Montco COVID Hospitalizations, Ventilator Use At Lowest Rate Yet

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Montgomery County has seen improvements in some key coronavirus healthcare metrics used to measure the trajectory, strength, and impact of the virus on the community and local healthcare system.

The average number of patients on a ventilator per day decreased from 6.6 to 4.4 over the most recent seven day period, while the average number of hospitalizations per day decreased sharply from 43.4 to 31.7. According to the county's even more recently updated numbers, that hospitalization figure is now down to 28.

"We see some nice improvement," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said. "(The hospitalization rate is) the lowest number we've seen since the very early days of the pandemic."

Furthermore, the percent of emergency department visits due to coronavirus dropped from 0.4 percent to 0.3 percent, the state said.

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These are among six metrics tracked by the Pennsylvania Department of Health using a tool called the Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard, which compiles these statistics for every county.

In addition, three more metrics are tracked. The total number of cases in the most recent seven day period increased slightly from 301 to 316. Similarly, the incidence rate per 100,000 residents climbed slightly from 36.3 to 38.1.

However, the percent positivity rate on all tests in the counties is once again dropping, down now to 3.0 after hitting 3.2 in the previous seven day period. It was as low as 2.5 percent in Montgomery County in August.

Two deaths from the virus have been reported over the past week, and six over the past month, as the death rate has continued earlier trends of steep decline in the county.

The bulk of new cases are in younger age groups, the county reports, while the share of cases in older age groups continues to drop. Specifically, residents 34 and under are responsible for the most notable increases, officials said.

All told the county has seen 11,633 cases and 830 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

See the state's Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard and related data here.