Bucks County's COVID cases fall 8.6%; Pennsylvania cases plummet 16.7%

Pennsylvania reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 20,626 new cases. That's down 16.7% from the previous week's tally of 24,748 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Pennsylvania ranked 34th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 2.3% from the week before, with 795,621 cases reported. With 3.85% of the country's population, Pennsylvania had 2.59% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, seven states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Johns Hopkins University has been getting data on an erratic schedule from Pennsylvania, skewing week-to-week comparisons.

Bucks County reported 764 cases and four deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 836 cases and eight deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 139,179 cases and 1,988 deaths.

Montgomery County reported 1,139 cases and seven deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 1,188 cases and six deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 177,313 cases and 2,414 deaths.

u0022Share Love, Not Germs,u0022 declared bottles of hand sanitizer at a ceremony for Chris and Suah Yi of Ashland, Massachusetts. Because of COVID-19, the couple's traditional Korean wedding was delayed until three years after their marriage began.
u0022Share Love, Not Germs,u0022 declared bottles of hand sanitizer at a ceremony for Chris and Suah Yi of Ashland, Massachusetts. Because of COVID-19, the couple's traditional Korean wedding was delayed until three years after their marriage began.

Across Pennsylvania, cases fell in 36 counties, with the best declines in Philadelphia County, with 2,374 cases from 5,149 a week earlier; in Allegheny County, with 2,042 cases from 2,661; and in Westmoreland County, with 555 cases from 746. ​

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Within Pennsylvania, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Fulton County with 420 cases per 100,000 per week; Montour County with 302; and Franklin County with 279. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Philadelphia County, with 2,374 cases; Allegheny County, with 2,042 cases; and Montgomery County, with 1,139. Weekly case counts rose in 31 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Franklin, York and Lackawanna counties.

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In Pennsylvania, 113 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 97 people were reported dead.

A total of 3,125,967 people in Pennsylvania have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 46,374 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 92,927,104 people have tested positive and 1,037,021 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Pennsylvania's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Aug. 14. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 4,285

  • The week before that: 4,051

  • Four weeks ago: 3,741

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 72,082

  • The week before that: 71,315

  • Four weeks ago: 70,906

Hospitals in 13 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 18 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 27 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County, PA reported 764 additional COVID cases this week