Bucks Co. Now In 'High' COVID-19 Transmission Category: CDC

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — With coronavirus cases surging and some mitigation measures beginning to return, Bucks County finds itself in the "high" transmission category of the virus, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control.

Bucks County has already spent the prior two weeks in the "substantial" transmission category. Residents in counties in both the substantial and high categories are recommended to wear masks indoors in public, even if they're fully vaccinated.

To reach the high designation, a county must have either more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents, or a positivity rate at 10 percent or higher.

As of Tuesday, Bucks County has 112.85 cases per 100,000 residents over the prior seven days, CDC data shows. Its positivity rate over that period sits at 4.93 percent. The county has seen 29 new hospital admissions over the past week according to the CDC, and has seen 740 new cases between Aug. 12 and Aug. 18.

Of the county's adult population, 83.1 percent have received at least one dose of the vaccine according to CDC data.

Statewide, more than 30 other counties around Pennsylvania have joined Bucks in the high category. The state saw its highest single-day case increase since April on Thursday.

Nationwide, around 86.7 percent of U.S. counties are in the "high" transmission level and 7.95 percent are seeing "substantial" transmission.

States and counties with low vaccination rates are now hot spots for infections, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said at a recent briefing. The seven states with the lowest vaccination rates have 8.5 percent of the U.S. population but more than 17 percent of new cases.

Stay informed about what’s going on in Bucks County, or in your local area. Sign up for Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news.