Butler Memorial Hospital reported Monday that it had 14 inpatients who tested positive with COVID-19, and two of them were in the Intensive Care Unit. The previous Monday, the hospital had 11 inpatients with COVID-19, two of whom also were in the ICU.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health, which compiles COVID-19 data from every county in the state every Wednesday, also reported a spike this week, with four COVID-related deaths and 453 new COVID cases in Butler County alone.

Despite the cases being in the 400s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting a “low” COVID-19 community level — a measure of COVID-19’s impact on the health and healthcare system of a community, as of Thursday afternoon. The CDC’s report is determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area, according to its website.

Butler Health System's chief medical officer and emergency medical physician David Rottinghaus said April 19 that Butler Memorial Hospital was seeing COVID cases decline throughout the early months of the year. Additionally, the hospitalization rate was down in April compared to preceding months.

However, Rottinghaus also said COVID-19 data and the infection rate may be skewed by the number of at-home tests currently in circulation, as the results of those tests are not always reported. In turn, the hospital responds to COVID-19 based on how many hospitalizations the disease causes.

“At this point in time, our most important marker on how to respond is going to relate to admissions to the hospital and how sick people are getting,” Rottinghaus said.

Butler Health System has continued its COVID testing, which require a physician’s order, from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday at 304 Delwood Road in Butler. It also has continued its vaccine clinic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday at the BHS Crossroads Campus at 127 Oneida Valley Road.

At a May 9 meeting of the Butler Area School District school board, superintendent Brian White said the district had not seen the same spike in cases that were being reported by districts in Allegheny County.

On May 26, the district reported six active cases among its staff and students.

Butler County Community College offered its final on-site COVID testing day May 26, supplied by the Primary Health Network mobile unit.

As of May 16, the college reported a total of 127 cases throughout the spring semester.

Rottinghaus said people who feel sick should still implement safe health practices to minimize transmission of COVID-19.

“If you have symptoms you are worried about, you will probably have to test,” he said. “Especially people who are at risk, there are several reasons to test. You can identify what you have and not spread it to others, and you could seek treatment.”