Chesco COVID-19 Numbers Sloping Upward This Week

West Chester PA

11 October, 2021

3:00 PM

Description

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — In solidly vaccinated Chester County, COVID-19 metrics have held steady in recent weeks, though the most recent state report showed a shift upward in case counts, positivity rate, and incidence rate in Chesco. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reports 312,458 people in Chester County are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, of the County's population of nearly 525,000 — or 59.5 percent. Children under 12 are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Key metrics for COVID-19 in Chester County were down slightly in the week that ended Oct. 1, but this week changed direction and showed a slight increase. So, while graphs of the numbers over recent weeks look steady, the PA Health Department website that tracks COVID-19 metrics is called the "Early Warning Dashboard" because it gives a weekly heads up. Chester County's newly reported cases of COVID-19 were up by 61, from 628 cases in the week ended Oct. 1 to 689 in the week ended Oct. 8, according to the Pennsylvania DOH. The positivity rate for tests has increased in the immediate week-to-week comparison. It went from 5.9 in the week ended Oct. 1 to 6.4 percent in the week ended Oct. 8. Chester County remained in the Moderate COVID transmission risk category — between 5 and 7 percent positivity. The incidence rate per 100,000 Chester County residents showed a similar mild slope upward, rising from 119.6 per 100,000 in the week ended Oct. 1, to 131.2 in the weekend ended Oct. 8. But in the week ended Sept. 24, the incidence rate in Chester County had been right in between those two measures, at 124.2 per 100,000 residents. An incidence rate higher than 80 per 100,000 residence falls in the CDC's Very High transmission risk category. Average daily hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Chesco varied in recent week-to-week measures, from 40 the week of Sept. 24 to 49.9 in the week ended Oct. 1, and falling to 42.9 in the week ended Oct. 8. To date, 860 persons have died from COVID-19 in Chester County and across Pennsylvania, 29,907 have died, the DOH reports. Nine died in Chester County of COVID-19 in the seven days between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, according to the DOH report. Chester County Health Department is offering COVID-19 and flu vaccines at clinics planned through the fall at sites across Chester County. Read a report about Chester County's vaccination clinics for COVID-19 and flu, here. Make sure you know what's happening in your town. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss any local news: https://patch.com/subscribe.