NoVA Coronavirus Hospitalizations Trending Up As Tidewater Falls

VIRGINIA — The hospitalization rate in Northern Virginia has been on the rise over the past month, while hospitalizations in the Tidewater region have seen a significant drop-off, according to Virginia Department of Health data.

On Saturday, there were 1,101 COVID-19 patients hospitalized across Virginia, the same number of hospitalizations reported Friday. That number includes 131 on ventilators and 245 in intensive care units, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

The VDH reported 347 hospitalizations in the eastern region Saturday, the most of any region in the state. Elsewhere in the state, 257 hospitalization were reported in the northern region, 242 in the central region, 151 in the southwest region and 104 in the northwest region. To date, 14,957 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals since the start of the crisis.

In Northern Virginia, the 7-day hospitalization rate was 256 on Saturday compared to a 7-day hospitalization rate of 202 a month ago on July 28. In the eastern region of the state, which includes the entire Tidewater region, the 7-day hospitalization rate reached a peak of 540 on Aug. 7. Three weeks later, the 7-day hospitalization rate in the eastern region stands at 369 hospitalizations.

The VDH reported 1,217 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the cumulative total in the state to 118,809 cases. Eighteen deaths were reported Saturday. A total of 2,568 people have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and 9,512 people have been hospitalized.

Northern Virginia once again reported the most coronavirus cases, although the new case numbers were relatively evenly spread across the state. The northern region reported 276 new cases Saturday, followed by 266 in the eastern region, 265 in the southwest region, 232 in the central region and 178 in the northwest region.

Ventilator use among all hospital patients remained steady at 19 percent, while intensive care units stayed at 72 percent occupancy on Saturday. The ICU occupancy average in Virginia in 2019 was 67 percent.

Two hospitals are continuing to report difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment in the next 72 hours as of Saturday, but no hospitals are having difficulty obtaining other medical supplies.

The current 7-day positivity rate for coronavirus tests in Virginia stands at 6.9 percent statewide as of Aug. 25, up from 6.8 percent on Aug. 24. The number of PCR tests completed in Virginia was at 1,555,487 as of Saturday, an increase of 16,197 tests from Friday.

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

• Alexandria: 3,358 cases, 297 hospitalizations, 62 deaths; increase of six cases and removal of two deaths.
• Arlington County: 3,513 cases, 461 hospitalizations, 137 deaths; increase of 21 cases and three hospitalizations.
• Fairfax County: 18,192 cases, 2,051 hospitalizations, 555 deaths; increase of 108 cases, eight hospitalizations and five deaths.
• Fairfax City: 120 cases, 13 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of 10 cases.
• Falls Church: 66 cases, 11 hospitalizations, seven deaths; no changes.
• Loudoun County: 5,924 cases, 379 hospitalizations, 118 deaths; increase of 46 cases, five hospitalizations.
• Manassas: 1,790 cases, 126 hospitalizations, 23 deaths; increase of eight cases.
• Manassas Park: 561 cases, 53 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of three cases and one hospitalization.
• Prince William County: 10,722 cases, 851 hospitalizations, 184 deaths; increase of 74 cases, three hospitalizations and one death.
• Fredericksburg: 476 cases, 47 hospitalizations, five deaths; increase of four cases and one death.
• Spotsylvania County: 1,781 cases, 116 hospitalizations, 38 deaths; increase of 12 cases and two hospitalizations.
• Stafford County: 1,681 cases, 136 hospitalizations, 10 deaths; increase of 21 cases and one hospitalization.

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