State Reports 18 New COVID-19 Cases in Schuylkill County on July 17

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Health reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Schuylkill County on July 17.

That total, if true, marks the 4th highest daily total for Schuylkill County since the beginning of the pandemic. And it’s the highest daily case total reported in Schuylkill County since May 12 and its 20 new cases. The highest daily total, 26, came back on April 29.

DOH Reports 18 New Cases of COVID-19 in Schuylkill County on July 17

As of 8 p.m. Saturday, the state Dept. of Health hadn’t updated its County Dashboard data reader with a total for July 18.

There’s no way of knowing if the abnormally high total is the result of one of those infamous “data dumps” that Health Sect. Rachel Levine talks about all the time. Or perhaps it is the sign of an actual outbreak present in Schuylkill County.

Look at the daily case totals for July in Schuylkill County and you’ll see how out-of-whack the total on the 17th is:

• July 1: 3
• July 2: 3
• July 3: 1
• July 4: 0
• July 5: 1
• July 6: 5
• July 7: 1
• July 8: 5
• July 9: 4
• July 10: 3
• July 11: 2
• July 12: 1
• July 13: 5
• July 14: 4
• July 15: 7
• July 16: 3
• July 17: 18

There were 48 “new” cases of COVID-19 in Schuylkill County in July prior to the latest daily total reported. The total on July 17 is 27% of the monthly “new” case total of 66. There have been 4 COVID-19 deaths in Schuylkill County in July and 48 overall since the state started reporting this data.

Here’s what the state reported for new cases in counties surrounding Schuylkill on the 17th:

• Berks County: 17
• Carbon County: 4
• Columbia County: 0
• Dauphin County: 33
• Lebanon County: 5
• Lehigh County: 22
• Luzerne County: 15
• Northumberland County: 1

Skeptical?

Surely, there are those who will be skeptical of this new daily case total.

On Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf issued an executive order closing all bars that don’t serve food and limiting restaurant capacity to 25%. At the time, he said there was an “unsettling” rise in case totals statewide. Though most reports suggested, at the time, that cases were higher in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties, for the most part. And it was rises in those counties that led to a statewide shutdown of some businesses earlier this week.

In our brief analysis of daily case totals in counties surrounding Schuylkill, the latest daily case count is actually average for the last week or lower in some areas, including known hotspots like Lehigh and Luzerne counties. You can check out the state’s full county report here and see for yourself.

This new high daily case total in Schuylkill County, where a healthy skepticism of the Governor’s responses exists, will cause the worried out there to say, “It’s a good thing he did what he did.” And that’s exactly why people are skeptical … fortuitous timing.

People of a certain age will get it.

ALSO READ: 

• Wolf Says Food with Booze is Safer than Booze and No Food
• Wolf Closed Schuylkill County Bars Over 36 “New” Coronavirus Cases in July
• Governor’s Actions Wednesday “Could Be the Final Stake in the Heart” for Some Small Businesses in Schuylkill County
• BREAKING: Pennsylvania Restaurants Going to 25% Occupancy, Bars Closing at Midnight