By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Dec. 14 — The Virginia Department of Health reported 13 new cases of COVID-19 in Page County on Monday after reporting 13 on Sunday. The sustained flow of new cases in the county has driven the current seven-day positivity rate to 14.4 percent, according to Daily Locality Metrics data on the VDH website. On Nov. 16, that rate stood at only 3.4 percent.
Page County’s current 14-day positivity rate stands at 14.1 percent, according to School Metrics data on the VDH site. That rate was reported at 10.5 percent on Friday. Despite the influx of new cases, the county did not report a hospitalization or death over the weekend.
According to ZIP code data provided by VDH, the new cases of COVID-19 reported in Page County over the past four days surfaced in the following areas:
• 31 cases — Luray area (22835)
• 9 cases — Shenandoah area (22849)
• 9 cases — Stanley area (22851)
• 1 case — Rileyville area (22650)
The Lord Fairfax Health District reported 121 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, after seeing 147 on Sunday and 158 on Saturday — a total of 426 new coronavirus cases reported in three days.
The district has reported more than 100 new coronavirus cases for 10 consecutive days, after breaking the century mark for the first time on Nov. 17. The health district set a record of 217 new cases of COVID-19 on Nov. 30.
On Monday, Frederick County reported 47 new cases of the virus, while Warren County reported 23, Shenandoah County had 20 and Winchester saw 16. There were no hospitalizations or deaths reported on Monday; however, four hospitalizations were reported since Friday, as well as five deaths. All five fatalities were reported on Saturday, making it one of the deadliest days for the pandemic within the health district.
A cumulative breakdown by jurisdiction of the health district’s 8,135 reported cases, 479 hospitalizations and 164 deaths is as follows (hospitalizations – deaths):
- 2,945 — Frederick County (130-22)
- 1,752 — Shenandoah County (130-68)
- 1,319 — City of Winchester (70-6)
- 1,086 — Warren County (65-31)
- 753 — Page County (64-33)
- 280 — Clarke County (20-4)
COVID-19 cases have slowed down over the past two days in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, as both jurisdictions reported a combined 46 cases on Monday and 28 on Sunday. By comparison, the two localities reported a combined 280 from Thursday to Saturday. They reported a combined seven hospitalizations over the weekend, and one death in Rockingham — its 37th from the pandemic.
Statewide, 3,240 new cases of the virus were reported on Monday, after 3,294 cases on Sunday and 4,117 on Saturday. The only other time Virginia has exceeded 4,000 cases in a single day was on Wednesday, Dec. 9 when a state-record 4,398 cases were reported.
Virginia’s current seven-day positivity rate stands at 10.9 percent.
The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported on Monday that a total of 2,260 people are currently hospitalized that have either been confirmed to have COVID-19 or are awaiting test results. That figure sets yet another state record and continues seven days of increases in hospitalizations. The state had not seen total hospitalizations surpass 1,500 since April and May, but Virginia has now exceeded 2,000 for the first time (Dec. 9) and continued to do so for six consecutive days.
Among those hospitalized statewide, 458 are currently in intensive care being treated for COVID-19 — once again, the highest level of the pandemic in Virginia. There are 236 COVID-19 patients statewide on ventilators — also the highest level of the pandemic. Overall, Virginia’s ICU occupancy remains at 77 percent.
Since the pandemic hit Virginia, VHHA reports that 26,618 people who have been confirmed to have COVID-19 and were hospitalized, have been discharged.
The state health department reported only five new deaths related to the pandemic over the last two days (three Monday and two Sunday). Virginia surpassed the 4,000-death mark the day before Thanksgiving and currently reports a total of 4,414 people have died from COVID-19 since March 14.
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