Chester County COVID-19 Positivity, Incidence Near Lowest In PA

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Health COVID-19 update today shows Chester County as one of the very lowest in COVID-19 test positivity rate and incidence rate among the commonwealth's 67 counties.

Chester County's COVID-19 incidence rate per 100,000 residents was reported as 21.5 for the week ending May 27 in the DOH weekly report. That number represents a steep drop in just three weeks. Last week, the incidence rate was 36.4, and in the week ended May 6, Chester County's incidence rate was 85.5 per 100,000 residents. It had been 117.7 per 100,000 in the week ended April 29.

The percentage of COVID-19 tests that are returned positive — the positivity rate — also dropped steeply. It was reported at 2.2 percent today, for the seven-day period ended May 27. Last week the number was 2.9 percent. It had been 6.1 percent a month ago.

Chester County's neighbors had similarly low positivity rates reported this week, but Chester County's was lower and its incidence rate is lower than either Montgomery or Delaware county's.

The DOH reported Delaware County had a positivity rate of 2.2 percent in the week ended May 27, and Delco's incidence rate was 37.1 per 100,000 residents in that seven-day period.

Montgomery County's positivity rate was 2.5 percent in the DOH report just out, and its incidence rate was reported at 23.8 per 100,000 residents.

Lancaster County had a COVID-19 positivity rate of 3.6 percent for the week ended May 27 and an incidence rate of 35.9 per 100,000 residence in today's DOH report.

The lowest incidence rate among the state's 67 counties was Elk County's 10.0 per 100,000 residents, but the positivity rate there was reported as 3.2 percent for the week ended May 27.

The lowest positivity rate in the commonwealth is Union County's 1.9 percent and the incidence rate there was reported as 37.8 per 100,000 residents.

Chester County reported this week 74 percent of its vaccine-eligible residents are partially vaccinated. The Pennsylvania Health Department's update today said 154,754 Chester County residents are partially vaccinated and 198,083 are fully vaccinated here.

On Thursday, Pennsylvania's Department of Health announced the commonwealth's mask order would be lifted statewide on June 28 as COVID-19 metrics have improved enough across Pennsylvania to do so safely.

Chester County has had 37,444 documented COVID-19 cases, based on positive test counts, the Chester County Health Department reported today. Today, the state DOH reported 813 deaths in Chester County from COVID-19, since the pandemic began. Read a report on deaths to date in Chester County, here.

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