PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia reported another 5,294 new coronavirus cases and 74 new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday ahead of Gov. Ralph Northam’s coronavirus press conference at 2 p.m.
Virginia is now reporting 50 COVID-19 deaths per day on average, a new record. Hospitalizations and cases are also at all-time levels on average.
And locally, Chesapeake reported by far its highest ever increase in new cases on Thursday with 400. Chesapeake plans to return some students for in-person learning next week but, along with other local districts, has canceled winter sports.
The good news is that vaccinations are somewhat ramping up, with 4,444 more people fully vaccinated as of Thursday and 26,273 new doses administered overall. That includes 1,670 in long-term care facilities, which are still in the process of being vaccinated by CVS and Walgreens.
Northam, who set a short-term goal of 25,000 new vaccinations per day, is expected to address the vaccination effort during Tuesday’s presser. Even though Virginia surpassed 25,000 doses reported on Thursday, it’s still averaging just under 12,000 doses administered per day and many areas of Virginia aren’t yet in phase 1b, including nearly all of Hampton Roads. Phase 1b includes essential workers and people over 75.
Which vaccination phase are you in? Virginians can find out through this tool.
Statewide numbers
- New cases: (+5,294, 417,839 total), trending up, at record levels
- Case incidence rate: 59 per 100K people, trending up, at record levels
- New deaths (+74, 5,626 total), at record levels and trending up, 50 per day on average
- Current hospitalizations (-14, 3,194 total), trending up overall, at record levels
- Testing (15.5% 7-day average of positive tests), trending up overall, averaging around 30K tests per day
- Vaccines administered: (+26,273 242,530 total), (+4,444 people fully vaccinated, 27,429 total) (11,835 administered per day)
- Vaccines distributed: (+39,000, 943,400 total)
Nationally, the U.S. continues to break records for COVID-19 deaths, with more than 3,300 per day on average. That includes recent days with 4,000-plus deaths.
Local cases
- Accomack: 2,091 cases, 138 hospitalized, 31 deaths (+35 cases, + 1 hospitalized, +1 death)
- Chesapeake: 11,212 cases, 666 hospitalized, 112 deaths (+400 cases, +5 hospitalized, +3 deaths)
- Franklin: 726 cases, 37 hospitalized, 18 deaths (+4 cases)
- Gloucester: 1,155 cases, 36 hospitalized, 14 deaths (+28 cases, +2 deaths)
- Hampton: 5,385 cases, 210 hospitalized, 57 deaths (+75 cases)
- Isle of Wight: 1,782 cases, 87 hospitalized, 32 deaths (+19 cases, +2 hospitalized)
- James City County: 2,445 cases, 104 hospitalized, 33 deaths (+ 24 cases, +1 hospitalized)
- Mathews: 378 cases, 16 hospitalized, 4 deaths ( +7 cases)
- Newport News: 7,319 cases, 222 hospitalized, 76 deaths (+91 cases)
- Norfolk: 10,678 cases, 625 hospitalized, 122 deaths (+171 cases, +10 hospitalized, +2 deaths)
- Northampton: 532 cases, 59 hospitalized, 31 deaths (+7 cases)
- Poquoson: 432 cases, 15 hospitalized, 7 deaths (+ 4 cases)
- Portsmouth: 5,521 cases, 471 hospitalized, 90 deaths (+59 cases, +2 hospitalized)
- Southampton: 1,530 cases, 37 hospitalized, 43 deaths (+ 4 cases, + 1 hospitalized, +1 death)
- Suffolk: 4,638 cases, 263 hospitalized, 101 deaths (+35 cases, + 2 hospitalizations, +1 death)
- Virginia Beach: 21,526 cases, 883 hospitalized, 173 deaths (+393 cases, +5 hospitalized, + 1 death)
- Williamsburg: 395 cases, 22 hospitalized, 8 deaths (+2 cases)
- York: 1,919 cases, 38 hospitalized, 13 deaths (+20 cases)
Key local metrics
- 1,378 new cases, record and trending up
- 11 new deaths, trending up
- +1 current hospitalizations, record levels and trending up
- Test positivity: 20%, trending up overall
Test positivity
- Chesapeake — 23.1% — trending up overall
- Eastern Shore — 22.1% — trending up overall
- Hampton — 20.2% — trending back down slightly
- Norfolk — 16.3% — trending up overall
- Peninsula — 19.6% — trending up overall
- Portsmouth — 22.2% — trending up overall
- Virginia Beach — 19.3% — trending up overall
- Western Tidewater —20.4% — trending up overall
For more information from the Virginia Department of Health, click here.