Join Club

Rate of New Coronavirus Cases Reaches Highest Point Since May

(Updated at 10:50 a.m.) The seven-day rate of new coronavirus cases in Arlington reached the highest point since May over the weekend.

Fifty new cases were reported on Sunday, bringing the trailing seven-day total to 227. That’s the highest point since May 31, when Arlington’s spring epidemic was starting its rapid descent.

Only 14 new cases were reported overnight Monday, bringing the trailing seven-day total back down a bit. Meanwhile, the county’s test positivity rate has been rising in recent days and now stands at 4.2%, the highest point since early September.

No new COVID-related hospitalizations nor deaths were reported over the weekend in Arlington, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. But Mike Silverman, the ER chief for Virginia Hospital Center, said on Friday, in a weekly public Facebook post, that the emergency room “experienced an uptick in cases this week.”

“Our hospital census is noticeably increased, our percent positive rate on symptomatic ER patients and on asymptomatic testing is up, and the number of ER patients who meet our ‘enhanced isolation’ status increased a fair amount,” Silverman said. “This last one is particularly interesting and concerning to me. Those numbers of patients have been really steady for a couple of months. There was a little uptick last week but it was close enough to be considered normal variability. This week had a significant uptick compared to last month.”

Silverman went on recommend continued mask wearing, citing research that suggests that those wearing masks are less likely to wind up in the hospital for COVID-19.

Across the country, hospitalizations in most states increased over the course of October, while the rate of new coronavirus cases hit a new national record on Friday. Closer to home, Virginia hit another record for new cases over the weekend; case counts in Northern Virginia have also been increasing.

During a weekly COVID-19 virtual town hall with the County Board, held on Friday, Dr. Reuben K. Varghese, the public health director for Arlington, said that the earliest a vaccine could be expected would be between January and April. But not everyone will want it, he said.

“Everyone would say they want a vaccine right now,” Varghese said. “Once it seems like it’s available, the desire drops credibly.”

In administering a vaccine, the county will not be able to prioritize everyone equally, he said. Those living and working in long term care facilities and those working in hospitals will be first on the list.

Jo DeVoe contributed to this report

Recent Stories

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Sep 22, 2023

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier today…

A local nonprofit specializing in job placement for disabled individuals is drawing on federal funding to expand its services.

This column is written by the team at Arrowine & Cheese (4508 Cherry Hill Road). Sign up for the email newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and offers. Order from Arrowine’s expanding online store for curbside pickup…

An Arlington teen of the same name as an 18-year-old convicted in a recent high-profile case has been arrested after allegedly fleeing from police.

Thorough Testing

Sometimes mold is easy to spot, but you don’t know how deep inside your walls it has spread. It can grow in sinks, cabinets, and other places you frequent every day. If you find mold, the question remains: Do I call a professional? Thistle Environmental, LLC believes in quality, comprehensive testing.

CALL NOW: (703) 929-4036

Submit your own Announcement here.

NY Cat Film Festival

Experience through film the beauty of our relationships to cats. This unique film is a compilation of shorts with a feline theme which premieres every year in New York City and then travels to venues across the United States. This

First Baby? Find Your New Mom Tribe!

Whether you’re expecting your first or you just had your first baby, we want to meet YOU! All those feelings you’re having are NORMAL and it’s not just you, so please don’t isolate yourself (that’s quicksand)! Join us for a

×

Subscribe to our mailing list