Positive Average Of Tests Below 7 Percent, 737 New Cases In VA

VIRGINIA — The Virginia Department of Health reported 737 additional coronavirus cases Wednesday as the 7-day average of new cases took a dip in recent days. The cumulative total of cases is up to 109,019. There were 14 new deaths reported, bringing the total to 2,410. There have been 8,925 coronavirus hospitalizations to date.

Virginia's latest 7-day average of new cases is 928, down from the state's peak average of 1,198 cases on Aug. 8. Part of that peak can be attributed to a backlog of cases from two days, causing a record-high 2,015 new cases to be reported on Aug. 7. Since then, there have been three days with new cases above 1,000 and nine days with new cases below 1,000.

On a regional level, Wednesday's new cases included 206 in the northern region, 191 in the eastern region, 130 in the southwest region, 129 in the central region, and 81 in the northwest region.

The statewide positive average of PCR tests has fallen below the 7-percent range for the first time since July 30. The average stood at 6.7 percent on Aug. 15. As of Wednesday, 1,402,471 tests have been completed in Virginia, an increase of 16,639 from Tuesday.

Like the statewide average, the northern region's rate has remained relatively flat in the last few months, reaching 6.1 percent on Aug. 15. Elsewhere in the state, the averages are 8.7 percent in the eastern region, 6.7 percent in the central and southwest regions, and 5.2 percent in the northwest region.

Current hospitalizations stand at 1,243 as of Wednesday, down 10 from Tuesday. The eastern region continues to account for the most hospitalizations with 461, followed by the northern region with 254, the central region with 238, the southwest region with 167, and northwest region with 123. According to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, 13,989 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals statewide.

The current hospitalizations include 145 patients on ventilators and 280 in the intensive care units. Ventilator use among all hospital patients remains steady at 20 percent, and ICU occupancy is at 72 percent. The 2019 average ICU occupancy for Virginia was 67 percent.

No hospitals are reporting difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment in the next 72 hours. From Aug. 8 to 17, at least one hospital reported difficulty obtaining PPE.

The latest breakdown of cases and deaths by age is:

• 0-9: 3,924 cases, 0 deaths
• 10-19: 8,707 cases, 0 deaths
• 20-29: 21,276 cases, 4 deaths
• 30-39: 19,831 cases, 20 deaths
• 40-49: 17,895 cases, 66 deaths
• 50-59: 15,770 cases, 154 deaths
• 60-69: 10,276 cases, 369 deaths
• 70-79: 5,312 cases, 614 deaths
• 80 and up: 4,915 cases, 1,181 deaths
• Not reported: 1,113 cases, 2 deaths

The latest breakdown of cases by race and ethnicity is:

• Asian or Pacific Islander: 3,202 cases, 126 deaths
• Black: 20,996 cases, 597 deaths
• Latino: 28,920 cases, 260 deaths
• Native American: 131 cases, 2 deaths
• Other race: 2,615 cases, 37 deaths
• Two or more races: 570 cases, 2 deaths
• White: 26,621 cases, 1,308 deaths
• Not reported: 25,964 cases, 78 deaths

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

• Alexandria: 3,165 cases, 287 hospitalizations, 61 deaths; increase of 19 cases
• Arlington County: 3,293 cases, 442 hospitalizations, 135 deaths; increase of 29 cases and four hospitalizations
• Fairfax County: 17,230 cases, 1,987 hospitalizations, 538 deaths; increase of 76 cases, 12 hospitalizations and one death
• Fairfax City: 103 cases, 11 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of one case
• Falls Church: 63 cases, nine hospitalizations, six deaths; no changes
• Loudoun County: 5,580 cases, 361 hospitalizations, 115 deaths; increase of 28 cases
• Manassas: 1,729 cases, 125 hospitalizations, 23 deaths; increase of six cases and one death
• Manassas Park: 542 cases, 51 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of two cases and one hospitalization
• Prince William County: 10,034 cases, 824 hospitalizations, 179 deaths; increase of 45 cases and four hospitalizations
• Fredericksburg: 431 cases, 45 hospitalizations, four deaths; increase of three cases, one hospitalization and one death
• Spotsylvania County: 1,649 cases, 104 hospitalizations, 35 deaths; increase of seven cases, one death removed
• Stafford County: 1,543 cases, 127 hospitalizations, 10 deaths; increase of nine cases, 38 hospitalizations removed

SEE ALSO:

• NoVA Reports Most Coronavirus Hospitalizations Since Mid-June
• NoVA Study To Examine Coronavirus Antibodies In Kids, Teens
• Coronavirus Exposure Notification App Launches In Virginia