A new cluster of dozen COVID-19 cases in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has been traced to the same source. According to the county’s health department, 12 recent cases from Saturday have been traced to one New Jersey individual who attended several parties on the Jersey Shore over the last two weeks.

“This is exactly why we can’t let our guard down now, even if it feels ‘safe’ to be at the beach,” Bucks County Health Department director David Damsker said in a statement. “One unlucky exposure can lead to a large cascade of cases down the line. We want everyone to enjoy the warmer weather and have fun, but let’s keep in mind that COVID is still circulating in the community at baseline levels.”

County officials expect this cluster to grow as members of these patients’ families get infected. Few other details of the situation have been shared out of respect for the patients’ privacy and cooperation.

Bucks County, along with nine others in Pennsylvania, is currently in the state’s “yellow” phase of reopening. Similar to the reopening plans in other states, this phase allows certain businesses to resume operations while large gatherings remain restricted.

Bucks County spokesman Larry R. King encouraged residents to keep their guard up as lockdowns begin to ease.

“Obviously it’s still out there, and if you have too many people in one place and somebody’s got the virus, it’s still able to be spread,” King said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, Pennsylvania has seen over 80,000 confirmed cases while New Jersey has seen over 164,000. Pennsylvania and New Jersey have also reported 5,953 and 12,176 deaths, respectively.

US health care workers and other first responders have been under intense strain as they battle to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic
US health care workers and other first responders have been under intense strain as they battle to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic AFP / Angela Weiss
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