Virginia Coronavirus Death Average Falls Amid July Case Increases

VIRGINIA — The average of new coronavirus cases remains on the upward trend in Virginia as an additional 945 cases were reported Monday. The same trend hasn't been observed in the number of deaths, with just four reported statewide and none in Northern Virginia since Sunday. According to the Virginia Department of Health, the latest cumulative totals in Virginia are 78,375 cases, 7,201 hospitalizations, and 2,031 deaths.

While numbers can vary by day, the 7-day moving average of cases and other key measures can help health officials visualize trends. The July 20 average of new cases was 962, compared to 511 cases a month ago on June 20. The average has been rising since July 7 but remains below the peak average of 1,195 cases on May 31.

The average of positive nasal swab tests is also experiencing a slight uptick. The latest 7-day moving average of positive tests is 7.7 percent, about the same average seen in early June in the midst of a decline. But the statewide average slowly started to increase in early July.

While upticks in new cases and percent positivity rates have been seen statewide, the same isn't true for the Northern Virginia region. The average of new cases has remained stable in Northern Virginia since mid-June, with the latest average being 174.9 cases. The positive rate has been declining or stabilizing since the peak average of 35.9 percent on April 26. The latest average of positive tests in the region was 6.1 percent on July 16, which is below the state average.

The averages of coronavirus deaths have fluctuated in Northern Virginia and statewide, but they've declined overall in July. The latest statewide 7-day average of deaths was nine, less than half of the 20.7 average on July 3. In Northern Virginia, the latest average was 2.7 deaths, compared to 9.4 at the beginning of July.

As of Monday, there were 1,158 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized statewide, down from 1,186 on Sunday. The 7-day average of hospitalizations is trending upward after falling in much of June and stabilizing until around July 8. On July 10, current hospitalizations across Virginia were above 1,000 for the first time since mid-June. As of Monday, 10,107 coronavirus patients have been discharged from Virginia hospitals, up from 10,017 on Sunday.

The COVID-19 hospitalizations include 125 patients on ventilators and 265 in the intensive care units, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. Among all hospital patients, there are 613 of 3,051 available ventilators being used, or 20 percent. No hospitals report difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment or other medical supplies.

Here are the latest case updates for our coverage areas from Sunday to Monday:

• Alexandria: 2,559 cases, 255 hospitalizations, 56 deaths; increase of 12 cases
• Arlington County: 2,737 cases, 430 hospitalizations, 135 deaths; increase of five cases
• Fairfax County: 14,934 cases, 1,793 hospitalizations, 508 hospitalizations; increase of 56 cases and two hospitalizations
• Fairfax City: 73 cases, nine hospitalizations, seven deaths; no changes
• Falls Church: 55 cases, 10 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of one case
• Loudoun County: 4,670 cases, 317 hospitalizations, 103 deaths; increase of 23 cases
• Manassas: 1,530 cases, 111 hospitalizations, 20 deaths; increase of three cases
• Manassas Park: 473 cases, 48 hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of one cases
• Prince William County: 8,190 cases, 725 hospitalizations, 162 deaths; increase of 38 cases
• Fredericksburg: 296 cases, 29 hospitalizations, no deaths; no changes
• Spotsylvania County: 1,154 cases, 85 hospitalizations, 32 deaths; increase of six cases
• Stafford County: 1,128 cases, 110 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of nine cases

SEE ALSO: Daily VA Coronavirus Cases Top 1,000; Only 2 New Deaths Reported