Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously said “negative” instead of positive when referring to tests coming back positive in the second paragraph. WAVY regrets the error.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia has seen a major decrease in its overall coronavirus levels in recent weeks, with case averages as of Monday at about half of where they were a month ago, and hospitalizations and deaths have also fallen significantly. It’s a trend that’s also going on at the national level.

The decrease in reported cases could be due in part to lower testing (Virginia’s averaging 10K less tests per day on average compared to the weeks after the holidays) but Virginia’s percent of positive tests has also decreased in that span. Less than 10% of tests are now coming back positive, showing virus spread has decreased.

Experts aren’t entirely sure what’s behind the bulk of the falling numbers. It could be that the holiday surge has subsided and more Americans are immune — either from having the disease or by having been vaccinated.

People are also likely not heading out as much do to the colder weather.

This comes despite Virginia reporting new cases of virus variants such as the U.K. 1.1.7., which are much more contagious. The variants could cause case levels to rise again.

Statewide numbers

  • New cases: (+1,539, 551,538 total), (2,959 per day on average, record is 6,166)
  • Case incidence rate: 38.3 per 100K people, back down down recently, but still high
  • New deaths (+4, 7,016 total), back down recently (28 per day 7-day average, at 54 a week ago)
  • Current hospitalizations (-73, 1,833 total), back down below 2,000 for first time in two months
  • Testing (9.3% 7-day average of positive tests), trending down for more than a month, testing down too recently (less than 25K per day on average)
  • Doses administered (1,367,319 total doses, 35,427 per day on average, 337,968 fully vaccinated, 12.1% with at least one dose 
  • Doses distributed (1,734,400), 92.8% first doses administered and 49% second doses administered 

Vaccinations are a key part of lowering the overall virus levels, and most importantly preventing moderate to severe COVID-19.

While it’s still unclear if the vaccines help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (they prevent COVID-19, the disease), some preliminary studies show they also might help prevent spread by lowering overall virus levels in an infected person. Still, the data isn’t fully clear, meaning you’ll still need to wear a mask even if you’re vaccinated to prevent giving the virus to someone else.

On the rollout front, CVS just started vaccinations at their stores on Friday, and more vaccination points are being developed at other pharmacies such as Walmart, Kroger etc. Virginia is also set to launch a centralized COVID-19 vaccination signup website starting this week.

Local cases

  • Accomack: 2,523 cases, 179 hospitalized, 33 deaths (+13 cases)
  • Chesapeake: 17,273 cases, 810 hospitalized, 146 deaths (+67 cases, +6 hospitalized)
  • Franklin: 928 cases, 47 hospitalized, 23 deaths (+8 cases)
  • Gloucester: 1,751 cases, 48 hospitalized, 29 deaths (+5 cases)
  • Hampton: 8,159 cases, 270 hospitalized, 84 deaths (+29 cases)
  • Isle of Wight: 2,470 cases, 103 hospitalized, 42 deaths (+10 cases)
  • James City County: 3,721 cases, 116 hospitalized, 42 deaths (+13 cases)
  • Mathews: 496 cases, 17 hospitalized, 7 deaths (+1 case)
  • Newport News: 10,801 cases, 289 hospitalized, 117 deaths (+57 cases)
  • Norfolk: 14,130 cases, 761 hospitalized, 153 deaths (+49 cases, +1 hospitalized)
  • Northampton: 679 cases, 67 hospitalized, 32 deaths (+1 case, +1 hospitalized, -1 death)
  • Poquoson: 677 cases, 17 hospitalized, 10 deaths (no change)
  • Portsmouth: 7,255 cases, 511 hospitalized, 108 deaths (+38 cases)
  • Southampton: 1,803 cases, 46 hospitalized, 49 deaths (+5 cases, +1 death)
  • Suffolk: 6,558 cases, 359 hospitalized, 127 deaths (+35 cases, +7 hospitalized, +3 deaths)
  • Virginia Beach: 29,081 cases, 1,199 hospitalized, 243 deaths (+106 cases)
  • Williamsburg: 497 cases, 24 hospitalized, 9 deaths (+1 case)
  • York: 2,840 cases, 48 hospitalized, 21 deaths (+8 cases)

This article will be updated.