Schuylkill County’s COVID-Positive Rate Rises to 8.1% – Less Hospitalizations

After consistently dropping for months, the COVID percent positivity rate in Schuylkill County rose over the most recent 7 days tracked.

According to information made available this week from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health, the percent-positive rate locally went from 6.4% to 8.1%. This rate was measured during the 7-day span from March 12-18.

Percent positivity is the measure of the number of positive COVID tests among the overall number of tests administered. The state believes this is an accurate measure of the rate of community spread of the coronavirus.

Schuylkill County’s percent positive rate is a full 1.6% above the statewide rate of 6.5%. And it’s the 14th highest rate in Pennsylvania.

During the most recent 7 days tracked, the percent positive rate isn’t the only thing going in the wrong direction. Schuylkill County also had 31 more COVID-19 cases in those 7 days than the 7 days prior.

However, the number of daily hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continues to drop in Schuylkill County, down another 2.9 per day from March 12-18. The same trend is being seen statewide, too. Although there were 1,380 more cases week-over-week in Pennsylvania, daily hospitalizations caused by COVID dropped.

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