Virginia COVID-19 Nov. 17 Update: VDH reporting spike in case counts Wednesday, trying to figure out why

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Department of Health is reporting 2,532 new cases Wednesday. The percent positivity rate in the commonwealth remains at 5.7%.

Officials from the VDH explained that they are reporting higher case counts than expected on Wednesday due to a technical issue. 10 On Your Side followed up on November 22 after noting the same number on the COVID-19 dashboard. Now, they are saying the number is correct, but they are trying to figure out why it was so high that day.

As of Wednesday, Nov. 17, Virginia had an overall number of 949,803 coronavirus cases since the start of the outbreak. Of the overall cases reported, 703,033 have been confirmed by testing. 246,770 are probable cases, in which a patient who shows symptoms is diagnosed without testing.

According to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, there are currently 879 people in Virginia hospitalized due to COVID-19. So far, the virus has taken the lives of 14,443 people in the state.

The VDH is partnering with 18 library and library systems to distribute COVID-19 rapid antigen at-home test kits at no cost.

The pilot program, running through December 31, will allow people to pick up an Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Antigen Card Home Test from the library and take the test at home. The test results should be available in 15 minutes.

VDH also announced the launch of a new COVID-19 Health Equity Dashboard on Wednesday.

The dashboard uses rate ratios to explore COVID-19 disparities among racial and ethnic groups in Virginia. It includes a dropdown menu that allows users to examine disparities within individual Local Health Districts (LHDs).

An accompanying blog post on the Data Insights page examines changes in Virginia’s rate ratios over time, including a discussion of the implications.

The dashboard compares case, hospitalization, death, and vaccination rates among Virginia’s Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, and Latino populations to the White population, the state’s largest racial group and the dashboard’s reference population. The dashboard includes two charts. The first shows rate ratios for the entirety of the pandemic, while the second shows changes over time.

Virginians who have not been fully vaccinated or are eligible for booster doses, can visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA (877) 829-4682 to find nearby vaccination clinics.

State metrics

• New cases (+2,532) 949,803 total
• Deaths (14,443 total)
• Current hospitalizations (879 total currently) 
• Test positivity: 5.7% 
• Vaccine doses administered: 12,205,977
• Percent of population with at least one dose: 72.6% (6,195,369)
• Percent of adults (18+) with at least one dose: 86.1%
• Percent of population fully vaccinated: 64% (5,464,077)
• Percent of adults fully vaccinated: 76.1%
• People vaccinated with booster/third dose: 956,232

For more vaccine data, click here.

Local Cases

Accomack: 4,157 cases, 319 hospitalized, 80 deaths (+12 cases)
Chesapeake: 29,321 cases, 1336 hospitalized, 368 deaths (+42 cases, +5 hospitalized, +1 death)
Franklin: 1,663 cases, 76 hospitalized, 44 deaths (+2 cases)
Gloucester: 3,941 cases, 92 hospitalized, 79 deaths (+19 case)
Hampton:  15,313 cases, 703 hospitalized, 244 deaths (+17 cases,+1 hospitalized)
Isle of Wight: 4,565 cases, 231 hospitalized, 91 deaths (+11 hospitalized)
James City County: 7,225 cases, 258 hospitalized, 95 deaths (+20 cases)
Mathews: 903 cases, 28 hospitalized, 24 deaths (no change)
Newport News: 20,950 cases, 797 hospitalized, 304 deaths (+37 cases)
Norfolk: 24,822 cases, 1,535 hospitalized, 353 deaths (+37 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Northampton: 1,166 cases, 103 hospitalized, 46 deaths (no change)
Poquoson: 1,361 cases, 37 hospitalized, 22 deaths (+1 case)
Portsmouth: 12,863 cases, 923 hospitalized, 247 deaths (+1 cases, +27 hospitalized, +1 death)
Southampton: 2,418 cases, 87 hospitalized, 67 deaths (+4 cases)
Suffolk: 11,117 cases, 708 hospitalized, 244 deaths (+19 cases, +1 death)
Virginia Beach: 50,711 cases, 2,650 hospitalized, 567 deaths (+83 cases, +1 death)
Williamsburg: 1,185 cases, 36 hospitalized, 13 deaths (+1 case, -1 hospitalized)
York: 5,614 cases, 131 hospitalized, 83 deaths (+14 cases)