Chester County COVID Metrics Ease, Vaccine Sites Delivering

MALVERN, PA — Great Valley Middle School is one of several sites where Chesco's Health Department will give out COVID-19 and flu vaccines this week, while state reports show new COVID-19 cases down this week.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported on Friday that in Chester County new positive tests for COVID-19 were down from 632 in the week ended Oct. 15 to 550 in the 7-day period ended Oct. 22, a decrease of 82 cases.

The incidence rate for Chester County also was down in the most recent week, the DOH reported. The incidence rate per 100,000 residents dropped from 120.4 in the week ended Oct. 15 to 104.8 in the week ended Oct. 22. As the incidence rate comes close to the 100 per 100,000 mark, it nears the line that would bring the County into Substantial Risk of transmission and out of the CDC's higher-risk categories.

Chester County's percent positivity remained nearly the same in the week-to-week comparison. This measure of the positive COVID-19 test results as a percentage of total tests given was 6.3 last week and was 6.2 percent in the most recent 7-day period reported Oct. 22.

Average daily hospitalizations for COVID-19 crept up by 7 each day, over the same two weeks. In the week ended Oct. 15, 36.7 on average were hospitalized for COVID-19 in Chester County each day. In the week ended Oct. 22, 43.7 persons, on average, were hospitalized each day for COVID-19.

Patients on ventilators for COVID-19 also went up a bit in the DOH report. In the week ended Oct. 15, 5.0 patients were on ventilators daily, on average, in Chester County hospitals. For the week ended Oct. 22, that daily average was 5.7 patients on ventilators.

Statewide, COVID-19 cases were down by 3,813 cases. There were 25, 634 new COVID-19 cases reported in Pennsylvania in the week ended Oct. 15 and 21,821 cases reported in the week ended Oct. 22, according to the Department of Health.

The statewide incidence rate per 100,000 residents is 170.5, down from 200.2 last week.

The Chester County Health Department continues its effort to vaccinate against COVID-19 and also the flu, as the season begins. Flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics around Chesco this week are listed below. Booster COVID-19 shots are available. Clicking on the location links to a registration page.

FUGETT MIDDLE SCHOOL 500 Ellis Lane, West Chester
Oct. 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

OWEN J. ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL 881 Ridge Road, Pottstown
Oct. 25, 3-6 p.m.

GORDON EARLY LITERACY CENTER 315 Kersey St., Coatesville
Oct. 28, 4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

GREAT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL 225 Phoenixville Pike, Malvern
Oct. 26, 4-7 p.m.

KENNETT MIDDLE SCHOOL 195 Sunny Dell Road, Landenberg
Nov. 4, 3-6:30 p.m.

KENNETT AREA YMCA 101 Race St., Kennett Square
Nov. 8, 4-7 p.m.

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