Virginia COVID Positivity Rate Dips To 5.7% As Vaccinations Climb

VIRGINIA — The Virginia Department of Health reported a 5.7-percent coronavirus positivity rate on Saturday from tests performed on residents over the past seven days, the lowest rate since a month ago.

Starting in mid-March, the positive rate went on a mini-ascent, climbing from 5.4 percent on March 12 to 6.4 percent on March 31 and staying at that rate through April 5. For nearly the past three weeks, the positive rate has been on a slow decline.

The positive rate remains far below the 2021 high of 17.4 percent reported on Jan. 3 by the VDH. Since the start of the pandemic, the all-time high of the seven-day coronavirus positivity rate was 20.2 percent on April 20, 2020.

On average, 17,735 daily PCR testing encounters were reported statewide on April 19, down from a peak of 35,034 on Jan. 14.

As of Saturday, 5,773,361 COVID-19 doses had been administered since last December. A total of 2,370,074 Virginians, or 27.8 percent of the state's entire population, are fully vaccinated.

In Virginia, 3,601,850 people, or 42.2 percent of the state's entire population, have received at least their first dose of the vaccine. The seven-day average on Saturday was 74,930 doses administered in Virginia.

Local health departments lead the state with 1,686,231 total doses given, followed by 1,453,544 given at pharmacies. Hospitals have administered a total of 1,020,255 vaccines. Medical practices are next with 864,553 doses administered followed by community health providers at 748,778.

On Saturday, 1,005 additional COVID-19 cases were reported by the VDH, and the seven-day average of daily cases was 1,214. Northern Virginia accounted for 250 new cases on Saturday and has a seven-day average of 312 daily cases.

SEE ALSO: How To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine In Virginia

An additional nine COVID-19 deaths were reported Saturday, bringing the death total to 10,675. Virginia's COVID-19 hospitalizations stood at 1,043 statewide on Saturday.

The current count includes 262 patients in intensive care units and 147 on ventilators. Ventilator use among all hospital patients is at 28 percent, and ICU occupancy is at 77 percent, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

In the United States, 32 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and 571,424 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Saturday.

Here are the latest coronavirus data updates for our coverage area from Friday to Saturday:

• Alexandria: 11,564 cases, 550 hospitalizations, 133 deaths; increase of 24 cases
• Arlington County: 14,969 cases, 824 hospitalizations, 251 deaths; increase of 25 cases and one hospitalization
• Fairfax County: 75,244 cases, 3,862 hospitalizations, 1,067 deaths; increase of 78 cases and six hospitalizations
• Fairfax City: 540 cases, 47 hospitalizations, 18 deaths; no changes
• Falls Church: 417 cases, 20 hospitalizations, eight deaths; no changes
• Loudoun County: 27,043 cases, 1,020 hospitalizations, 274 deaths; increase of 50 cases and three hospitalizations
• Manassas: 4,293 cases, 169 hospitalizations, 47 deaths; increase of two cases
• Manassas Park: 1,196 cases, 68 hospitalizations, 12 deaths; no changes
• Prince William County: 44,248 cases, 1,597 hospitalizations, 479 deaths; increase of 75 cases and one hospitalization
• Fredericksburg: 2,042 cases, 99 hospitalizations, 22 deaths; increase of nine cases
• Spotsylvania County: 9,545 cases, 302 hospitalizations, 113 deaths; increase of 21 cases
• Stafford County: 10,922 cases, 350 hospitalizations, 74 deaths; increase of 16 cases