Bucks Co. Releases Latest COVID Data: 5 Deaths, 229 New Cases

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — New coronavirus cases were on the rise throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey last week, but Bucks County managed to hold the line, health officials said.

Between Oct. 4-10, Bucks County reported 229 new infections, an average of just under 33 per day. The 229 cases was just one more than was reported the previous week.

According to the Bucks County Health Department, nearly half of last week's new infections were a result of spread within households and a result of gatherings with friends and family.

Bucks County reported five new deaths related to COVID-19 last week, though three of them actually happened in September. The five deaths were of people age 84 to 97. All had underlying health conditions and three lived in long-term care facilities, according to the health department.

Bucks County's numbers last week were in contrast to those reported throughout the state and in neighboring New Jersey.

PA Reports Highest Number Of New COVID-19 Cases In 6 Months

Through Oct. 8, Pennsylvania’s average number of new daily cases had increased by 16 percent over the previous week, and New Jersey’s increased by 21 percent, according to a data analysis published by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pennsylvania reported 1,742 new cases on Saturday, the state’s highest one-day total since April 11, and the third-highest one-day total since the pandemic began. Health officials note that is, in part, due to a larger number of tests being conducted now.

The numbers had Gov. Tom Wolf saying he was "very concerned," with health officials saying a large number of the cases are among people age 18-22.

"Younger people have mild courses of illness and medical care has improved for those at higher risk of COVID complications," said Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker. "Things will likely remain this way for the foreseeable future. We must continue to protect the vulnerable while using common sense to keep moving forward as a society."

In Bucks County, just seven people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Saturday, with one in critical condition and on a ventilator.

In another positive sign for Bucks, the positivity rate of those being tested dropped to 2.8 percent, compared to 3.7 percent the previous week.

Of last weeks 229 coronavirus cases in Bucks County, 18 were delayed reports of cases no longer considered to be infectious. Another 108 were traced to household contacts, with just 46 attributed to pure community spread.

Through Saturday, Bucks County has had 8,690 residents test positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. A total of 532 residents have died from the virus, including 416 residents of long-term care facilities. Another 7,751 have been confirmed to have recovered.

The county's death total was adjusted downward slightly after a review of data found a handful of errors, including duplicate reports. The county had reported 530 deaths at the end of the week before last, meaning three deaths were removed from the county's total.

The median age of those who have been infected in Bucks is 49, while the median age of death is 84.