By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Dec. 17 — One month ago on Nov. 16, the Virginia Department of Health reported Page County’s seven-day positivity rate at 3.4 percent. Since then, 288 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the county, along with nine hospitalizations and two deaths.
The surge in coronavirus cases has driven Page County’s positivity rate to 17.5 percent — that’s nearly six points higher than Virginia’s 11.6 percent positivity rate, and according to Daily Locality Metrics data on the VDH website, Page’s positivity rate has been increasing for 42 days.
Page County has reported 32 new cases of COVID-19 in the last two days, with 14 on Wednesday and 18 on Thursday. This comes after 29 cases of the virus were reported Tuesday. Starting on Sunday, this week has already produced 87 new cases of the coronavirus within the county.
Page also reported two new hospitalizations on Thursday, but the county has not seen a new fatality from the pandemic since Dec. 2.
According to ZIP code data provided by VDH, the new cases of COVID-19 reported in Page County over the last two days (Wed-Thur) surfaced in the following areas:
• 16 cases — Luray area (22835)
• 9 cases — Stanley area (22851)
• 5 cases — Rileyville area (22650)
• 3 cases — Shenandoah area (22851)
A breakdown of new cases of COVID-19 reported in Page County over the last 30 days (since Nov. 16) surfaced in the following areas:
• 160 cases — Luray area (22835)
• 66 cases — Shenandoah area (22851)
• 55 cases — Stanley area (22851)
• 17 cases — Rileyville area (22650)
The Lord Fairfax Health District reported 190 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday — the highest count in a week, and the fourth-highest daily total for the district since the pandemic began more than nine months ago. Frederick County reported nearly half of all cases in the district with 85, while the county seat of Winchester added 31. Shenandoah County saw 27 new cases on Thursday, while Warren County had 17 and Clarke County reported 12.
The district has reported more than 100 new coronavirus cases for 13 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.
The health district reported five new hospitalizations on Thursday, with two in Page and Shenandoah counties, and one in Warren County.
The district reported two deaths on Thursday, as Shenandoah County reported its 69th fatality from the pandemic and Frederick County reported its 24th.
A cumulative breakdown by jurisdiction of the health district’s 8,616 reported cases, 488 hospitalizations and 167 deaths is as follows (hospitalizations – deaths):
- 3,135 — Frederick County (131-24)
- 1,826 — Shenandoah County (134-69)
- 1,410 — City of Winchester (70-6)
- 1,126 — Warren County (66-31)
- 814 — Page County (67-33)
- 305 — Clarke County (20-4)
The surge continues in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, as the city reported 95 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and the county saw a record-high 110 new cases in a single day. The two localities only reported three hospitalizations combined on Thursday, and no deaths.
Statewide, 3,853 new cases of the virus were reported on Thursday. That’s down from yesterday’s 3,931 new cases, but still comes in as the seventh-highest daily total since the pandemic hit Virginia in mid-February. In fact, the top 10 daily counts of new cases statewide have all occurred in the last two weeks.
The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported on Thursday that a total of 2,399 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 marks an increase of 50 from yesterday.
Among those hospitalized statewide, 490 are currently in intensive care being treated for COVID-19 — down 21 from yesterday, but the same level as Tuesday. There are 246 COVID-19 patients statewide on ventilators — down 11 from yesterday, but an increase of 10 since Monday. Overall, Virginia’s ICU bed occupancy has risen to 80 percent.
Since the pandemic hit Virginia, VHHA reports that 27,307 people who have been confirmed to have COVID-19 and were hospitalized, have been discharged.
The state health department reported 45 more deaths related to the pandemic on Thursday, and 139 over the last three days. Virginia surpassed the 4,000-death mark the day before Thanksgiving and currently reports a total of 4,553 people have died from COVID-19 since March 14.
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