Coronavirus Case Average, Positive Average Trend Down In Virginia

VIRGINIA — The COVID-19 case average and positive average of tests continue to trend down statewide, according to Virginia Department of Health data.

The seven-day average of positive PCR tests is 5.2 percent statewide and 4.9 percent in Northern Virginia as of April 23. 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.

The number of daily PCR testing encounters is also trending down, averaging 17,174 statewide on April 23.

On Tuesday, 1,105 new cases and 18 deaths were reported. The seven-day average of daily cases is 1,098 statewide and 271 in Northern Virginia. Monday's 719 new cases marke dthe lowest one-day increase since Oct. 7 when state officials reported 509 new cases. As for deaths, the seven-day average of daily deaths reported to VDH is 14.1.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have been relatively steady with small fluctuations. On Tuesday, the current patients increased from 971 to 1,006, which includes 257 in the intensive care units and 135 on ventilators. Northern Virginia accounts for 202 current COVID-19 patients in Virginia.

COVID-19 patients made up about 7.6 percent of the 13,092 occupied hospital beds in Virginia. Ventilator use among all hospital patients is at 29 percent, and ICU occupancy is at 79 percent, according to the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

As for COVID-19 vaccinations, over 5.9 million doses have been administered in Virginia to date. There are 3,690,263 people with at least one vaccine dose, or 43.2 percent of Virginia's estimated 8.5 million population. A total of 2,477,096 are fully vaccinated, or 29 percent of the population.

Local health departments lead the state with 1,724,622 total doses given, followed by 1,533,819 given at pharmacies, 1,034,237 at hospitals, 886,911 at medical practices, and 788,852 at other community health providers.

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

• Alexandria: 11,595 cases, 553 hospitalizations, 133 deaths; increase of 10 cases and two hospitalizations
• Arlington County: 15,020 cases, 827 hospitalizations, 252 deaths; increase of 13 cases
• Fairfax County: 75,478 cases, 3,876 hospitalizations, 1,070 deaths; increase of 61 cases, three hospitalizations and two deaths
• Fairfax City: 544 cases, 47 hospitalizations, 19 deaths; increase of four cases
• Falls Church: 423 cases, 20 hospitalizations, eight deaths; increase of four cases
• Loudoun County: 27,159 cases, 1,024 hospitalizations, 274 deaths; increase of 55 cases and three hospitalizations
• Manassas: 4,295 cases, 169 hospitalizations, 47 deaths; increase of three cases
• Manassas Park: 1,195 cases, 68 hospitalizations, 12 deaths; two cases removed
• Prince William County: 44,414 cases, 1,600 hospitalizations, 479 deaths; increase of 66 cases and two hospitalizations
• Fredericksburg: 2,054 cases, 99 hospitalizations, 22 deaths; increase of 10 cases
• Spotsylvania County: 9,596 cases, 303 hospitalizations, 113 deaths; increase of 24 cases
• Stafford County: 10,979 cases, 350 hospitalizations, 74 deaths; increase of 21 cases