HARRISBURG – Montgomery County and all of its neighboring counties in Southeast Pennsylvania saw coronavirus positivity rates increase, according to the latest week-to-week data compiled by state health officials.
Montgomery County recorded a coronavirus positivity rate of 2.4% for the period July 16 to July 22, which was an increase from the 1.5% positivity rate recorded for the period July 9 to July 15 and the 0.8% positivity rate recorded for the period July 2 to July 8, 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. While the positivity rate is now showing signs of increasing each week, the latest data marks the eleventh 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 73rd 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. However, all of the neighboring counties recorded increases in the COVID-19 positivity rate.
At 4.2%, Lehigh County recorded the highest positivity rate in the region for the seven-day period ending July 22, representing an increase from the 2.3% positivity rate recorded for the period ending July 15.
Berks County saw its positivity rate climb to 3.2% on July 22, up from 1.6% on July 15 and from 0.8% on July 8.
In Philadelphia, the COVID-19 positivity rate was 2.7% for the period ending July 22, up from 2.1% the previous week.
In Bucks County, the positivity rate increased to 2.6% on July 22 up from 1.4% on July 15.
Chester County recorded a COVID-19 positivity rate of 2.3% for the period July 16 to July 22, up more than a percentage point from 1.1% the previous week, according to state statistics.
Delaware County, recording a 2.0% positivity rate for the seven-day period ending July 22, had the lowest positivity rate in the region but, it was an increase from the 1.1% positivity rate recorded for the period ending July 15.
The statewide positivity rate as of July 22 was 2.8% which was an increase from the 1.7% 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.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that through July 21, there were 410,126 Montgomery County residents who had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, representing 56.8% of those county residents aged 12 and older.
Another 54,981 county residents were partially vaccinated, representing 7.6% of the 12 and older population, through July 21, according to state data.
All Pennsylvanians age 12 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine.
There were 19 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Montgomery County’s nine hospitals as of Monday, up from 14 COVID-19 patients a week ago. None of the current patients required ventilators, according to county statistics.
