Montco's Positivity Rate Dips Below 3 Percent; Best In Region

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Montgomery County has seen a significant drop-off in an important coronavirus metric over the past week, according to data released by the county and the state.

The county's percent positivity rate on all tests has dropped to 2.76 percent, the lowest in all of eastern Pennsylvania outside of Lackawanna County's 2.0 in the northeast.

The number also ranks among the best statewide, with only a handful of other sparsely populated counties performing better. It's such an encouraging metric for Montgomery County, in particular, as the county's population is high and testing demand has increased significantly in recent weeks and months.

The county had dropped to a 3.17 positivity rate by July 29, before steadily dropping in the days following.

"This is great news," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said in a statement, while urging residents to continue social distancing and wearing masks. "Our low positivity rate is a result of so many Montco residents heeding the call to do the right thing to protect our entire community."

Nearby, Bucks County is at 3.5 percent, Chester County is at 3.8 percent, Philadelphia is at 5.5 percent, and Delaware is at 5.9 percent.

The statewide average has dropped to 4.0 percent.

The county's 14-day positivity rate has been below 5 percent since June 18, officials said. Five percent is generally considered to be the benchmark of what is "concerning" or encouraging. Fifteen counties around Pennsylvania remain over that point.

The county's average daily numbers have stayed largely steady for weeks now, with minor increases and decreases. There have been 291 positive cases in the past seven days, an increase over the 272 reported the seven days previous.

All told, the county has seen 823 deaths and 10,265 cases of the virus since the pandemic began in the local area in mid-March.

This article originally appeared on the Norristown Patch