Virginia March 4 COVID-19 update: Death certificate input slows, 31 deaths added Thursday; Va. getting 69K J&J shots this week

This Dec. 2, 2020 photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows vials of the COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. The nation is poised to get a third vaccine against COVID-19, but health officials are concerned that at first glance the Johnson & Johnson shot may not be seen as equal to other options from Pfizer and Moderna. (Johnson & Johnson via AP)

by: Brian Reese

Posted: Mar 4, 2021 / 11:50 AM EST

Updated: Mar 4, 2021 / 11:50 AM EST

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia reported 1,300 new coronavirus cases and much fewer reported deaths, 31, on Thursday as its metrics continue to go down.

The Virginia Department of Health has been inputting old death certificates mostly related to the post-holiday surge in cases, resulting in some very large daily death reporting figures due to the backlog. Hopefully Thursday’s increase, the first day there wasn’t at least 100 new deaths reported in about two weeks, means those backlogged death certificates have been mostly added already.

Cases are still trending down, but are still relatively high at 1,489 per day statewide. COVID-19 hospitalizations are also trending down overall, but are still relatively high as well at 1,265 patients.

Statewide numbers

New cases: (+1,300, 581,408 total), (1,489 per day on average, record is 6,166)
Case incidence rate: 18.7 per 100K people, down from 72 in late January
New deaths (+31, 9,357 total), major recent input of past death certificates into the state’s system (199 per day 7-day average, was at 19 per day on Feb. 19)
Current hospitalizations (-85 patients, 1,265 total), trending down overall
Testing (6.3% 7-day average of positive tests), trending down since early January, testing down (about 22K per day on average)
Doses administered (2,122,323 total doses, 52,455 per day on average, 740,786 fully vaccinated, 16.2% with at least one dose
Doses distributed (2,505,895 total), 90.4% first doses administered and 70.6% second doses administered, Virginia’s first dose allotment for Pfizer and Moderna now up to 180,000 per week, with 69,000 coming from Johnson & Johnson this week, plus 52K from the federal pharmacy program

The big news again this week is the introduction of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine into Virginia’s arsenal. The commonwealth is getting 69,000 doses this week to start, which will mostly go out to more rural places such as the Eastern Shore and Middlesex County because of its easier storage requirements and ability to vaccinate someone in one dose as opposed to two.

This addition of doses on top of the roughly 180,000 first doses per week on Pfizer and Moderna means Virginia will be able to start mass vaccination clinics starting on Friday, Dr. Danny Avula, Virginia’s head of vaccine response. Though you won’t just be able to walk up and get a vaccine.

Virginia is working down its list of pre-registered people in phase 1b, and will contact those people for their appointments.

Avula ensured that all three vaccines are safe and that residents should take whichever vaccine they’re eligible for, but said Virginians should be able to take their pick of the three vaccines come June.

For more from Avula, click here.

Local cases

Accomack: 2,609 cases, 187 hospitalized, 35 deaths (+2 cases)
Chesapeake: 18,395 cases, 856 hospitalized, 222 deaths (+30 cases, +3 hospitalized, +1 death)
Franklin: 999 cases, 51 hospitalized, 27 deaths (+4 cases)
Gloucester: 1,895 cases, 51 hospitalized, 43 deaths (+10 cases)
Hampton: 8,738 cases, 299 hospitalized, 127 deaths (+12 cases, + 1 death)
Isle of Wight: 2,672 cases, 116 hospitalized, 55 deaths (+1 death)
James City County: 3,886 cases, 130 hospitalized, 63 deaths (+10 cases)
Mathews: 555 cases, 20 hospitalized, 11 deaths (no change)
Newport News: 11,619 cases, 316 hospitalized, 190 deaths (+52 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Norfolk: 15,049 cases, 817 hospitalized, 205 deaths (+39 cases, +2 hospitalized)
Northampton: 724 cases, 73 hospitalized, 34 deaths (+3 cases)
Poquoson: 726 cases, 20 hospitalized, 15 deaths (+2 cases)
Portsmouth: 7,767 cases, 587 hospitalized, 148 deaths (+13 cases, +2 hospitalized)
Southampton: 1,861 cases, 49 hospitalized, 53 deaths (+2 cases)
Suffolk: 6,974 cases, 395 hospitalized, 161 deaths (+11 cases, +2 deaths)
Virginia Beach: 30,929 cases, 1,303 hospitalized, 328 deaths (+91 cases)
Williamsburg: 541 cases, 24 hospitalized, 11 deaths (+6 cases)
York: 3,059 cases, 52 hospitalized, 38 deaths (+5 cases)