Arlington Daily Coronavirus Numbers Decline After Earlier Spike

ARLINGTON, VA — Virginia Department of Health confirmed 32 additional cases of COVID-19, the illness associated with the new coronavirus, Thursday in the Arlington Health District. That's down from slightly from the 58 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Wednesday. This brings the total number of cases in the county to 5,544.

This week, Arlington has seen record numbers of new cases reported, including 82 new cases on Monday and 74 on Tuesday. Monday's total was the most new cases of COVID-19 reported in the health district in a single day since the start of the pandemic. The previous day with the most reported cases was May 24, when 69 new cases were reported.

In a Wednesday news conference, Gov. Ralph Northam expressed optimism about Pfizer and Moderna's announcements that their vaccine candidates achieved effectiveness close to 95 percent or more during trials. The governor anticipates the vaccines could be ready to roll out at the end of the year, but said distribution will take time and residents should continue to take precautions.

State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver said the state has been preparing for distribution and is working on logistics with the federal government's Operation Warp Speed team. Officials have identified 14 sites for ultra-cold storage required for Pfizer's vaccine. Moderna's vaccine will require a more standard level of cold storage.

Virginia expects initial quantities will be limited and geared toward the health care workforce and first responders. By the turn of the new year, Oliver expects Virginia production will increase so Virginia can complete this first phase of vaccinating health care workers, first responders and others in critical industries.

On Saturday, two new deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the Arlington Health District, but VDH corrected the number of deaths Wednesday by removing one. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the Arlington Health District now stands at 156.

A total of 566 people have been hospitalized in Arlington due to COVID-19.

VDH reported 29 outbreaks of COVID-19 in the Arlington Health District on Thursday. There have been 21 outbreaks at long-term care facilities, four at a congregate setting, three in a health care settings, and one at a college or a university. The total number of cases connected with an outbreak is 683. There have been 250 reported coronavirus cases in Arlington involving health care workers.

There have been 210,787 total cases statewide, according to data reported by the Virginia Department of Health. In Virginia, there have been 3,896 coronavirus-related deaths to date. There have been a total of 13,815 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

VDH reported Friday that 96,350 COVID-19 tests have been taken in Arlington, with a 7.4 percent positivity rate. Statewide there have been 3,225,995 COVID-19 tests taken, with a 8.3 percent positivity rate, according to VDH.

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Globally, more than 56.4 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 1.3 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Thursday morning. In the United States, more than 11.5 million people have been infected and over 250,000 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 ...

• First Vaccines In VA To Be For Health Care, Critical Workers
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: 33 Additional Cases, No New Deaths
• 4 New Coronavirus Outbreaks Reported In Arlington
• Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations Keep Climbing In Virginia
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: Total Positive Cases Top 5,100
• 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