Bucks County's COVID cases fall 36.7%; Pennsylvania cases plummet 28.4%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read

Pennsylvania reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 17,390 new cases. That's down 28.4% from the previous week's tally of 24,281 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Pennsylvania ranked 33rd 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 10.8% from the week before, with 654,873 cases reported. With 3.85% of the country's population, Pennsylvania had 2.66% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 16 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 542 cases and four deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 856 cases and seven deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 140,577 cases and 1,999 deaths.

Montgomery County reported 715 cases and three deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 1,208 cases and eight deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 179,236 cases and 2,425 deaths.

​ Across Pennsylvania, cases fell in 60 counties, with the best declines in Allegheny County, with 1,966 cases from 3,198 a week earlier; in Montgomery County, with 715 cases from 1,208; and in Westmoreland County, with 609 cases from 999. ​

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Within Pennsylvania, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Fayette County with 312 cases per 100,000 per week; Greene County with 282; and Cambria County with 227. 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 2,054 cases; Allegheny County, with 1,966 cases; and Montgomery County, with 715. Weekly case counts rose in seven counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Philadelphia, Warren and McKean counties.

In Pennsylvania, 82 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 140 people were reported dead.

A total of 3,167,638 people in Pennsylvania have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 46,596 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 94,190,979 people have tested positive and 1,043,840 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. 28. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 4,309

  • The week before that: 4,013

  • Four weeks ago: 3,979

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 66,008

  • The week before that: 66,216

  • Four weeks ago: 72,118

Hospitals in 20 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 21 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 25 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 reported 542 additional COVID-19 cases this week