Daily VA Coronavirus Cases Surge To Highest Level Since July

Mark Hand
Updated ·3 min read

VIRGINIA — The Virginia Department of Health reported 1,332 new coronavirus cases Thursday, the highest daily increase — excluding days with a backlog of cases — since July. The new cases bring the cumulative case total to 170,104 since the start of the pandemic.

Two jurisdictions in Northern Virginia led the state in new coronavirus cases. Fairfax County reported 166 new cases, followed by Prince William County with 97 new cases.

On a statewide basis, the VDH reported higher daily increases of the coronavirus on Oct. 8 and Aug. 7. But on both days, the department attributed the large increase to a backlog of cases.

A backlog was not responsible for the 1,332 new cases reported Thursday, according to the VDH. The daily case increase was the largest since July 27, when the department reported 1,505 new coronavirus cases, the second-highest daily number the state had seen since the pandemic begin.

There have been 3,524 deaths to date, nine of which were reported Thursday. Because deaths may be reported on a different day than the one on a death certificate, VDH also tracks death certificate dates. To date, the peak seven-day average of deaths by death certificate date was May 5 with 40. Data may be incomplete for the most recent weeks, but the seven-day average has been less than half of the May 5 peak since June.

Cumulative hospitalizations stand at 12,073, while current hospitalizations are at 1,109 statewide, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. That includes 120 patients on ventilators and 218 in the intensive care units, the association said.

Ventilator use among all Virginia hospital patients is at 23 percent capacity, and ICU occupancy is at 81 percent. No hospitals report difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment or other medical supplies.

The seven-day average of positive PCR tests is 5.0 percent across Virginia. There have been 2,451,698 PCR tests completed to date, an increase of 19,962 from Wednesday.

Below are the latest coronavirus data updates for our coverage area between Wednesday and Thursday.

  • Alexandria: 4,162 cases, 326 hospitalizations, 75 deaths; increase of 18 cases

  • Arlington County: 4,457 cases, 524 hospitalizations, 152 deaths; increase of 20 cases and two hospitalizations

  • Fairfax County: 23,015 cases, 2,220 hospitalizations, 605 deaths; increase of 166 cases, five hospitalizations and one death

  • Fairfax City: 156 cases, 14 hospitalizations, eight deaths; removal of one case

  • Falls Church: 74 cases, 13 hospitalizations, seven deaths; removal of one case

  • Loudoun County: 7,680 cases, 470 hospitalizations, 130 deaths; increase of 46 cases

  • Manassas: 2,025 cases, 132 hospitalizations, 27 deaths; increase of seven cases

  • Manassas Park: 639 cases, 57 hospitalizations, eight deaths; increase of five cases

  • Prince William County: 13,832 cases, 985 hospitalizations, 223 deaths; increase of 97 cases, eight hospitalizations and one death

  • Fredericksburg: 583 cases, 51 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of seven cases

  • Spotsylvania County: 2,367 cases, 151 hospitalizations, 50 deaths; increase of 12 cases

  • Stafford County: 2,307 cases, 168 hospitalizations, 20 deaths; increase of 20 cases

RELATED:

This article originally appeared on the Fairfax City Patch