Virginia Sees Highest Coronavirus Case Jump Since Early June

VIRGINIA — The Virginia Department of Health reported 943 additional cases of the coronavirus Friday, the highest daily increase since early June. While the state overall is avoiding a surge, health officials are monitoring increases in the Hampton Roads area. The latest cumulative totals for Virginia are 68,931 coronavirus cases, 6,675 hospitalizations and 1,958 deaths.

Friday marked the first time 900 or more daily cases were reported in Virginia since June. The highest daily case counts so far have been 1,615 cases on May 26, 1,483 on May 25, 1,284 on June 7 and 1,229 on May 21. As of Friday, 765,889 nasal swab tests have been performed statewide.

Gov. Ralph Northam said Friday that Virginia overall has avoided a spike in cases but that a "concerning increase" is particularly impacting Hampton Roads. One notable change is a spike in the positive rate of nasal swab tests in Norfolk. The city's seven-day moving average of positive tests has increased to 16.3 percent, while the statewide average has remained stable at 6.3 percent.

Northam asked residents to remain vigilant about the virus by avoiding large crowds, washing hands often, wearing face coverings in indoor public spaces, and reporting violations at businesses to local health departments.

"We will continue watching the data over the coming days to make sure public health guidelines are being followed — and I won't hesitate to impose restrictions if needed," Northam tweeted Friday.

The number of deaths reported each day has fluctuated in Virginia, but the average is lower than the peak average of 34.1 on May 28. As of Friday, the seven-day moving average of deaths is 16.1 percent. The 80 and over age group accounts for 987 coronavirus deaths, followed by the 70 to 79 age group with 491 deaths.

Current hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients increased from 956 to 1,006 between Thursday and Friday, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. A total of 9,189 coronavirus patients have been discharged from Virginia hospitals, up from 9,065 on Thursday.

The hospitalizations include 102 on ventilators and 234 in the intensive care unit. Among all hospital patients, 631 of 2,992 available ventilators are in use, representing 21 percent use across Virginia. No hospitals are experiencing difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment or other medical supplies.

On Friday, the Virginia Department of Health began reporting data on contact tracing, or the efforts to contact people who may have been exposed to a known case. The state-level data shows 5,946 people are under public health monitoring. Health officials have been unable to reach 15.7 percent of contacts to date. Contact data will be updated weekly on Fridays.

Here are the latest case updates for our coverage areas as of Friday compared with Thursday's data:

• Alexandria: 2,439 cases, 247 hospitalizations, 57 deaths; increase of 20 cases and three hospitalizations
• Arlington County: 2,582 cases, 425 hospitalizations, 133 deaths; increase of 15 cases, two hospitalizations and one death
• Fairfax County: 14,356 cases, 1,702 hospitalizations, 499 deaths; increase of 72 cases, one hospitalization and two deaths
• Fairfax City: 72 cases, six hospitalizations, seven deaths; no change
• Falls Church: 51 cases, 10 hospitalizations, seven deaths; decrease of two cases
• Loudoun County: 4,349 cases, 288 hospitalizations, 99 deaths; increase of 30 cases and two hospitalizations
• Manassas: 1,472 cases, 105 hospitalizations, 18 deaths; increase of eight cases
• Manassas Park: 455 cases, 47 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of four cases
• Prince William County: 7,742 cases, 696 hospitalizations, 156 deaths; increase of 55 cases, one hospitalization and one death
• Fredericksburg: 264 cases, 26 hospitalizations, no deaths; no change
• Spotsylvania County: 1,077 cases, 83 hospitalizations, 31 deaths; increase of 17 cases and one hospitalization
• Stafford County: 1,048 cases, 103 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of 10 cases and one hospitalization