New COVID-19 Infections Keep Dropping In Bucks County

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — New COVID-19 infections continue to decline in Bucks County and across Pennsylvania.

Fewer than 800 new cases were reported in the county last week, a 32 percent decrease from the week before and a 60 percent decrease from the beginning of April.

The seven-day average of new cases fell to 114 per day, the lowest level since Nov. 6, while hospitalizations also continued to decline. Currently, 64 COVID-19 patients are in county hospitals, with 10 of them on ventilators.

County health officials are also encouraged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15.

“We’re very excited about Pfizer being approved for everyone age 12 and up,” said Dr. David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department. “I highly recommend that everyone newly eligible from 12 to 15 get the vaccine as soon as possible.

“Even though COVID doesn’t affect kids very much overall, getting vaccinated helps lower the spread in the community,” Damsker added. “That ends up protecting everyone in the end, and will help us shed these wretched masks.”

The Pfizer vaccine is available at all five of the county' mass vaccination sites. The one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also offered at all of the clinics, but only for those 18 and older.

More than 45 percent of Pennsylvania's adult population is now fully vaccinated, and almost 53 percent of the entire state population has received at least a first dose of vaccine.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced last week that all COVID-19 mitigation measures would be lifted by Memorial Day, with the exception of the mask mandate, which will remain in effect until 70 percent of the state's population is vaccinated.

Twelve COVID-19 deaths were reported in the county last week, raising the pandemic total to 1,264 deaths, 70 of them in April.

For full information about getting a coronavirus vaccine in Pennsylvania, visit Patch's information hub.