Bucks Co. COVID Cases Fall To Lowest Levels Since August

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — New COVID-19 infections are at their lowest level since last summer in Bucks County, officials announced this week.

The month of May ended with a seven-day average of 23 new cases being reported per day in Bucks County, the lowest level since August 28. It represents an 87 percent decrease over the past month.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 also continues to decrease, with only 20 patients currently hospitalized and two on ventilators. One month ago, nearly 100 people were hospitalized.

"Over the last three days, we saw the fewest cases we've seen since the month the pandemic started," said Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker. "It's been a long 16 months and we're ready to enjoy the summer without any restrictions. Let's finish off COVID as much as we can; please get vaccinated, if you haven't."

A total of 34 COVID deaths were reported in Bucks County last month, the lowest one-month total since October. The pandemic death toll in the county now stands at 1,301.

The improving local news coincided with Gov. Tom Wolf’s reminder that all businesses, events and other venues can return to 100 capacity with his lifting of mitigation orders on Monday.

Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated persons are still required to wear masks until June 28, or when 70 percent of adult Pennsylvanians have been fully vaccinated, whichever comes first. Masks are still required on public transportation, in airports and other transportation hubs, and businesses, workplaces, healthcare facilities and prisons may still impose their own masking requirements.

Almost 10.6 million doses of vaccine have been administered in Pennsylvania, with more than 54 percent of the adult population now fully vaccinated.

In Bucks County, more than 553,000 total doses have been administered, enough to fully vaccinate 244,654 people and partially vaccinate 86,230 more. The county’s test positivity rate dropped last week to 2.5 percent, about half the rate considered to be concerning by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Bucks County on Saturday closed its mass vaccination site at the Bristol campus of Bucks County Community College. Sites at the Perkasie and Newtown community college campuses, at Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem and at Warwick Square shopping center in Jamison remain open, operating from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

All of the sites are available without appointments required, and are offering both the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.

Be the first to know what's happening in your town and area. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe