Virginia Jan. 22 COVID-19 update: Virginia surpasses 6,000 COVID-19 deaths, cases down this week

Posted: Jan 22, 2021 / 10:51 AM EST

Updated: Jan 22, 2021 / 11:00 AM EST

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — More than 6,000 people have now died from COVID-19 in Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Health reported 62 new deaths Friday to reach 6,002 total.

Cases and hospitalizations still remain around record levels, but Virginia did see its fifth straight day of lower than average new coronavirus cases on Friday with 4,147 and COVID-19 hospitalizations fell again overall.

It’s unclear if the lower case numbers this week (holiday on Monday) is a sign of a possible plateau in cases (North Carolina is reporting consistent drops in cases). A model from the University of Virginia still predicts a peak in cases around early February, but that could change depending on several factors, including behavior and whether vaccinations can ramp up (Virginia’s not expected to get more than 110,000 doses per week until March).

Statewide numbers

New cases: (+4,147, 463,751 total), back down slightly this week, average still around record levels (5,966 per day on average)
Case incidence rate: 69 per 100K people, trending up overall but down recently
New deaths (+62, 6,002 total), trending up overall (49 per day on average)
Current hospitalizations (-39, 2,972 total), back down slightly but still near peak
Testing (13% 7-day average of positive tests), back down recently, averaging around 34K tests per day
Doses administered (+25,540, 399,317, 19,405 on average), not updated yet for Friday
Doses distributed (+50,600, 1,010,150 total)

Gov. Ralph Northam and vaccine head Dr. Danny Avula talked about the low numbers of doses coming from the federal government at the moment on Thursday, and said doses are not going to waste. Some issues, such as reporting lag and some health care providers holding back doses because they were worried people wouldn’t get a second dose, have led to the gap between vaccines given and vaccines distributed. Avula said going forward health providers are being asked to not hold back doses with assurance they’ll get a second dose on a schedule.

All of Hampton Roads is expected to begin 1b vaccinations by next week, Avula says, with the Hampton and Peninsula health districts starting today.

Local cases

Accomack: 2,206 cases, 151 hospitalized, 31 deaths (+9 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Chesapeake: 14015 cases, 693 hospitalized, 120 deaths (+244 cases, +5 hospitalized, +3 deaths)
Franklin: 795 cases, 43 hospitalized, 20 deaths (+14 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Gloucester: 1,318 cases, 39 hospitalized, 19 deaths (+13 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Hampton: 6,420 cases, 221 hospitalized, 59 deaths (+52 cases, +4 hospitalized, +2 deaths)
Isle of Wight: 1,973 cases, 95 hospitalized, 35 deaths (+40 cases, +4 hospitalized)
James City County: 3012 cases, 109 hospitalized, 37 deaths (+52 cases, +1 hospitalized, +1 death)
Mathews: 400 cases, 16 hospitalized, 6 deaths (+5 cases)
Newport News: 8,517 cases, 234 hospitalized, 79 deaths (+105 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Norfolk: 11,715 cases, 653 hospitalized, 132 deaths (+100 cases, +20 hospitalized, +5 deaths)
Northampton: 582 cases, 61 hospitalized, 32 deaths (+2 cases)
Poquoson: 513 cases, 16 hospitalized, 7 deaths (+8 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Portsmouth: 6028 cases, 490 hospitalized, 96 deaths (+32 cases, 1 hospitalized)
Southampton: 1,622 cases, 40 hospitalized, 45 deaths (+20 cases, +1 death)
Suffolk: 5,201 cases, 277 hospitalized, 103 deaths (+49 cases, +1 hospitalized, +1 death)
Virginia Beach: 23,683 cases, 1007 hospitalized, 193 deaths (+158 cases, +6 hospitalized, +4 deaths)
Williamsburg: 417 cases, 24 hospitalized, 8 deaths (-5 cases)
York: 2,198 cases, 40 hospitalized, 15 deaths (+23 cases. +1 hospitalized)