Montco Commissioner: 60 New Cases Wednesday, No Deaths

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Montgomery County reported 59 additional cases of the new coronavirus on Wednesday along with one case in the county's correctional facility, officials said in a news conference.

Commissioner Chair Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said no more deaths were reported Wednesday, keeping the county's death toll at 811. Of the total reported deaths, 672 took place in Long-term care facilities, accounting for 83 percent of lives lost in the county.

As it stands, the county has reported a total of 8,861 cases of the virus since March 7.

COVID-19 in Corrections

The additional case reported Thursday in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility was received after the daily totals were counted, which is why it's not factored into the day's total, Arkoosh said.

An investigation revealed the inmate contracted the virus before entering the correctional facility, she said. He's been in isolation since entering the jail and is in good health.

Further, she said, the jail's population has dropped from 1,342 to 856 since the pandemic began, a decrease of 36 percent.

Hospital Beds

Arkoosh said as of Thursday, approximately 58 patients are hospitalized as a result of COVID-19. Of those, 11, or 19 percent, are on ventilators.

To date, a total of 1,384 patients have been discharged from county hospitals after recovering from COVID-19. Further, the hospital admission rate of coronavirus patients has dropped to five or six per day from 28 per day in mid March.

Testing
Arkoosh acknowledged that some county residents have waited between 7 and 10 days to obtain results from a COVID-19 test, a turnaround time she said is unacceptable.

The commissioner said she has spoken with Quest Diagnostics, the county's test provider, and expressed her "deep anger and frustration" with the situation.

Quest attributes its delays to overwhelmed labs and said it's working to expand its capacity with additional equipment.

While Arkoosh said she understands the reasoning behind delays, the county is actively exploring other labs and could switch to a new provider of one is found to be able to provide quicker turnaround results on tests.

The county's six walk-up testing sites are available to people of all ages without a prescription or insurance. Residents can begin making appointments for testing at 8:30 a.m. each day.

Testing is also available at no cost through 12 CVS and Rite Aid locations in Montgomery County. These drive-thru testing sites are available only to people 18-years-old and older.

Arkoosh said when registering for a testing appointment online, some users will encounter a pop-up warning that reads, "This site is closed for testing tomorrow." Arkoosh urged residents to disregard the message, which she called a glitch, and continue to registration.

Contact Tracing

Arkoosh implored all residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, or those who have been informed they were exposed to the virus, to comply with contact tracing.

In the conference, she shared two anecdotes of residents who did not comply with self-quarantine orders or contact tracing.

Arkoosh said one youth sports league coach tested positive for COVID-19 but, rather than isolating himself, continued coaching kids and attended a July 4th party.

As a result, 12 players and three other coaches were made to quarantine for 14 days, she said.

When the coach refused to share the names of others at the July 4th party, Arkoosh said contact tracing teams were unable to identify residents who had been exposed to the virus, opening the door to community spread or a small outbreak.

"This is a reminder of how we are all in this together," she said. "Actions of individuals, even in other parts of the country, are negatively impacting us here in Montgomery County. Through substantial shared sacrifice, the people in this county have dramatically reduced viral spread. This is no time to let up."

Arkoosh said a large group of students also attended a graduation party where they did not wear masks or practice social distancing and were reportedly sharing drinks and vape pens.

While several cases have been identified as a result of the gathering, others can't be identified because attendees at the party refuse to share the names of others who were there, she said.

"The cases we know are positive have resulted in spread and exposure to groups that have included first responders, pool life guards and other groups that have had contact with the public," Arkoosh said.

The commissioner said contact tracers will not reveal the names of anyone who tests positive for the virus.

Small Business Support

In the conference, county commissioner Ken Lawrence announced the county's MontoStrong small business grant program will reopen applications at 10 a.m. Thursday for another round of funding.

To qualify for a grant in the $10 million program, applicants are required to submit an application before noon on Friday and meet a set of criteria.

Read more: Montco Frees Up $10M For Third Round Of Small Business Support

Preventing the Spread

Residents can do a number of things to help stop the spread of the coronavirus in their communities, Arkoosh said.

Residents are urged to wear a mask whenever they leave their homes, continue practicing physical distancing and regularly and thoroughly wash their hands.

In a campaign titled "Mask Up Montco," the county has shared downloadable information and posters to help educate residents on when and where to wear masks.

Businesses are encouraged to download the posters and post them publicly.

"The decisions people are making today will manifest fully four to six weeks for now," Arkoosh said. "That’s how long it takes for the disease to spread and [have an] impact."