NEW: Hospitalizations on the rise as Arlington records yet another new Covid record

Arlington has set yet another record for the daily rate of Covid cases, while hospitalizations are rising in the county.

Nine people were hospitalized f0r Covid yesterday, Arlington’s largest single-day hospitalization total since January 2021, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. The seven-day moving average of daily hospitalizations is now just above four, also the highest point since last January.

Cases, meanwhile, have reached new heights. The seven-day moving average of new cases in the county is now 646 per day. That means that over the past week, about one in 50 Arlington residents have tested positive for Covid — a number that excludes those who used at-home tests not reported to VDH and anyone who was infected but did not get tested or was unaware they were sick.

Two new Covid testing locations opened in Arlington this week, amid the increase in cases. The rise in cases has also led Arlington’s public health division to change its contact tracing plan.

“Due to the ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases, Arlington County Public Health is shifting its contact tracing to maximize resources and focus on high-risk populations and settings (workplaces, long-term care facilities, group homes, schools, childcare settings),” said a county webpage with “steps to slow the spread” that was updated a few days ago.

In a bit of good news, the test positivity rate in Arlington continues to tick down. As of today it stands at 26.1%, which is still considered quite high but is below the recent peak of 29.3%. A sustained decrease in the positivity rate could signal a coming peak in cases.