Virginia Sept. 17 COVID-19 update: 4,212 new cases, 35 new deaths reported; data shows 70% adults now fully vaccinated

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia reported 4,212 new cases and 35 new deaths on Friday, but there’s some good news on the vaccination front.

More than 70% of Virginian adults are now fully vaccinated and nearly 80% have at least one dose. The Virginia Department of Health just recently incorporated vaccination numbers for Virginians who got vaccinated in Maryland to their data.

VDH added nearly 160,000 vaccine doses to their data in the past 24 hours, and typically only reports about 15,000 per day. VDH says the incorporated data raises the fully vaccinated rate by 0.28% in Alexandria, 0.25% in Arlington, and 0.91% on the Eastern Shore.

They’re still working to add in vaccine data for Virginians that got vaccination in other neighboring states. However, data released on Friday shows that 194,217 Virginians have received at least one vaccine outside of the Commonwealth.

Vaccination rates are lower than the state average almost across the board in Hampton Roads, however, that is especially true in Norfolk and Portsmouth.

There’s a breakdown of vaccination rates and demographic data in Wednesday’s post here.

Current COVID-19 hospitalizations are still high statewide and overwhelming health systems, with hospital systems even having to transfer patients because some hospitals are at capacity. Sentara Healthcare workers earlier this week pleaded with the public to help slow the spread of the virus, and said workers are exhausted.

State metrics

• New cases (+4,212, 827,197 total)
  • 3,624 per day on average and going up overall (highest since Feb.)
• Avg. of new cases per 100k of population: 43
• New deaths (+35, 12,207 total)
  • 29 per day on average, up significantly on average from earlier this summer, highest since March
• Current hospitalizations (+30 patients, 2,174 total currently) 
  • 2,145 7-day average and rising overall (highest levels since Feb.)
• Test positivity: 10.1% (16.3% in Hampton Roads)
• Vaccine doses administered: 10,385,479 (+158,629 doses added to total Friday)
• Percent of population with at least one dose: 66.5% (+0.8% reporting increase Friday, 5,675,304 people overall)
• Percent of adults (18+) with at least one dose: 79%
• Percent of population fully vaccinated: 59.4% (1.1% increase reporting Friday, 5,066,266 people overall)
• Percent of adults fully vaccinated: 70.8%

Local cases

• Accomack: 3,568 cases, 273 hospitalized, 63 deaths (+23 cases, +1 hospitalized, +1 death)
• Chesapeake: 26,200 cases, 1,199 hospitalized, 323 deaths (+92 cases)
• Franklin: 1,384 cases, 67 hospitalized, 38 deaths (+9 cases, +1 hospitalized)
• Gloucester: 3,351 cases, 83 hospitalized, 55 deaths (+25 cases, +1 death)
• Hampton: 13,605 cases, 601 hospitalized, 210 deaths (+68 cases, +1 hospitalized, +2 deaths)
• Isle of Wight: 3,895 cases, 190 hospitalized, 74 deaths (+25 cases, +1 hospitalized, +1 death)
• James City County: 6,124 cases, 224 hospitalized, 85 deaths (+40 cases, +1 hospitalized)
• Mathews: 791 cases, 28 hospitalized, 15 deaths (+1 case)
• Newport News: 18,488 cases, 702 hospitalized, 260 deaths (+102 cases, +4 hospitalized, +1 death)
• Norfolk: 22,229 cases, 1,354 hospitalized, 296 deaths (+72 cases, +3 hospitalized,)
• Northampton: 998 cases, 94 hospitalized, 38 deaths (+8 cases)
• Poquoson: 1,129 cases, 31 hospitalized, 18 deaths (+10 cases)
• Portsmouth: 11,363 cases, 837 hospitalized, 215 deaths (+46 cases, +4 hospitalized)
• Southampton: 2,172 cases, 72 hospitalized, 59 deaths (+1 death)
• Suffolk: 9,808 cases, 605 hospitalized, 204 deaths (+34 cases, +1 hospitalized)
• Virginia Beach: 45,618 cases, 2,351 hospitalized, 468 deaths (+165 cases, +5 hospitalized, +3 deaths)
• Williamsburg: 1026 cases, 38 hospitalized, 14 deaths (+8 cases)
• York: 4,828 cases, 112 hospitalized, 64 deaths (+24 cases)

Local test positivity: 16.3% (up from 15.5% two weeks ago but has come down slightly in recent days)

• Chesapeake – 16.3%
• Eastern Shore – 15.8%
• Hampton – 17.1%
• Norfolk – 15.7%
• Peninsula – 14.1%
• Portsmouth – 20.9%
• Virginia Beach – 15.4%
• Western Tidewater – 15.3%