New COVID-19 Cases Halved In Chesco Since April 1: Updates

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — New COVID-19 cases in Chester County in the last week number fewer than half the count on April 1, in PA state health department reports.

There had been 978 new cases back in the week ended April 1, a figure more than twice this week's count of 449 new cases.

Five of six COVID-19 metrics fell this week in Chester County, in the Pennsylvania Department of Health weekly report that showed new case counts down by 169 this week compared to last, with new case totals half of what they were on April 1.

The only measure up at all was the average daily number of patients on ventilators in the county, which went from 2.6 last week, to 5.4 in the seven-day period ended May 6.

Other metrics joined the state overall in a decline. The six metrics all declined for Pennsylvania overall, in the past seven days, the DOH reported today.

New cases fell by 169 in the past seven-day period, compared to the previous week. The week ended April 29 saw 618 new COVID-19 cases and the week ended May 6 saw 449 new cases, according to the DOH. This week's drop is slightly less steep than last week's when cases had fallen by 189 over the previous week, but the trend downward in new COVID-19 cases has been steady.

The positivity rate in COVID-19 testing continued April's downward trend, but not by quite a much. Throughout April, positivity fell by one percentage point every week. In the week ended May 6, the metric was down by only half a percentage point, from 6.1 to 5.6 percent.

Incidence rate saw a steeper drop among the DOH metrics reported. 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.

On average, 63 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 each day in the week ended May 6, while 72 were in Chester County hospitals each day in the week before. That metric represents continued slow improvement: Hospitalizations for COVID-19 were reported at an average of 73.6 for the week ended April 15 and 67 on April 8, after there had been 47.6 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the week ended April 1.

To date, 773 have died in Chester County from COVID-19, according to the Chester County Health Department.

Vaccines Available Without Appointments

Currently, 38 percent of all Chester County residents age 18 and over are fully vaccinated. As of May 5, Chester County leads the region with 70 percent of eligible people partially or fully vaccinated.

The PA DOH today reported Chester County has fully vaccinated 160,572 people, and partially vaccinated 141,155.

The Chester County Health Department has opened vaccination clinic sites around the county that are taking walk-ins.

Starting May 7, the Health Department’s walk-in vaccine clinic at the Exton Square Mall — the former Sears store — is offering Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, and the Longwood Gardens overflow parking area drive-thru clinic will offer Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. These clinics are open Tuesday through Sunday.

Three senior centers in the county now serve as walk-in clinics, administering the Moderna vaccine. These senior centers are Phoenixville Senior Center, Oxford Area Senior Center, and Brandywine Valley Active Aging in Coatesville.

The Chester County Health Department will vaccinate any eligible person that visits one of the Health Department walk-in vaccination sites. If individuals prefer to make an appointment, they can do that here.

Opening days and times for all Chester County Health Department Walk-In Clinics are:

Exton Square Mall (former Sears store)
222 Exton Square Mall, Exton, PA 19341
Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson
Tuesday-Friday, Noon to 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Longwood Gardens overflow parking area (drive-thru)
1010 E. Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson
Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

Phoenixville Senior Center
153 Church Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460
Moderna
Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Brandywine Valley Active Aging – Coatesville Campus
250 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Coatesville, PA 19320
Moderna
Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Oxford Area Senior Center
12 E. Locust Street, Oxford, PA, 19363
Moderna
Mondays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Chester County Health Department will complete existing appointments at the following COVID-19 vaccine clinics through May 27:

• West Chester University's Sturzebecker Health Sciences Center
• Jennersville YMCA
• Kimberton Fire Company
• Brandywine YMCA in Coatesville

Appointments for the Pfizer vaccine continue to be booked for the Chester County Government Services Center in West Chester.

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