NoVA Reports Highest Coronavirus Case Average Since Early June

VIRGINIA — New daily cases of the coronavirus increased again Friday, with 1,456 new cases reported by the Virginia Department of Health. The cumulative case total in the state is 179,639. There have been 12,511 hospitalizations and 3,643 deaths to date, according to the VDH dashboard.

Cases are skyrocketing in the state's southwest region, while Northern Virginia is starting to see daily cases similar to averages in early June as the region was coming down from its peak in May.

The seven-day average of daily cases reported statewide is 1,194. Friday's new cases included 506 in the southwest region, 312 in the northern region, 217 in the northwest region, 216 in the central region and 205 in the eastern region.

Friday was the fourth straight day that the northern region had reported more than 300 new cases. The seven-day average in the northern region was 278.9 cases, the highest seven-day average since June 12 when the average was 306.7 cases.

The seven-day average in the southwest region was 379.9 cases on Friday, the highest since the start of the pandemic.

With the southwest region seeing increased cases and often leading Virginia's regions in daily cases, Gov. Ralph Northam urged residents to step up their safety precautions.

"The spread in southwest is driven in part by small family gatherings," Northam said in a Wednesday news conference. "I strongly urge everyone in the southwest to look at these numbers and step up your precautions. I ask you also to wear face protection; we know that that works."

The southwest region also continues to report the highest seven-day positive average of PCR tests. The latest regional averages are 8.9 percent in the southwest region, 5.2 percent in the northern. 5.1 in the central region, 4.2 percent in the eastern region, and 3.9 percent in the northwest region.

Statewide, positive average of tests has been ranging at or around 5 percent in the last month. The latest average is 5.4 percent. There have been 2,606,664 PCR tests completed to date, an increase of 23,859 from Thursday.

The northern region edged the southwest region for the most COVID-19 hospital patients. The regional hospitalization numbers are 274 in the northern region, 273 patients in the southwest region, 205 in the central region, 189 in the eastern region and 124 in the northwest region.

There are 1,065 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized across Virginia as of Friday. That includes 107 on ventilators and 231 in the intensive care units, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

Ventilator use among all hospital patients is at 28 percent, and ICU occupancy is at 82 percent. The 2019 average for ICU occupancy in Virginia was 67 percent. No hospitals are reporting difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment or other medical supplies in the next 72 hours.

Below are the latest coronavirus data updates for our coverage area from Thursday to Friday:

• Alexandria: 4,303 cases, 324 hospitalizations, 74 deaths; increase of 18 cases
• Arlington County: 4,686 cases, 541 hospitalizations, 154 deaths; increase of 39 cases and two hospitalizations
• Fairfax County: 23,944 cases, 2,278 hospitalizations, 605 deaths; increase of 112 cases and seven hospitalizations
• Fairfax City: 163 cases, 14 hospitalizations, eight deaths; increase of three cases
• Falls Church: 75 cases, 13 hospitalizations, seven deaths; no changes
• Loudoun County: 7,946 cases, 482 hospitalizations, 130 deaths; increase of 38 cases and two hospitalizations
• Manassas: 2,054 cases, 132 hospitalizations, 27 deaths; increase of four cases
• Manassas Park: 654 cases, 58 hospitalizations and eight deaths; increase of one case
• Prince William County: 14,447 cases, 1,005 hospitalizations, 223 deaths; increase of 97 cases and five hospitalizations
• Fredericksburg: 594 cases, 52 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of three cases and one hospitalization
• Spotsylvania County: 2,479 cases, 155 hospitalizations, 54 deaths; increase of 11 cases
• Stafford County: 2,408 cases, 169 hospitalizations, 21 deaths; increase of 12 cases

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