Health & Fitness
20 New Coronavirus Cases In Bucks Co. Monday
It was the biggest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases in Bucks, as more testing became available, bringing the local total to 61.
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Bucks County saw its biggest one-day jump in the number of novel coronavirus cases on Monday — the same day Gov. Tom Wolf ordered residents of the county to stay in their homes.
In Bucks County, 20 new people tested positive on Monday, bringing the county's case total to 61.
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Dr. David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department, said the spike is largely due to more testing becoming available.
Find out what's happening in Bensalemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Almost all of the new cases were people who were infected before the county's social distancing measures went into effect, Damsker said. Two coronavirus patients in Bucks remain hospitalized, Damsker said — one in critical condition and one in serious condition.
Both are older adults with underlying health issues, he said.
Nineteen municipalities in Bucks County now have had at least one case of COVID-19, according to the county.
On Monday, Bucks was one of seven Pennsylvania counties where Wolf issued a two-week stay-at-home order. Wolf also extended school closures throughout Pennsylvania through April 6.
RELATED: Here's What You Can Do During PA's Stay-At-Home Order
Damsker said that the impact of social distancing measures in Bucks County should start to be seen soon.
"By the end of this week or early next week, the only positive cases should either be in people who have to go out to an essential job, or those that are contacts to confirmed cases in their household," he said.
In response to Wolf's stay-at-home order, Bucks County officials closed all county government buildings to the public and ordered the county parks system to be closed.
Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Diane Ellis-Marseglia urged the public to abide by the stay-at-home order.
"The most important part of this stay-at-home order is that it is helping us keep the calls to emergency services lower," she said. "That means our police are not having to respond to as many instances, and there are less calls for ambulances and the emergency rooms. That lets us respond to the illness that is out there."
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