Virginia Tops 500K Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Increase

VIRGINIA — More doses of the coronavirus vaccines have arrived in Virginia as the confirmed number of total cases topped 500,000 on Saturday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

State health officials on Saturday confirmed 4,309 new cases of the coronavirus, up from 4,238 the day before. A total of 6,449 Virginians have died from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.

According to the Virginia Department of Public Health's coronavirus dashboard, 502,221 people have tested positive for the coronavirus across Virginia as of Saturday. The average number of cases peaked at 6,166.3 on Jan. 18.

A total of 21,377 coronavirus patients have been hospitalized to date. On Saturday, 2,632 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized; 311 of them are on a ventilator for 36 percent of vents in use. The state has 507 patients in intensive care units; ICU capacity is at 57 percent.

Earlier in the week Gov. Ralph Northam expressed empathy with residents statewide who are growing frustrated over the delay in actually pumping shots of the coronavirus vaccines into the arms of those who qualify under the state's distribution plan.

On Saturday, Virginia had 758,477 administered doses of the vaccines. According to the Virginia Department of Health, 7.6 percent of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose so far, while 109,465 people on the Phase 1a and 1b priority lists have been fully vaccinated.

Northam said this week that the state is receiving 105,000 doses per week and that he is pressing hospital officials across Virginia to either use the doses they have available or distribute them to other medical facilities that can use them.

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

• Alexandria: 9,407, 489 hospitalizations, 104 deaths; increase of 65 cases, one hospitalization
• Arlington County: 11,648 cases, 729 hospitalizations, 201 deaths; increase of 83 cases, four hospitalizations and one death
• Fairfax County: 59,281 cases, 3,262 hospitalizations, 784 deaths; increase of 446 cases, five hospitalizations and two deaths
• Fairfax City: 427 cases, 30 hospitalizations and 12 deaths; increase of one case
• Falls Church: 291 cases, 19 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of three cases
• Loudoun County: 20,277 cases, 765 hospitalizations, 181 deaths; increase of 200 cases, 14 hospitalizations, two deaths
• Manassas: 3,686 cases, 155 hospitalizations, 33 deaths; increase of 28 cases, one hospitalization
• Manassas Park: 1,067 cases, 66 hospitalizations, eight deaths
• Prince William County: 35,092 cases, 1,314 hospitalizations, 313 deaths; increase of 341 cases, five hospitalizations, and 11 deaths
• Fredericksburg: 1,514 cases, 74 hospitalizations, 14 deaths; increase of 11 cases
• Spotsylvania County: 7,150 cases, 241 hospitalizations, 82 deaths; increase of 73 cases, three hospitalizations, one death
• Stafford County: 7,909 cases, 271 hospitalizations, 48 deaths; increase of 143 cases, one hospitalization, two deaths