Virginia Coronavirus: 5,077 Cases Confirmed, 130 Deaths

VIRGINIA — State health officials say 130 people have died from the new coronavirus in Virginia as of Saturday, an increase of nine deaths in the past day. More than 5,000 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the state.

Statewide, 37,999 people have been tested for the virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As of Saturday, authorities say 5,077 people in Virginia have tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. That is an increase of more than 560 since Friday, when state health officials were reporting 4,509 confirmed cases.

As of Saturday, 837 Virginians have been hospitalized due to COVID-19, an increase of 65 hospitalizations since Friday.

Of the 130 deaths from the virus, 47 were in central Virginia and 42 were in the northern region. The state's eastern region has reported 25 deaths, many of them in the Peninsula Health District. Nine people have died from the virus in the southwest region, while seven have died in the northwest region, according to state health data.

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Fairfax County has the most cases reported of the individual localities, with 946.

In the Fairfax Health District — which includes Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, the City of Falls Church and towns within the county — 20 people have died from the virus, according to Fairfax County officials.

Dr. Norman Oliver, state health commissioner, said Friday the Virginia Department of Health is preparing to start reporting deaths from the coronavirus by individual health district. Currently, the health department only reports deaths by the five regions of the state.

Nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students are encouraged to apply to be a part of the volunteer corps, Gov. Ralph Northam said. The medical corps also needs non-medical volunteers to handle activities such as logistics and communications. Members of the public who are interested in volunteering for the Medical Reserve Corps should visit www.vamrc.org.

Northam noted that Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond announced Thursday that it has developed a way to clean N95 masks that are in short supply in hospitals across the country. VCU is using ultraviolent radiation to decontaminate and clean masks so that they can be reused.

Northam is using statutory authority to move the June 9 primary to June 23. The new election date falls outside the governor's stay-at-home order, which is effective through June 10. He also proposed moving May local elections to Nov. 3, but that would require action from the Virginia General Assembly once it reconvenes April 22.

If approved by the state legislature, absentee ballots cast so far for May local elections would be discarded. Ballots would include those local elections and other races on the ballot in November. Officials whose terms would expire on June 30, 2020 would stay in office until the November election makes successors qualified to serve.

Virginia health officials encourage people to take these precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Avoid contact with sick people. Avoid non-essential travel.

See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Virginia Department of Health for more information.

This article includes reporting from Patch editor Mark Hand.

See Also:

• VA Governor Targets Coronavirus Spread In Nursing Homes, Prisons
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• Reported Deaths From Coronavirus In VA Increasing At Faster Rate
• Northam Seeks Action On VA Elections, Coronavirus Racial Data
• Face Masks Encouraged But Not Required In VA: Gov. Northam