As Chester County COVID Stats Improve, What Towns Are Doing Best?

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — A late fall spike in new COVID-19 cases began to abate this week in correlation with the COVID-19 vaccine making its way to front-line workers across Chester County and indoor restaurant dining forbidden since Dec. 12.

In the state's most recent COVID-19 update, Chester County's new case count dropped by 463 cases compared to the week before the one ending Dec. 24. The improvement in metrics came even as Chester County passed its 500th death, as reported by the Chester County Health Department.

The incidence rate and the percent positivity rate in the county both dropped slightly in the last week measured. The positivity rate is still at 11.1 percent, exceeding the 5-10 percent range that would take the county out of the "substantial" risk category. The incidence rate that fell from 365.3 to 276.6 per 100,000 residents is even further short of escaping the "substantial" risk level, which begins at 100 cases per 100,000 residents.

Whatever the explanation for the down-trend in metrics, it began happening late in December in Chester County and across Pennsylvania. Chester County Health Department Director Jeanne Casner said today, "The governor's recent additional mitigation measures is one factor along with other measures and influences that can account for the slight slow in COVID-19 numbers."

Gov. Tom Wolf announced yesterday that the mitigation measures put in place Dec. 12 will expire on Jan. 4 as planned and will not be extended.

The least-impacted municipality in Chester County is West Marlborough Township, where there have been only 2 reported cases of COVID-19, no deaths, and only 0.24 percent of the population has been affected by the coronavirus, as reported by the Chester County Health Department.

Easttown and Charlestown townships also had a low percentage of their populations infected; with 0.6 and 0.65 percent, respectively. Neither municipality has had a death from COVID-19. Easttown Township has reported 64 cases and Charlestown Township 37, as of the county's data update on Dec. 29.

Malvern Borough has had no deaths from COVID-19, but reports 102 cases, representing 2.96 percent of its population.

East and West Goshen townships along with Willistown all have about 4 percent of their populations reporting positive tests. Willistown has lost 52 persons to COVID-10, East Goshen has lost 50, and West Goshen 17.

Phoenixville Borough has lost 24 to COVID-19 and its percent of positive cases in the population is at 3.36 percent.

West Chester Borough has seen 28 deaths and its percentage of the population infection remains below 5 percent, at 4.65. The borough has reported 932 cases of COVID-19, a count second only to West Goshen Township, which has had the most cases of any Chester County municipality at 950.

West Whiteland Township's percent of the population with positive tests is at 3 percent, with 554 cases and 10 deaths reported.

Uwchlan and Upper Uwchlan townships both show case percentages below 3 percent of their populations. There have been eight deaths in Uwchlan Township and 503 cases, and in Upper Uwchlan 329 cases and one death reported.

Spring City also hovered around the 3 percent mark, with 102 positive tests and one death reported.

In Tredyffrin Township 2.58 percent of the population have tested positive for COVID-19, with 762 cases and 22 deaths reported.

Schuylkill Township also is below 3 percent in its percentage of the population testing positive, with 232 cases of COVID-19 and two deaths. East Pikeland Township has reported seven deaths, with 3.21 percent of its population testing positive for COVID-19, and 235 cases reported.

Those places where infection rates were highest all along remained high in the most recent accounting. Avondale Borough has had 6.64 percent of its population test positive for COVID-19, with 93 cases, but no deaths. Kennett Square Borough is close behind with 6.39 percent of its population positive. There have been 396 cases of COVID-19 reported in Kennett Square and three have died of the disease.

Five municipalities still have percentages of positive tests over 5 percent of their populations. These are West Grove and Oxford boroughs, Coatesville City and South Coatesville Borough, and London Grove Township. A total of 22 people have died of COVID-19 in these five municipalities.

Chester County's health department data can be accessed here.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health updates its COVID-19 dashboard every Friday. Statewide, case counts were down more than 10,000 in the week that ended Dec. 24.