Bulk Of New Montco Coronavirus Cases Not In Nursing Homes

NORRISTOWN, PA — Of 117 new coronavirus cases reported over the past three days in Montgomery County, just 19 were in long term care facilities. It's welcome news for the county's nursing homes, which have seen more than 80 percent of the county's deaths, but it also means the virus is primarily spreading in the general population.

The 117 cases were recorded from June 27 through June 29, and included 66 new cases Saturday, 22 new cases Sunday, and 29 new cases Monday. That followed last Friday's case total of 54.

After plummeting steadily for weeks, cases in Montgomery County have either increased slightly or seemed to reach a plateau. The total number of new cases in the county in the past week is at 279, up from the prior week, which was 194.

Pennsylvania officials have no plans to dial back the state's broader reopening strategy, despite an uptick of coronavirus cases in some regions, officials said during a Monday news conference.

The increases come as Montgomery County settles into the green phase, which officially began in the county on June 26. This least restrictive phase of coronavirus mitigation means bars and restaurants can open up indoor seating with limited capacity, and gyms, barbershops, and more can resume service.

Wolf, during the Monday news conference, said he does not believe sweeping closures are currently the best strategy as the pandemic wears on. "We can do things with surgical precision that we couldn't do three months ago," the governor said.

Montgomery County also reported six new deaths over the period from June 27 to June 29, bringing the county's coronavirus death toll to 797. A total of 8,319 positive cases have been reported as of late Monday.

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