Coronavirus Vaccinations Begin For Virginia Hospital Workers

VIRGINIA — After the arrival of the first Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses in Virginia, the first health care workers received their first dose on Tuesday.

A news release from Gov. Ralph Northam's office indicated Virginia received an initial 72,150 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday and Tuesday at health systems across the state. Among providers, health care workers directly caring for COVID-19 patients will be given top priority for the first vaccines.

An estimated 480,000 doses of vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna could come to Virginia by the end of December. This initial allocation will cover nearly all health care personnel and long-term care facility residents, the top priority groups for the vaccine. The Virginia Department of Health estimates up to 500,000 individuals are in these priority groups. Moderna's vaccine is in the process of seeking emergency use authorization from the FDA, and that approval could come as soon as this week. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will require two doses.

At Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Hampton Roads, Gov. Ralph Northam was on hand to see Sentara Healthcare's first vaccine be administered.

Sentara’s initial vaccine supply is being limited to priority groups in hospital settings with the highest risk of COVID-19 exposure. That includes emergency department staff, ICU staff, COVID patient units staff, respiratory unit staff, cleaning and food service employees who interact with patients, and more. It will be voluntary for employees.

The University of Virginia's health system also announced the start of vaccinations Tuesday for employees with the highest risk of work related exposure. These employees include doctors, nurses, environmental services workers and pharmacists. UVA's initial shipment included nearly 3,000 doses.

"This is a big moment, and it’s a great feeling to take a step toward protecting myself from coronavirus or spreading it to my family and loved ones," said Dr. Taison Bell, director of UVA’s Medical Intensive Care Unit and one of the first vaccine recipients, in a statement released by UVA. "This pandemic has ravaged the nation and the world, particularly in Black and brown communities like the one I come from. This is the first time that I have genuine hope that we can turn the corner."

In Northern Virginia, WJLA reported that a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital was the first to get it in the Inova Health System. The health system hopes to get all employees, an estimated 20,000, vaccinated when more doses become available.

At Sentara Norfolk Hospital, Northam praised health care workers for their work to take care of patients exposed to or who have contracted COVID-19, which put themselves and their families at risk of exposure. He also reiterated guidance for Virginians to continue safety precautions with the vaccination process in the early stages.

"Until all Virginians have access to the vaccination, which we hope will happen in the next few months, we all have to remain vigilant and do our job, have the responsibility and really be part of the solution to get this pandemic behind us because we can all agree that we want to get back to our near normal," said Northam.

On Wednesday, 3,931 additional coronavirus cases were reported statewide, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The statewide seven-day average of daily cases reached a peak of 3,920 on Dec. 12 before starting to decline in the last few days. The latest average is 3,587.

New cases by region include 1,094 in the southwest region, 862 in the northern region, 820 in the eastern region, 626 in the northwest region, and 529 in the central region.

Current COVID-19 hospitalizations stand at 2,349 statewide, which includes 511 in the intensive care units and 257 on ventilators. Patients by region include 569 in the northern region, 529 in the eastern region, 439 in the southwest region, 411 in the northwest region, and 401 in the central region.

According to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, ventilator use among all hospital patients is at 33 percent capacity, and ICU occupancy is at 79 percent. The 2019 average for ICU occupancy was 67 percent. No hospitals have reported difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment in the next 72 hours since Sept. 18.

The statewide seven-day average of positive PCR tests is 11.4 percent as of Dec. 13, and regional averages are 15.7 percent in the southwest region, 12 percent in the eastern region, 11.5 percent in the northern region, 10.3 percent in the northwest region, and 8.5 percent in the central region. Statewide, a seven-day average of 26,975 PCR testing encounters are being reported each day.

There were 38 new deaths reported on Wednesday, and the seven-day average of daily death reports is 32.

Below are the latest coronavirus data updates for our coverage area from Monday to Tuesday:

• Alexandria: 6,367 cases, 401 hospitalizations, 82 deaths; increase of 52 cases and three hospitalizations
• Arlington County: 7,594 cases, 629 hospitalizations, 166 deaths; increase of 69 cases, 15 hospitalizations and two deaths
• Fairfax County: 37,692 cases, 2,718 hospitalizations, 648 deaths; increase of 306 cases, 20 hospitalizations and one death
• Fairfax City: 250 cases, 21 hospitalizations, 19 deaths; increase of four cases
• Falls Church: 146 cases, 16 hospitalizations, six deaths; one case removed
• Loudoun County: 12,193 cases, 601 hospitalizations, 154 deaths; increase of 164 cases and six hospitalizations
• Manassas: 2,612 cases, 145 hospitalizations, 29 deaths; increase of 12 cases
• Manassas Park: 836 cases, 62 hospitalizations, eight deaths; increase of eight cases
• Prince William County: 21,678 cases, 1,152 hospitalizations, 244 deaths; increase of 247 cases and four hospitalizations
• Fredericksburg: 860 cases, 60 hospitalizations, eight deaths; increase of seven cases, one hospitalization and one death
• Spotsylvania County: 3,872 cases, 192 hospitalizations, 59 deaths; increase of 54 cases, two hospitalizations and one death
• Stafford County: 4,207 cases, 215 hospitalizations, 23 deaths; increase of 62 cases and three hospitalizations