Virginia Coronavirus Hospitalizations Up, New Death Reports Fall

VIRGINIA — The Virginia Department of Health reported 565 new cases of the new coronavirus and 10 new deaths on Monday. Virginia's latest totals are 13,535 cases, 458 deaths and 2,066 hospitalizations.

Monday saw lower increases of cases and deaths than the past two days. From Saturday to Sunday, 704 new cases and 12 new deaths were reported. There were 772 new cases and 38 new deaths reported from Friday to Saturday.

Monday's total accounts for 13,036 laboratory-confirmed cases and 499 probable cases among patients with symptoms and a known exposure to COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

While the state reported 2,066 total hospitalizations Monday, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association has more detailed updates on hospitalized patients. There are 1,455 people with confirmed or pending test results currently hospitalized, compared to 1,399 patients reported on Friday. However, 1,843 COVID-19 patients have been discharged, up from 1,672 Friday.

Among Virginia patients with confirmed or pending test results, 389 are in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 217 are on ventilators. There are 616 ventilators in use of the 2,982 available ventilators, representing a 21 percent use of Virginia's available ventilators. Two hospitals report having difficulty obtaining or replenishing personal protective equipment in the next 72 hours.

On Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam announced his criteria for easing public health restrictions. The includes a downward trend of the percentage of positive tests and hospitalizations for 14 days, increased testing and contact tracing, sufficient hospital beds and intensive care capacity and sustained supply of personal protective equipment. The state aims to test 10,000 people per day prior to safely reopening. The plan to meet that level of testing includes hiring contact tracers to support local health departments in close contacts of COVID-19 cases. As of Monday, 80,180 people in the state have been tested for the virus, an increase of 4,062 from Sunday.

Virginia reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on March 7 and has been under a stay-at-home order since March 30. The order, effective through June 10, calls for residents to stay home with exceptions like obtaining food, medical care and outdoor exercise. The closure of certain non-essential businesses and ban on gatherings of more than 10 people went into effect on March 24 and was extended until May 8.

The first phase of lifting restrictions will be guided by feedback from a business task force. This will include continued social distancing and teleworking, limits on travel and public gatherings, and recommended use of face coverings. Recommendations for businesses, as well as specific guidance for public-facing businesses like restaurants and non-essential retail, will be provided in early May.

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Last week, the Virginia Department of Health started reporting data on cases of the new coronavirus by county and independent city. That includes data on deaths, hospitalizations, cases per 100,000 people and breakdowns by ages and race. However, racial data remains missing for 32.8 percent of cases.

The most cases continue to be reported in Fairfax County, the state's most populous locality. The 3,002 cases in Fairfax County are followed by 1,353 in Prince William County, 836 in Arlington County, 817 in Henrico County, 628 in Loudoun County and 627 in Alexandria.

Fairfax County leads the state with 100 deaths, followed by Henrico County with 89 deaths, Arlington County with 32 deaths and Prince William County with 20, Alexandria with 18 deaths and Chesterfield with 18 deaths.

Here's the latest case update for jurisdictions in our Northern Virginia coverage area, as of Sunday:

• Arlington County: 836 cases, 144 hospitalizations, 32 deaths
• Fairfax County: 3,002 cases, 522 hospitalizations, 100 deaths
• Fairfax City: 27 cases, four hospitalizations, two deaths
• Falls Church: 26 cases, three hospitalizations, two deaths
• Loudoun County: 628 cases, 78 hospitalizations, 12 deaths
• Manassas: 165 cases, 26 hospitalizations, two deaths
• Manassas Park: 50 cases, eight hospitalizations, one death
• Prince William County: 1,353 cases, 137 hospitalizations, 20 deaths
• Fredericksburg: 24 cases, six hospitalizations, no deaths
• Spotsylvania County: 119 cases, 23 hospitalizations, three deaths
• Stafford County: 218 cases, 42 hospitalizations, two deaths

SEE ALSO:

• VA Governor Outlines Reopening Criteria, Earliest Possible Date
• VA Coronavirus: Fairfax County, Henrico Lead State In Most Deaths
• VA Coronavirus: Fairfax County Has Most Deaths
• VA Coronavirus Deaths Pass 400; 9 New Deaths In Fairfax County
• Virginia Coronavirus: Over 700 New Cases, Legislature's Actions
• VA Hospitals Avoid Coronavirus Patient Surge As Curve Flattens