Arlington Coronavirus Update: Total Positive Cases Top 5,100

ARLINGTON, VA — Virginia Department of Health confirmed 37 additional cases of COVID-19, the illness associated with the new coronavirus, Wednesday in the Arlington Health District. That's up slightly from the 33 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Tuesday. This brings the total number of cases in the county to 5,130.

Virginia health officials also reported no new deaths due to COVID-19 Tuesday in Arlington. The last new death was reported on Sunday. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the Arlington Health District now stands at 155.

A total of 547 people have been hospitalized in Arlington due to COVID-19.

VDH confirmed Tuesday there have been 25 outbreaks of COVID-19 in the Arlington Health District. There have been 18 outbreaks at long-term care facilities, three at a congregate setting, three in health care settings, and one at a college or a university. The total number of cases connected with an outbreak is 651. There have been 242 reported coronavirus cases in Arlington involving health care workers.

With news that Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine against the coronavirus achieved effectiveness in participants, state officials say they're prepared with plans to distribute a coronavirus vaccine once a safe, effective one is ready.

Virginia State Health Commissioner Norm Oliver said in a news conference Tuesday that a vaccine could be expected by the end of the year from any of the vaccine developers in play, but he noted it will take months to vaccinate millions in Virginia.

There have been 196,506 total cases statewide, according to data reported by the Virginia Department of Health. In Virginia, there have been 3,741 coronavirus-related deaths to date. There have been a total of 13,273 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

VDH reported Wednesday that 91,298 COVID-19 tests have been taken in Arlington, with a 6.0 percent positivity rate. Statewide there have been 3,073,701 COVID-19 tests taken, with a 7.2 percent positivity rate, according to VDH.

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Globally, more than 51.6 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 1.2 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Wednesday morning. In the United States, more than 10.2 million people have been infected and over 239,000 people have died from COVID-19.

VDH breaks down the number of cases and deaths in Arlington by age, race and ethnicity. The breakdown by age is as follows:

Arlington residents should take the following actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Also see ...

• Virginia 'Ready' To Distribute Coronavirus Vaccine Once Available
• Arlington Coronavirus: No New Deaths; 33 Additional Cases
• Virginia School Districts Head In Different Directions When It Comes To COVID-19
• Second-Highest Day Of New Coronavirus Cases Reported In Arlington
• NoVA Leads State In New Coronavirus Cases On Sunday
• Arlington Coronavirus: No New Deaths; 47 Additional Cases
• New Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations Trending Up In Virginia