Yes, COVID-19 cases are again disturbingly on the rise; no, that doesn’t yet signify a return to in-county mask mandates. Peter Blanchard covered the official response to caseload upticks for the Doylestown Patch.

The Bucks County Board of Commissioners has noted the data showing rising levels of both coronavirus infections and its delta variant. They are not, however, ready to translate that trend into an indoor mask requirement for vaccinated residents.

Citing statistics that include the current local caseload (eight patients), the board sees Bucks County’s status as safer than other areas where spikes are occurring amid lower vaccination rates.

“The current surge in COVID cases around the nation is among those who are unvaccinated,” the Bucks County Commissioners said in a joint statement.

County Commissioner Bob Harvie explained the decision against mask mandates.

“Bucks County has no plans to urge fully vaccinated people to wear masks,” Harvie said. “Part of the motivation for people to get vaccinated has been eliminating the need to wear masks in order to be safe from the worst effects of the coronavirus or to keep from spreading it to others.”

Free vaccinations are still available at Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem and Warwick Square in Jamison. The county’s online resource for obtaining a vaccine is still live.

More on this story is at the Doylestown Patch.