NoVA Accounts For Almost A Third Of State's New Coronavirus Cases

VIRGINIA — The Virginia Department of Health reported 1,013 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the cumulative total in the state to 117,592 cases. Twenty-three deaths were reported Friday. A total of 2,550 people have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and 9,460 people have been hospitalized.

Northern Virginia led the way Friday, with 311 new cases of the coronavirus, or 30.7 percent of the total number of cases in Virginia. Elsewhere in the state, the southwest region reported 222 new cases, the eastern region reported 194 new cases, the central region reported 157 new cases and the northwest region reported 129 new cases.

As Virginia's universities reopen, reported coronavirus cases on campuses are continuing to increase. According to a survey conducted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, more than 550 positive cases of the coronavirus have been reported among students, faculty and staff at Virginia colleges since the start of the pandemic in March.

The newspaper surveyed 41 four-year colleges across the state on Thursday and found at least 558 positive cases. James Madison University in Harrisonburg led the way with 124 cases since the start of the crisis, followed by Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond with 110 cases. George Mason University was far down the list with eight reported cases.

On Friday, there were 1,101 COVID-19 patients hospitalized across Virginia. That includes 136 on ventilators and 261 in the intensive care units, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

Although hospitalizations in the region have dropped over the past month, Virginia's eastern region still leads in the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus. The VDH reported 376 hospitalizations in the eastern region Friday, followed by 249 in the central region, 230 in the northern region, 143 in the southwest region and 103 in the northwest region.

To date, 14,866 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals.

Ventilator use among all hospital patients is at 19 percent, while intensive care units are at 72 percent occupancy. The ICU occupancy average in Virginia in 2019 was 67 percent. Two hospitals are reporting difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment in the next 72 hours, but no hospitals are having difficulty obtaining other medical supplies.

The current 7-day positivity rate for coronavirus tests in Virginia stands at 6.8 percent statewide as of Aug. 24, up from 6.4 percent on Aug. 22. The number of PCR tests completed in Virginia was at 1,539,290 as of Friday.

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

• Alexandria: 3,352 cases, 297 hospitalizations, 64 deaths; increase of 19 cases and three deaths.
• Arlington County: 3,492 cases, 458 hospitalizations, 137 deaths; increase of 35 cases and four hospitalizations. Removal of one death.
• Fairfax County: 18,084 cases, 2,043 hospitalizations, 550 deaths; increase of 125 cases, 13 hospitalizations and one death.
• Fairfax City: 110 cases, 13 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of one case.
• Falls Church: 66 cases, 11 hospitalizations, seven deaths; no changes.
• Loudoun County: 5,878 cases, 374 hospitalizations, 118 deaths; increase of 53 cases, one hospitalization and one death.
• Manassas: 1,782 cases, 126 hospitalizations, 23 deaths; increase of four cases.
• Manassas Park: 558 cases, 52 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of three cases.
• Prince William County: 10,648 cases, 848 hospitalizations, 183 deaths; increase of 71 cases and two hospitalizations.
• Fredericksburg: 472 cases, 47 hospitalizations, four deaths; increase of two cases.
• Spotsylvania County: 1,769 cases, 114 hospitalizations, 38 deaths; increase of 10 cases and two hospitalizations.
• Stafford County: 1,660 cases, 135 hospitalizations, 10 deaths; increase of 21 cases.

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