VA Coronavirus Update: Fairfax County Sees Spike In New Cases

VIRGINIA — Fairfax County saw a jump in the number of new cases of the coronavirus Friday, according to the latest data from the Virginia Department of Health. There were 656 new cases in Fairfax, which is the fourth highest number of new cases reported in a single day in the county. The most cases reported in Fairfax on a single day was 897 on Dec. 21.

Virginia Department of Health recorded 5,238 new coronavirus cases in the state on Friday, which is down slightly from the record number of 5,387 new cases reported on Wednesday.

Current hospitalizations also reached a new high of 2,991, which includes 547 in the intensive care units and 351 on ventilators. There were 37 new deaths reported, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

On Wednesday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam outlined the priority groups for the next phases of COVID-19 vaccinations and urged vaccine providers to not let doses go to waste.

The groups prioritized for vaccinations in Virginia's phase 1a are health care workers and long-term care facility residents and workers. An estimated 500,000 people in Virginia are in these groups.

There are 142,061 people with at least one dose of vaccine, which includes 6,848 people who received both doses. Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines require two doses; Pfizer's doses should be taken 21 days apart, and Moderna's doses should be 28 days apart. To date, 481,550 doses have been distributed in Virginia.

The statewide seven-day positive average of PCR tests stands at 16.7 percent. That's nearing the 20.2 percent average on April 20 and 21 when testing capacity was much lower. The seven-day average of daily testing encounters is 30,528 as of Jan. 6, while the average was 2,914 on April 21. On a regional level, all regions have positive averages above 12 percent.

The current 2,991 COVID-19 patients are part of the 13,601 hospital beds occupied in Virginia. The state has 16,476 staffed hospital beds. Among all hospital patients, 1,046 of 3,014 ventilators are in use, representing 36 percent capacity. ICU occupancy stands at 82 percent, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

Here are the latest case updates for our coverage areas between Thursday and Friday:

• Alexandria: 7,817 cases, 449 hospitalizations, 91 deaths; increase of 70 cases, one hospitalization, and two deaths
• Arlington County: 9,654 cases, 671 hospitalizations, 185 deaths; increase of 113 cases, one hospitalization, and one death
• Fairfax County: 47,891 cases, 3,063 hospitalizations, 699 deaths; increase of 656 cases, nine hospitalizations and two deaths
• Fairfax City: 320 cases, 26 hospitalizations, 10 deaths; increase of eight cases
• Falls Church: 201 cases, 18 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of four cases
• Loudoun County: 15,219 cases, 6761 hospitalizations, 162 deaths; increase of 124 cases, two hospitalizations
• Manassas: 3,061 cases, 148 hospitalizations, 29 deaths; increase of 19 cases
• Manassas Park: 981 cases, 65 hospitalizations, eight deaths; nine cases
• Prince William County: 27,776 cases, 1,252 hospitalizations, 264 deaths; increase of 202 cases, 10 hospitalizations
• Fredericksburg: 1,133 cases, 67 hospitalizations, and 11 deaths; increase of seven cases
• Spotsylvania County: 5,301 cases, 221 hospitalizations, 70 deaths; increase of 74 cases and two hospitalizations
• Stafford County: 5,848 cases, 238 hospitalizations, 27 deaths; increase of 60 cases, one hospitalization, one death