Virginia's Coronavirus Hospitalization Count Trending Up

VIRGINIA — The Virginia Department of Health reported 911 additional coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the cumulative number of cases to 88,904. Virginia's cumulative total of deaths is 2,141 after 16 new deaths were reported Thursday.

Northern Virginia accounted for 174, or 19.1 percent, of the 911 new cases reported across the state on Thursday. One of the 16 new deaths reported statewide Thursday was a person who lived in Northern Virginia.

On Tuesday, Gov. Ralph Northam announced new restrictions will be placed on Hampton Roads localities starting Friday in light of increasing new cases, hospitalizations and positive tests.

Hampton Roads' seven major cities accounted for 331, or 36.3 percent, of the state's 911 new cases on Thursday. This included 143 in Norfolk, 71 in Virginia Beach, 43 in Chesapeake, 27 in Portsmouth, 25 in Newport News, 12 in Suffolk and 10 in Hampton. Three additional deaths were reported in these cities.

The statewide 7-day moving average of cases increased to 1,095 Thursday, up from an average of 1,086 cases reported Wednesday. Since the start of the pandemic Virginia's peak average of 1,195 cases came on May 31.

Hospitalizations are trending up overall after falling to low of 783 patients on July 6. Current hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients increased to 1,357 Thursday, an increase of seven patients from Wednesday. According to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, 11,728 COVID-19 patients have been discharged, up 11,650 from Wednesday.

Among all hospital patients, intensive care unit occupancy is at 82 percent as of Thursday, compared to Virginia's 2019 average of 67 percent. Ventilator usage is at 22 percent statewide. No hospitals are experiencing difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment or other medical supplies in the next 72 hours.

The 7-day average of positive tests was 7.2 percent as of July 26, up from 7.1 percent on July 25. As of Thursday, 1,091,615 nasal swab tests have been completed in Virginia, an increase of 18,152 tests from Wednesday.

Health officials say some residents are waiting 10 days for coronavirus test results and those delays are making it difficult to isolate new cases. Virginia is now averaging more than 16,000 tests per day, exceeding its earlier goal of 10,000 daily. But some experts contend those higher test numbers are unhelpful if people are not getting their results back quickly.

Here are the latest case updates for our coverage areas from Wednesday to Thursday:

• Alexandria: 2,779 cases, 266 hospitalizations, 57 deaths; increase of 20 cases.
• Arlington County: 2,874 cases, 433 hospitalizations, 135 deaths; increase of 17 cases and two hospitalizations.
• Fairfax County: 15,606 cases, 1,872 hospitalizations, 519 deaths; increase of 36 cases and five hospitalizations.
• Fairfax City: 81 cases, 10 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of two cases.
• Falls Church: 61 cases, 10 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of seven cases.
• Loudoun County: 4,985 cases, 331 hospitalizations, 109 deaths; increase of 20 cases and three hospitalizations.
• Manassas: 1,596 cases, 118 hospitalizations, 20 deaths; increase of 10 cases.
• Manassas Park: 495 cases, 50 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of two cases.
• Prince William County: 8,784 cases, 770 hospitalizations, 169 deaths; increase of 60 cases, one hospitalization and one death.
• Fredericksburg: 345 cases, 38 hospitalizations, two deaths; increase of five cases.
• Spotsylvania County: 1,291 cases, 91 hospitalizations, 33 deaths; increase of 20 cases.
• Stafford County: 1,237 cases, 116 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of 10 cases and one hospitalization.

SEE ALSO:

• VA's Eastern Region Sees New High Of Coronavirus Hospitalizations
• Northam To Add Coronavirus Restrictions In Hampton Roads
• Hampton Roads Drives Surge In Virginia's Coronavirus Case Count