1,352 since the pandemic began in March 2020.
As of Wednesday, 441,040 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 59,979 county residents were partially vaccinated as of Wednesday, according to state data.
“With over 175 million Americans fully vaccinated, we know the COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing severe illness and death due to COVID-19. We want our employees to have confidence that they can safely work and serve their fellow Montco residents,” Cofranciso wrote in the email to county employees.
Officials said those county employees who have already been fully vaccinated will be provided instructions on how to upload their vaccination record to a secure HIPAA-compliant mobile app. Employees were provided instructions on how to enroll in the system.
As a “thank you” for doing their part, all employees who upload their vaccination record will be provided with a $150 deposit in their paycheck following verification, officials said.
Those employees who have not yet been fully vaccinated and have questions were urged to contact their health care provider.
In the email message, Cofrancisco informed employees that more detailed information about the county’s new vaccine and testing policy will be provided at a later date.
That policy is expected to address employees who don’t comply with the requirements.
Free testing and vaccination sites have been available in the county for many months.
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) 875-3967. 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.
Same-day appointments can be made weekdays starting at 7 a.m. by visiting www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 and clicking on the county testing information section. Residents can also register for a test at any of the sites by calling 610-970-2937 beginning at 8:30 a.m. daily.
In Pottstown, the testing site is located at the county’s Office of Public Health Pottstown Health Center at 364 King St.
In Norristown, a testing site is located on the parking lot of the Delaware Valley Community Health Norristown Regional Health Center at 1401 DeKalb St.
In Ardmore, a testing site is located at 114 W. Lancaster Ave.
In Willow Grove, a testing site is at the Parkside Shopping Center, in the former Petco store, at 2522 West Moreland Road.
