Politics & Government
5th Montco Coronavirus Case, Person Critical: Officials
A fifth case of coronavirus has been discovered in Montgomery County, and the individual is in critical condition, officials said.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A fifth case of presumptive coronavirus has been found in Montgomery County, officials said Monday, and the individual has been hospitalized in critical condition.
This marks the 10th case of coronavirus in Pennsylvania. The individual is an Upper Merion resident and cardiologist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Montgomery County Commissioner Valerie Arkoosh said.
>>For the latest updates on this story, see here: 13 Montco Patients Had Contact With CHOP Doctor With Coronavirus
Find out what's happening in Norristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
He's been taken to the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania for treatment, marking the first case of the virus to be treated in Philadelphia. He acquired coronavirus while traveling internationally to a country where the virus is active; authorities did not specify which country.
The man worked in CHOP's King of Prussia outpatient facility, which was shut down Monday once the diagnosis was discovered.
Find out what's happening in Norristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
>>Pennsylvania Coronavirus Count Up To 10
Two of the Montgomery County cases were announced Saturday, and two on Sunday. Of the two cases Saturday, one was an adult woman in Worcester, and one an adult woman in Lower Gwynedd. The Sunday cases involved a man and a woman who lived together in Lower Merion.
All of the previous Montgomery County cases did not require hospitalization, and the impacted individuals are currently in isolation at home.
Officials are working to trace the recent movements of the individuals in order to identify anyone else who they may have come into contact with. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, said Sunday that the county had notified all public locations where they knew infected individuals had been.
The positives are considered "presumptive cases," which means the state has identified COVID-19 but is waiting on more tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are more than 500 cases in the United States and 110,000 worldwide. The virus has accounted for 3,800 deaths globally.
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