COVID-19 cases in Chester County and the region are once again on the rise as a subvariant of omicron continues to spread rapidly through the area, writes Rob Tornoe, Erin McCarthy, and Jason Laughlin for the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

The rate at which the cases are increasing is higher in the collar counties than in Philadelphia, and they are still rising. 

“With workers returning to their places of work and with the arrival of nicer weather, we are seeing more socializing, and the typical social activities such as Mother’s Day, end-of-school activities, summer leagues, etc. are all having a collective impact,” said Chester County Health Director Jeanne Franklin. “The vast majority of these social activities are happening with no prevention strategies in place.” 

However, both the collar counties and Philadelphia are not yet implementing any new restrictions. Instead, they are strongly encouraging residents to wear masks indoors. 

Chester County residents “must be prepared and willing to step up personal efforts and choose to mask” if transmission rates continue to go up, said Franklin. 

Read more about the rise in COVID-19 cases in the Philadelphia Inquirer.