Arlington Leader Welcomes Northam's New Coronavirus Mandates

ARLINGTON, VA — Virginia Department of Health confirmed 109 additional cases of COVID-19, the illness associated with the new coronavirus, Friday in the Arlington Health District. That's almost triple the 35 new cases reported Thursday. The total number of cases in the county stands at 7,207.

This high number of new cases came the day after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam updated his stay-at-home order to modify restrictions already in place across the state to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The changes include a new statewide curfew, a universal mask requirement and lowering the size of social gatherings.

Under the curfew, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, residents must stay inside from midnight to 5 a.m., unless they are commuting to or from work, obtaining food and goods, or seeking medical attention.

Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey praised the governor's actions in a release, saying the county welcomed these measures to protect Virginias from the surging spread of the virus.

“We have all seen the numbers and the trends, and they are deeply disturbing," Garvey said, in the release. "We know that pandemic fatigue is real, and that it is particularly difficult to hunker down during the holidays, when we all want to be with the people we love. But we need everyone to comply with these measures to help avoid overwhelming our healthcare system. Stay home, wear a mask if you must go outside, keep at least six feet of distance between you and those outside your household, and wash your hands frequently.”

No new deaths were reported in the Arlington Health District on Friday. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in Arlington remains at 164.

A total of 611 people have been hospitalized in Arlington due to COVID-19.

VDH reported a total of 36 outbreaks of COVID-19 in the Arlington Health District on Friday. There have been 24 outbreaks at long-term care facilities, seven in a congregate setting, one at a correctional facility, three in health care settings, and one at a college or a university.

The total number of cases associated with an outbreak is 732. There have been 268 reported coronavirus cases in Arlington involving health care workers.

VDH reported that 120,799 COVID-19 tests have been taken in Arlington, with an 8.4 percent positivity rate. Statewide there have been 4,237,782 COVID-19 tests taken, with a 10.5 percent positivity rate.

There have been 274,438 total cases statewide, according to data reported by the Virginia Department of Health. In Virginia, there have been 4,370 coronavirus-related deaths to date. There have been a total of 15,824 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

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Globally, more than 69.7 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 1.5 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday morning. In the United States, more than 15.6 million people have been infected and over 292,000 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 ...

• Statewide Curfew Mandated By Virginia Governor
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: 2 Additional Deaths; 35 New Cases
• Sheriff's Office Begins Testing Staff, Inmates For COVID-19
• New Coronavirus Cases Above 4,000 In Virginia For First Time
• Total Coronavirus Cases Top 7,000 In Arlington; 118 New Cases
• Sobering COVID-19 Numbers Shared By Arlington Health Director
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: 3 Additional Deaths; 112 New Cases
• Daily Coronavirus Case Average Above 3,000 In Virginia