The Biden administration said Friday, Sept. 2, it has reached an agreement to buy 66 million doses of Moderna’s next generation of COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the highly transmissible omicron variant, ensuring enough supply this winter for everyone who wants the upgraded booster. AP Photo/Jenny Kane

Jenny Kane

By last week, most of Butler County’s students returned to their respective schools, just in time for a slight uptick in COVID-19.

In August, Butler County saw its second highest number of COVID-19 cases in 2022, but though that may sound bad, it’s also a far cry from a terrible start to the year.

According to the latest data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Butler County saw 1,704 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in August, and during that time, 11 people died from the virus.

Inpatient levels have ranged between 10 and 20 people each day, according to Dr. John Love, an infectious disease specialist at Butler Health System.

“It’s not been a particular impact or hardship,” Love said. “That said, we still have 10 people in the hospital from COVID-19. There are still people who do get seriously sick, and the country is still dealing with COVID.”

Love said the most important advice he can give anyone is to stay home if they’re sick.

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