COVID-19 Vaccinations To Open Soon For All Virginians 16 And Up

VIRGINIA — It's no April Fool's joke. Virginians 16 and older will soon be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to Gov. Ralph Northam.

Residents 16 and older in Virginia will be eligible to receive the vaccine starting Sunday, April 18, which is ahead of the May 1 goal President Joe Biden set for the country.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel — and that light is getting brighter every day as more and more Virginians get vaccinated,” Northam said, in a release. “We continue to work with diverse providers and community partners across the Commonwealth to distribute vaccines in a fair and equitable way and ensure those at the highest risk are vaccinated first. Expanding vaccine eligibility to all adults marks an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to put this pandemic behind us, and I thank all of the public health staff, health care workers, vaccinators, and volunteers who have helped make this possible.”

The governor made the announcement Thursday morning as he was visiting a vaccination clinic at First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Prince William County.

Northam's announcement came as nearly every Virginian eligible in the Phase 1 priority groups has received the vaccine. As of Thursday morning, 3,850,838 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, according to Virginia Department of Health data. Nearly one-third of all adults in Virginia have received a dose of the vaccine and one in five are fully vaccinated.

Of the 35 local health districts in Virginia, 21 have started vaccinating essential workers in Phase 1c, after providing appointments to all of the people eligible to be vaccinated in Phases 1a or 1b on a pre-registration list. Starting on April 4, the health districts that have already invited all of the eligible individuals in Phase 1c may begin offering pre-registration to the general public.

Based on the projected supply Virginia expects to receive from the federal government, all health districts will be able to open appointments to the general public by April 18. Those at the highest risk will continue to be given priority in the scheduling process.

While some health districts, such as Fairfax County, are scheduling their own appointments, most Virginians eligible to receive the vaccine can pre-register on the state's website. COVID-19 vaccination clinics are open by appointment only. People who have not already done so can pre-register on the Vaccinate Virginia website, or at 1-800-VAX-in-VA. Preregistration allows the county to provide notification to eligible people to make vaccination appointments as supply becomes available.

COVID-19 data

Daily cases continue to average in the 1,000s. On Thursday, 1,825 additional COVID-19 cases were reported in Virginia, and the seven-day daily case average is 1,500. To date, deaths have totaled 10,268, which includes 16 new deaths reported Thursday.

The positive average of PCR tests is 6.1 percent as of March 28. On average 16,078 PCR tests are reported daily in the state.

There are 1,046 current COVID-19 patients across the state, including 249 in the intensive care units and 134 on ventilators. COVID-19 patients represent about 7.9 percent of the 13,124 occupied hospital beds in Virginia. Ventilator use among all hospital patients is at 28 percent, and ICU occupancy is at 77 percent, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

Here are the latest coronavirus data updates for our coverage area from Tuesday to Wednesday:

• Alexandria: 10,965 cases, 531 hospitalizations, 128 deaths; increase of 20 cases
• Arlington County: 14,273 cases, 802 hospitalizations, 246 deaths; increase of 46 cases and three hospitalizations
• Fairfax County: 71,661 cases, 3,714 hospitalizations, 1,040 deaths; increase of 250 cases and11 hospitalizations
• Fairfax City: 523 cases, 42 hospitalizations, 18 deaths; increase of one case and one hospitalizations
• Falls Church: 388 cases, 20 hospitalizations nine deaths; two cases
• Loudoun County: 25,391 cases, 953 hospitalizations, 269 deaths; increase of 140 cases and seven hospitalizations
• Manassas: 4,164 cases, 166 hospitalizations, 45 deaths; increase of five cases
• Manassas Park: 1,171 cases, 67 hospitalizations, 12 deaths; increase of two cases
• Prince William County: 42,096 cases, 1,512 hospitalizations, 468 deaths; increase of 162 cases and two hospitalizations
• Fredericksburg: 1,887 cases, 96 hospitalizations, 22 deaths; no changes
• Spotsylvania County: 8,876 cases, 290 hospitalizations, 108 deaths; increase of 31 cases and one hospitalization
• Stafford County: 10,197 cases, 337 hospitalizations, 69 deaths; increase of 47 cases