NoVA Plays Smaller Role In Coronanavirus Case Surge

VIRGINIA — As the number of new daily coronavirus cases rises in Virginia, jurisdictions in Northern Virginia are not at the forefront of the surge like they were during the first couple months of the crisis. The Virginia Department of Health reported 888 additional cases of the coronavirus Sunday, with 179, or 20.2 percent, of those new cases reported in Northern Virginia.

Two months ago, on May 14, the VDH reported 1,067 new cases of the coronavirus compared to the day before. Northern Virginia represented 64.9 percent of the new daily cases on May 14.

Northern Virginia is reporting a 7-day average of 139 new cases, compared to an average of 685 at the end of May. On Sunday, Fairfax County reported its 500th death due to the coronavirus.

In Hampton Roads, Norfolk saw another big increase in new cases, with 100 new cases on Sunday.

On Sunday, Virginia topped 70,000 total cases of the coronavirus, with the number of positive cases now at 70,670 cases. Since the start of the crisis, the state also has reported 6,744 hospitalizations and 1,966 deaths.

New daily cases have been steady since the latter half of June, but a slight uptick in the 7-day moving average has been seen in the past few days. New cases saw a sharp decline in the first half of June after the 7-day average reached a peak of 1,195 cases on May 31.

In the second half of June, the average remained in the 500s. Then the average climbed to 608 cases on Wednesday, July 9, 648 on Thursday, July 10 and 668 on Friday, July 11. One explanation for the increase is that Friday marked the first time 900 or more new cases were reported since June.

As of Sunday, 801,205 nasal swab tests have been performed statewide, an increase of 17,679 tests from Saturday. The 7-day average of positive tests was 6.8 percent as of July 8, up from 6.7 percent on July 7. The positive rate of tests reached a low of 5.8 percent on June 23 and 24, but have been inching up over the past three weeks.

Current hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients increased from 1,020 to 1,045 between Saturday and Sunday, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. A total of 9,310 coronavirus patients have been discharged from Virginia hospitals, up from 9,271 on Saturday.

The hospitalized patients include 101 on ventilators and 228 in the intensive care unit. Among all hospital patients, 611 of 2,977 available ventilators are in use as of Sunday, representing 21 percent use across Virginia. No hospitals are experiencing difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment or other medical supplies.

Here are the latest case updates for our coverage areas as of Sunday, compared with Saturday's data:

• Alexandria: 2,455 cases, 249 hospitalizations, 57 deaths; increase of two cases and one hospitalization.
• Arlington County: 2,615 cases, 425 hospitalizations, 134 deaths; increase of 18 cases and one death.
• Fairfax County: 14,482 cases, 1,712 hospitalizations, 500 deaths; increase of 79 cases and five hospitalizations and two deaths.
• Fairfax City: 72 cases, six hospitalizations, seven deaths; no change
• Falls Church: 53 cases, 10 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of two cases.
• Loudoun County: 4,407 cases, 289 hospitalizations, 99 deaths; increase of 34 cases.
• Manassas: 1,485 cases, 107 hospitalizations, 19 deaths; increase of three cases and one hospitalization.
• Manassas Park: 458 cases, 47 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of one case.
• Prince William County: 7,809 cases, 705 hospitalizations, 157 deaths; increase of 40 cases, eight hospitalizations and one death.
• Fredericksburg: 279 cases, 27 hospitalizations, no deaths; increase of two cases.
• Spotsylvania County: 1,082 cases, 82 hospitalizations, 31 deaths; increase of six cases.
• Stafford County: 1,060 cases, 104 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of four cases.

SEE ALSO:

• Coronavirus Reaches Final Virginia County; Transmission Rate Up
• Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Found In Rappahannock District
• Virginia Sees Highest Coronavirus Case Jump Since Early June