COVID-19 Cases, Rates Turn Upward In Chesco: Weekly Updates

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — After weeks of downward-trending COVID-19 metrics Chester County saw new cases of COVID-19 rise in the last week, and both the positivity rate and the county's incidence rate also reversed their declines.

In the Pennsylvania Department of Health week-to-week report, Chester County saw 108 more cases of COVID-19 in the week ended March 18, compared to the week ended March 11, when cases were down by 81. The actual count was 494 new COVID-19 cases this week, up from 386 new cases last week.

The incidence rate per 100,000 residents also reversed course and climbed this week. In the week ended March 11, the rate was 73.5 and in the week ended March 18, the incidence rate was 94.1 per 100,000 residents in Chester County.

Here's why metrics include different ways of measuring COVID-19: Incidence rate shows new cases in relation to a local population, while positivity rate shows new cases in relation to the number of tests given, both measures helping to show more accurately how a virus is behaving in a population.

The positivity rate was also up this week in Chester County. It rose from 4.3 percent last week to 5.6 in the week ending March 18.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 were down this week, though, the daily average falling by 14 from last week from 46 to 32. Fewer persons were on ventilators, also. That measure fell from 2.7 to 1.4 over the past week.

The upward trend in Chester County mirrors statewide numbers, which showed 14,182 new cases statewide this week — an increase of 1,380 over the 12,802 new cases were reported across the state in the previous seven-day period, according to DOH.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, 29,747 have test positive for COVID-19 in Chester County, according to the Chester County Health Department. In that time 739 have died here. The last COVID-19 death reported in the county was on March 10.

The turn in the downward trending COVID-19 metrics here comes amid a vaccination rollout happening at a slow pace, as readiness to vaccinate has outrun actual supply. Read a story about vaccine supply in Chester County here.

Information on Chester County's COVID-19 vaccine program and online registration can be found at chesco.org/covidvaccine.

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