WAVY.com

Virginia July 8 COVID-19 update: 291 new cases, 5 additional deaths

A model of a coronavirus is displayed next to boxes for COVID-19 vaccines at an exhibit by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. China said Friday, Oct. 9, 2020, that it is joining the COVID-19 vaccine alliance known as COVAX. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Department of Health has released its latest coronavirus statistics on Thursday.

Daily cases in the state are up slightly from yesterday with 291 new cases being reported in the last 24 hours. VDH is reporting a 7-day moving average of 165 cases, which is a 88% decrease in the past 90 days.


That decrease, however, isn’t met without worry. The highly transmissible delta variant is now the dominant strain of coronavirus in the US the CDC says. The CDC reports the delta variant now accounts for more than 51% of coronavirus cases in America.

Specialist Dr. Wilson told Yale Medicine that the delta variant is 50% more contagious.

221 people are currently hospitalized with confirmed or pending cases of COVID-19, which is up ever so slightly from yesterday. 23% of those are in the ICU, while 14% are currently on a ventilator.

Overall, the state has reported 681,890 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The state’s daily positivity rate is at 2.0%.

As far as COVID-19 related deaths, the state has recorded a total of 11,441 fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic. That included the increase in 5 deaths from yesterday.

State Metrics:

Local cases: