Fairfax Passes 1,000 Cases As Central VA Coronavirus Deaths Climb

VIRGINIA — State health officials reported 141 deaths from the new coronavirus in Virginia on Sunday, an increase of 11 reported deaths in the past day. Nine out of the 11 new reported deaths were in the state's central region. More than 5,200 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the state.

At 1,011 cases, the Fairfax County Health Department is the state's first district to surpass 1,000 positive tests of the coronavirus. Prince William County now has the second most positive cases in the state at 389. The cities of Manassas and Manassas Park in Prince William County reported 31 and 10 cases, respectively, on Sunday.

Statewide, 39,985 people have been tested for the virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health. As of Sunday, authorities say 5,274 people in Virginia have tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. That is an increase of almost 200 since Saturday, when state health officials were reporting 5,077 confirmed cases.

As of Sunday, 872 Virginians have been hospitalized due to COVID-19, an increase of 35 hospitalizations since Saturday.

Of the 141 deaths from the virus reported Sunday, 56 were in central Virginia and 43 were in the northern region. The state's eastern region has reported 26 deaths, many of them in the Peninsula Health District. Nine people have died from the virus in the southwest region, while seven have died in the northwest region, according to state health data.

The northern and eastern regions each reported only one new death Sunday. The southwest and northwest regions reported no new deaths since Saturday.

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In the Fairfax Health District — which includes Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, the City of Falls Church and towns within the county — 20 people have died from the virus, according to Fairfax County officials.

Dr. Norman Oliver, state health commissioner, said Friday the Virginia Department of Health is preparing to start reporting deaths from the coronavirus by individual health district. Currently, the health department only reports deaths by the five regions of the state.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who has been leading the way in fighting the coronavirus among the states of Maryland and Virginia as well as the District of Columbia, has gone one step further. He announced Sunday that the state will begin posting COVIDー19 cases by zip code.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday again encouraged all residents to wear a cloth face mask if they must leave their home to shop for essential goods. But the governor stopped short of ordering residents to don a mask when they go out for exercise or to shop, even as leaders in the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, Maryland, order residents to wear cloth face coverings to try to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.

"It's just a strong suggestion, and encouragement," Northam said in his Friday briefing.

Northam said he encourages people to use makeshift cloth masks, "not only to protect themselves, but also protect others."

"As long as we can continue to work together, as long as we can continue to see that social distancing is working, that the curves are flattening, we'll continue with our present guidelines," Northam said.

In most stores in Northern Virginia, a vast majority of customers are now wearing face masks, with many also wearing masks when outside in areas where they are likely to pass people.

Northam issued a state-at-home order for residents to help contain the coronavirus outbreak. The order lasts until June 10. Local police will break up gatherings of 1o or more people, and residents are asked to contact the police if they see stores or other establishments not enforcing social distancing or limiting their customer counts to 10 or fewer people.

A Stafford County man in his 80s died Saturday at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, becoming the locality’s first confirmed death from the coronavirus and the third in the Rappahannock Area Health District, Stafford County said Saturday. Stafford County has 72 reported positive cases of the coronavirus.

The family was notified of his death and told he had tested positive for the respiratory illness, the county said.

The Rappahannock Area Health District, which has jurisdiction over Stafford County, said it has contacted people who have come in close contact with the man and has had them self-quarantine for 14-days from exposure.

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