Chester County COVID Cases Tip Over 8,100 This Week, Up By 235

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Cases of COVID-19 in Chester County were up by 235 in the last week, increasing from 7,928 on Oct. 21 to 8,163 on Oct. 29.

Pennsylvania's overall positivity rate this week hit the 5 percent mark that concerns health experts.

The most recent deaths from the disease in Chester County were on Oct. 20 and Oct. 15, one each day. In all, 379 persons here have died from COVID-19, according to Chester County's accounting of the pandemic.

The county's incidence rate, as reported by Pennsylvania Department of Health, had fallen slightly the week before, from 51.7 to 48.5 cases per 100,000 residents in the week ending Oct. 23.

Across Pennsylvania, that 8,000 mark is being passed in daily positive tests. In the week ending Oct. 16, the state health department reported 8,849 cases of COVID-19 across Pennsylvania. One week later, on Oct. 23, the Pennsylvania case count was at 10,127, a statewide increase of 1,278 cases in a week.

Those figures also represent a climb in the statewide positivity rate, from 4.2 to 5.0 percent in one week. The 5 percent positivity metric marks an important threshold in public health safety, representing a measure of how fast the virus is spreading.

Schools across Chester County reopened in hybrid learning models earlier this month. At that time, positivity rates were lower. Chester County Health Department Director Dr. Jeanne Casner reported it at 3.62 percent on Sept. 25 as schools discussed early October revisions of their safety plans and prepared to vote on hybrid instruction.

Chester County's positivity rate for the week from Oct. 16 to Oct. 23 rose only slightly, from 3.1 to 3.3 percent, according to the state department of health website. Metrics for the week ending Oct. 3o will post at the department's next update.

School districts are reporting COVID-19 cases on their own district dashboards along with explanations of protocols for contact tracing, quarantine and isolation.

West Chester Area School District reported five cases in the week ending Oct. 5, and has had 17 COVID-19 cases in all since Aug. 30.

Great Valley School District reports two cases and Phoenixville Area School District one case.

Tredyffrin-Easttown School District has reported no cases.

West Chester University reported one new case this week, and has had 29 student and employee COVID-19 cases since Aug. 17.