Montco records 4 more COVID-19 deaths
Officials reported 231tested positive for the virus and four more died during the seven-day period ending Wednesday.
NORRISTOWN » Montgomery County officials reported 231 individuals tested positive for the coronavirus and four more people died from the virus during the seven-day period ending Wednesday.
The 231 new positive cases, reported between July 2 and July 8, bring the county’s total number of cases to 8,626 since March 7 when the first two cases of the virus were identified in the county. Twenty-five of the individuals resided in long-term care facilities and the remaining 206 individuals were other members of the community.
The latest positive individuals, including 139 females and 91 males, ranged in age from 1 month to 95 and they resided in 41 municipalities, officials said. Information regarding the gender of one other positive individual was unavailable on Wednesday.
Officials also reported four more COVID-19 deaths, which brought the county’s death toll to 804 since the pandemic began in March. The four individuals ranged in age from 86 to 93.
To date, 426 females and 378 males have died from the virus.
Meanwhile, officials reported that as of Wednesday, there were 69 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 in county hospitals, 10 of whom require a ventilator.
“So our hospital numbers continue to slowly trend downward, which is a very encouraging sign,” county Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said during a news briefing.
At the peak of the outbreak in April, county officials reported more than 400 hospitalizations.
Officials stressed that testing is still available for all county residents who want or need to be tested. The county has established walk-up testing sites in Pottstown, Norristown, Lansdale, Willow Grove, Ardmore and Green Lane to accommodate those who want to be tested.
“These sites do require an appointment. These countyrun sites provide testing at no cost, although insurance will be billed if you have it. We do not require a health care provider’s order and we will test individuals of any age who want or need to be tested,” said Arkoosh, who was joined at the news briefing by fellow Commissioner Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr.
In Pottstown, a testing site is located at the county’s Office of Public Health Pottstown Health Center at 364 King St. Testing is available by appointment
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
In Norristown, a testing site is located on the parking lot of the Delaware Valley Community Health Norristown Regional Health Center at 1401 DeKalb St. Testing is available by appointment Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and noon.
In Lansdale, a testing site is located at 421 Main St. and is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
A testing site also is available at the county’s Willow Grove Office of Public Health at 102 Old York Rd. Testing is available there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Another testing site is located at Deep Creek and Snyder roads in the Green Lane Park area, where tests are available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
In Ardmore, a testing site is located at 114 W. Lancaster Avenue where testing is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
To register for a test at any of the six sites, residents can visit www.montcopa. org/COVID-19 and click on the county testing information button. Residents can also register for a test at any of the six sites by calling 610-970-2937.
That phone number as well as the online registration will open at 8:30 a.m. daily.
Officials said another opportunity for testing in Norristown will be available for one day only on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Siloam Baptist Church, 1329 Willow St. The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium will provide the free testing for individuals of any age and no appointment is required.
Officials added CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies are offering drive-thru testing at 12 locations throughout the county. Information about those locations can be found at www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 by clicking on “testing sites map.”