Phase 1C Vaccines Start In Few VA Areas; 1B Continues In NoVA

VIRGINIA — After the state health department announced health districts are starting to move into phase 1c of coronavirus vaccinations, some localities have started this phase, although northern Virginia has not.

Phase 1c is the last phase before Phase 2, which will open eligibility to all Virginians 16 and up. Certain essential worker groups are included in phase 1c (energy; water, wastewater, and waste removal workers; housing and construction; food service; transportation and logistics; institutions of higher education faculty and staff; finance; information technology and communication; media; legal services; public safety (engineers); and other public health workers).

According to the Virginia Department of Health's vaccine phase tracker, localities in phase 1c include Accomack, Brunswick, Danville, Halifax, Mecklenburg, Northampton, and Pittsylvania.

All other localities, including those in Northern Virginia, remain in phase 1b. Phase 1b includes a wide range of residents: people 65 and older, people 16 to 64 with an underlying health condition or disability, certain essential worker groups, and people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters or migrant labor camps.

As stated by VDH Tuesday, local health departments must have made strong efforts to reach all those eligible in 1a and 1b populations, especially communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, such as communities of color. Local health departments should also consider whether demand has decreased among 1a and 1b populations.

Virginia started phase 1a vaccinations for health care workers and long-term care facility residents in December. Phase 1b began on Jan. 11 with 75 and older residents and other groups, but eligibility was expanded on Jan. 18 to include anyone 65 and older and people 16 to 64 with an underlying health condition or disability.

VDH expects all of Virginia will be in Phase 2 for all Virginians 16 and older by the start of May.

Virginians can preregister for the vaccine at vaccinate.virginia.gov. Those with language or internet access barriers can contact the hotline at 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682).

Fairfax Health District residents (Fairfax County and cities of Falls Church and Fairfax) should continue using the local health department's registration system.

As of Wednesday, 2,810,928 vaccine doses have been administered in Virginia. There are 1,846,094 people with at least one dose (21.6 percent of the population), and 1,036,399 are fully vaccinated (12.1 percent of the population. On average, 49,223 doses are administered per day in Virginia.

COVID-19 data

On Wednesday, an additional 1,327 COVID-19 cases were reported in Virginia, and the seven-day average of daily cases is 1,299. New cases include 447 in Northern Virginia, and the region has a seven-day average of 353 daily cases.

There were 50 additional deaths reported Wednesday, bringing the cumulative total to 10,154 deaths. Northern Virginia accounted for 11 new deaths.

Current COVID-19 hospitalizations stand at 1,076 statewide, which includes 234 patients in the intensive care units and 135 on ventilators. Northern Virginia accounts for 231 current COVID-19 patients.

Ventilator use among all hospital patients is at 31 percent, and ICU occupancy is at 79 percent, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. No hospitals report difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment, but one hospital reports difficulty obtaining other medical supplies in the next 72 hours.

The seven-day average of positive PCR tests is 5.4 percent as of March 12, down from the winter peak of 17.4 percent on Jan. 3. Northern Virginia's average is 5.1 percent, compared to the winter peak of 16.6 percent on Jan. 2.

On average, 19,212 daily PCR testing encounters were reported statewide on March 11, down from a peak of 35,033 on Jan. 14.

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

• Alexandria: 10,643 cases, 521 hospitalizations, 129 deaths; increase of 26 cases
• Arlington County: 13,729 cases, 782 hospitalizations, 243 deaths; increase of 46 cases, one hospitalization and one death
• Fairfax County: 69,041 cases, 3,615 hospitalizations, 1,040 deaths; increase of 150 cases, 17 hospitalizations and seven deaths
• Fairfax City: 507 cases, 39 hospitalizations, 16 deaths; three cases removed
• Falls Church: 370 cases, 20 hospitalizations, 10 deaths; no changes
• Loudoun County: 24,197 cases, 913 hospitalizations, 267 deaths; increase of 137 cases, seven hospitalizations and two deaths
• Manassas: 4,089 cases, 166 hospitalizations, 44 deaths; increase of 20 cases
• Manassas Park: 1,145 cases, 67 hospitalizations, 12 deaths; increase of three cases
• Prince William County: 40,625 cases, 1,492 hospitalizations, 471 deaths; increase of 78 cases, three hospitalizations and one death
• Fredericksburg: 1,825 cases, 93 hospitalizations, 22 deaths; increase of two cases
• Spotsylvania County: 8,578 cases, 286 hospitalizations, 106 deaths; increase of 13 cases
• Stafford County: 9,858 cases, 333 hospitalizations, 69 deaths; increase of 21 cases and one hospitalization

For more information on coronavirus vaccines in Virginia, see the Virginia Patch COVID-19 vaccination page.