PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia reported under 500 new coronavirus cases on Friday and saw its current COVID-19 hospitalizations drop below 700 patients for the first time since the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association started tracking the data.

Hospitalizations continue to steadily drop, to 684 total as of Friday. Virginia’s still reporting about 17 deaths per day due to the virus, but that’s down significantly from the winter.

The vaccines have shown to be extremely effective against preventing hospitalization and death, but many people are still not vaccinated. The numbers should continue to drop as more and more get their shots.

State metrics

  • New cases (+493, 669,219 total), 555 cases per day on average
  • New deaths (+30, 10,991 total), 17 per day on average
  • Current hospitalizations (-64 patients, 684 total)
  • Vaccine doses administered (total doses administered: 6,984,320, percent of population with at least 1 dose: 47.8%, percent of the population fully vaccinated: 36.8%)

Nearly half of the population now has at least one vaccine dose, and Gov. Ralph Northam was expected to share updates after the CDC updated guidance on Thursday recommending that fully vaccinated people don’t have to wear masks indoors or outdoors, except in certain settings.

Local cases

  • Accomack: 2,830 cases, 207 hospitalized 41 deaths (+2 cases)
  • Chesapeake: 20,887 cases, 992 hospitalized, 296 deaths (+29 cases, +1 death)
  • Franklin: 1,132 cases, 56 hospitalized, 32 deaths (+2 cases)
  • Gloucester: 2,199 cases, 61 hospitalized, 48 deaths (+2 cases)
  • Hampton: 10,453 cases, 369 hospitalized, 178 deaths (+9 cases, +4 hospitalized)
  • Isle of Wight: 3,135 cases, 148 hospitalized, 68 deaths (+2 cases)
  • James City County: 4,602 cases, 153 hospitalized, 72 deaths (no change)
  • Mathews: 599 cases, 22 hospitalized, 12 deaths (no change)
  • Newport News: 13,962 cases, 446 hospitalized, 227 deaths (+9 cases, +3 hospitalized)
  • Norfolk: 17,653 cases, 991 hospitalized, 257 deaths (+18 cases, +2 hospitalized, +1 death)
  • Northampton: 806 cases, 80 hospitalized, 36 deaths (+1 case)
  • Poquoson: 875 cases, 22 hospitalized, 16 deaths (+1 case)
  • Portsmouth: 9,061 cases, 672 hospitalized, 194 deaths (+ 7 cases, + 1 death)
  • Southampton: 1,972 cases, 54 hospitalized, 56 deaths (no change)
  • Suffolk: 7,911 cases, 449 hospitalized, 190 deaths (+12 cases, +4 hospitalized, +2 deaths)
  • Virginia Beach: 35,889 cases, 1,616 hospitalized, 399 deaths (+35 cases, +5 hospitalized, +2 death)
  • Williamsburg: 767 cases, 28 hospitalized, 13 deaths (+1 case)
  • York: 3,733 cases, 69 hospitalized, 53 deaths ( +1 cases, +1 death)