VA's Central Region Leads In New Cases As Lawmaker Tests Positive

VIRGINIA — Virginia's central region, including the Richmond area, on Wednesday reported 222 new coronavirus cases, the highest number of new cases of any region in the state, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Among the other regions, Northern Virginia reported 195 new cases, followed by the southwest region at 183 new cases, the eastern region at 161 new cases, and the northwest region at 62 new cases.

The VDH reported 21 new deaths of coronavirus patients and 823 additional coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 115,458 cases. There have been 2,515 total deaths and 9,326 hospitalizations. The 7-day moving average of new coronavirus cases for the entire state is 920.

Among the new deaths reported, 10 were in the Hampton Roads area, the most the region has reported in a single day since early May. The VDH has emphasized, though, that deaths are reported on a lag.

The current 7-day positivity rate for coronavirus tests in Virginia stands at 6.4 percent statewide as of Aug. 22. The number of PCR tests completed in Virginia is 1,502,521, up 7,507 from Tuesday.

On Wednesday, there were 1,170 COVID-19 patients hospitalized across Virginia. That includes 145 on ventilators and 265 in the intensive care units, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

The breakdown by region is 373 in the eastern region, 261 in the central region, 246 in the northern region, 173 in the southwest region and 117 in the northwest region. To date, 14,682 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals.

Ventilator use among all hospital patients is at 21 percent, while intensive care units are at 73 percent occupancy. The ICU occupancy average in Virginia in 2019 was 67 percent. One hospital is reporting difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment in the next 72 hours, but no hospitals are having difficulty obtaining other medical supplies.

State Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) has tested positive for the coronavirus. Reeves posted on Facebook that he was tested Monday after experiencing “mild cold symptoms.” After getting a positive result, he started to self-quarantine, he wrote.

Reeves is at least the third Virginia lawmaker to test positive for the coronavirus and the first to test positive while the General Assembly was in session. “Legislators and other participants who are in their self-quarantine period should not attend the session in person,” a spokeswoman wrote in an email to the Virginia Mercury.

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

• Alexandria: 3,324 cases, 296 hospitalizations, 61 deaths; increase of 15 cases and two hospitalizations.
• Arlington County: 3,435 cases, 452 hospitalizations, 138 deaths; increase of 20 cases.
• Fairfax County: 17,878 cases, 2,017 hospitalizations, 549 deaths; increase of 94 cases, five hospitalizations and two deaths.
• Fairfax City: 109 cases, 13 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of three cases.
• Falls Church: 66 cases, 11 hospitalizations, seven deaths; no changes.
• Loudoun County: 5,787 cases, 370 hospitalizations, 117 deaths; increase of 18 cases, one hospitalization and two deaths.
• Manassas: 1,772 cases, 126 hospitalizations, 23 deaths; increase of three cases.
• Manassas Park: 555 cases, 52 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of one case.
• Prince William County: 10,511 cases, 843 hospitalizations, 183 deaths; increase of 41 cases and four hospitalizations.
• Fredericksburg: 456 cases, 47 hospitalizations, four deaths; increase of one case.
• Spotsylvania County: 1,735 cases, 110 hospitalizations, 37 deaths; increase of five cases and one hospitalization.
• Stafford County: 1,625 cases, 135 hospitalizations, 10 deaths; increase of 13 cases.

SEE ALSO:

• Virginia Health Commissioner Plans To Mandate Coronavirus Vaccine
• NoVA, Southwest VA Report Same Number Of New Coronavirus Cases
• NoVA Study To Examine Coronavirus Antibodies In Kids, Teens
• Coronavirus Exposure Notification App Launches In Virginia