VA Governor Urges Vigilance With Coronavirus Ahead Of Labor Day

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam urged residents to continue practicing social distancing and the wearing of face coverings over the long Labor Day weekend in order to avoid the spikes in coronavirus cases that the state saw after the Memorial Day and July 4 holidays.

As long as the eastern region of Virginia does not see the same types of spikes it saw earlier in the summer, Northam said his administration could decide to lift certain restrictions in the Hampton Roads area later in September. But to lift the restrictions, the public must avoid large gatherings and wear face masks when around other people, the governor said Tuesday at a news conference in Richmond.

"If the numbers continue to trend in a good direction and if there's evidence that people are following the safety guidelines over the holiday weekend, we will be able to move eastern Virginia in line with the rest of the state soon after Labor Day," the governor said.

In July, Northam announced new restrictions for Hampton Roads localities in light of increasing new cases, hospitalizations and positive tests. The restrictions included a 50-person social gathering limit and indoor dining at 50-percent capacity and took effect July 31. The restrictions only applied to Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Williamsburg, Newport News, Poquoson, James City County, and York County.

While the percent positivity rate has dropped significantly in Virginia since its peak in May, Northam said he wants to see the rate drop well below the current range around 7 percent. "This virus is still alive and well," he said.

As of Tuesday, 1,593,368 PCR tests had been completed in Virginia, up 12,077 from Monday. After dropping to 6.5 percent on Aug. 22, the statewide average of positive tests has been steadily rising. As of Aug. 28, the statewide 7-day average of positive tests was 7.7 percent.

Northam said he expects the coronavirus will remain an issue through the fall and winter and that residents should not let their guard down. By spring 2021, the governor said he is hoping a safe coronavirus vaccine will be available to the public.

The governor also urged Virginians to get their flu shots this fall. "If we get a bad flu season on top of COVID-19, we’re going to have some challenges," he said, referring to a potential shortage of ICU beds and ventilators at hospitals across the state.

The Virginia Department of Health reported 1,021 additional coronavirus cases on Tuesday, 220 of which were in the Northern Virginia region. There were 32 new deaths reported statewide, including five in Northern Virginia. The cumulative totals are 121,615 cases, 2,612 deaths, and 9,621 hospitalizations.

The latest seven-day average of new cases is 997, less than the 1,075 average on July 31. The average has fluctuated in August, partly due to a backlog of cases from Aug. 5 to Aug. 7. That resulted in 2,015 cases being reported on Aug. 7 and has affected the 7-day average.

The average of current COVID-19 hospitalizations has started to fall but remains in the 1,000 range. As of Tuesday, 1,039 patients were hospitalized statewide, led by the eastern region with 339. Other hospitalizations by region include 228 in the northern region, 208 in the central region, 152 in the southwest region and 112 in the northwest region.

According to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, the hospitalizations include 130 on ventilators and 258 in the intensive care units as of Tuesday. Ventilator use is at 19 percent statewide, and ICU capacity is at 79 percent. The 2019 statewide average for ICU occupancy was 67 percent. There is one hospital reporting difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment in the next 72 hours, down from two on Monday.

At his news conference, Northam noted that new cases in Northern Virginia are slightly higher than earlier in summer, but significantly lower than at the beginning of the pandemic. The region is seeing a seven-day average around 240 new cases and percent positive around 6 percent.

In the southwest region, where there are not as many hospital beds, Northam said the number of positive cases has been climbing. Two months ago, the seven-day average of new cases was around 80 in the southwest region. Today, the daily average of new cases in southwest Virginia is about 220.

"This is especially concerning for a region where there are fewer hospitals, especially with critical care capabilities," the governor said.

In the eastern region, the 7-day average of new cases has dropped to 214 and the percent-positive has dropped from 12 percent in mid-July to 9 percent.

"I hope you are encouraged by these numbers. I know that I am," Northam said. "So overall the coronavirus is moderately contained in Virginia. The case numbers remain steady, and the percent positivity is not spiking, but again we continue to watch this very closely, and we need to remain vigilant."

As colleges and universities reopen across the state, Northam said his administration is working with them to make sure they are following guidelines. "We are seeing concerning numbers of positive cases at our colleges and universities very early on as our students have returned to campus," he said.

Virginia has provided specific guidelines to colleges and expects the schools to work with the local health districts. "We're watching this very closely," he said. While he has no plans now to apply tighter restrictions on colleges, Northam said he would consider intervening and making changes on campuses if conditions worsen.

Here are the latest case updates for our coverage areas between Monday and Tuesday:

• Alexandria: 3,395 cases, 298 hospitalizations, 62 deaths; increase of 17 cases
• Arlington County: 3,560 cases, 466 hospitalizations, 140 deaths; increase of five cases and two deaths. One hospitalization removed.
• Fairfax County: 18,508 cases, 2,058 hospitalizations, 560 deaths; increase of 91 cases, two hospitalizations and two deaths.
• Fairfax City: 122 cases, 13 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of two cases.
• Falls Church: 66 cases, 11 hospitalizations, seven deaths; no changes.
• Loudoun County: 6,008 cases, 387 hospitalizations, 118 deaths; increase of 29 cases and three hospitalizations.
• Manassas: 1,810 cases, 126 hospitalizations, 24 deaths; increase of five cases and one death.
• Manassas Park: 568 cases, 53 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of three cases.
• Prince William County: 10,904 cases, 859 hospitalizations, 185 deaths; increase of 68 cases and five hospitalizations.
• Fredericksburg: 482 cases, 47 hospitalizations, five deaths; increase of one case.
• Spotsylvania County: 1,824 cases, 121 hospitalizations, 38 deaths; increase of 23 cases and two hospitalizations.
• Stafford County: 1,717 cases, 137 hospitalizations, 10 deaths; increase of 13 cases and one hospitalization.

Patch editor Emily Leayman contributed to this article.

SEE ALSO:

• College Campuses Report Cases, Positive Average Up In NW Virginia
• Model Predicts 187K Total Coronavirus Cases In VA By Thanksgiving
• Virginia Health Commissioner Plans To Mandate Coronavirus Vaccine
• VA Study To Examine Coronavirus Antibodies In Kids, Teens