Out-Of-State Cases Boost Bucks Coronavirus Numbers Again

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — For the second day in a row, roughly one-third of the new coronavirus cases in Bucks County were attributed to people who caught the virus in another state.

The issue represents a new front in the battle against COVID-19 in Bucks, which moved to the less-restrictive green phase of Pennsylvania's coronavirus plan on Friday. The number of new cases in Bucks, and Pennsylvania as a whole, have dropped dramatically, even as they are spiking in some other states.

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On Thursday, 10 of the 32 new cases reported by the Bucks County Department of Health were the result of out-of-state contacts, officials say.

Cases include people who got sick in Florida, Texas, Arizona and New Jersey, said health department director Dr. David Damsker.

"Over the past week we’ve seen more and more people getting sick in other states and then coming back to Bucks County … ," Damsker said. "That’s why we need to keep our guard up."

He urged people to continue wearing masks and social distancing, even as restaurant dining rooms and other businesses begin to reopen in the county. People who visit states with high instances of the coronavirus should monitor their temperatures and screen themselves daily, even if they don't feel sick, he said.

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Another eight of the 32 cases reported Thursday were delayed reports of cases so old that the patients are no longer sick.

No new deaths from the coronavirus were reported on Thursday.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 5,342 confirmed cases and 504 deaths in Bucks County. On Thursday, 77 people remained hospitalized with the virus, 11 of them in critical condition and on ventilators.

A total of 3,393 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Bucks County have been confirmed to have recovered.

Statistics, charts and other coronavirus-related information for Bucks County can be found on the county's coronavirus data portal.