COVID-19 case numbers continued to drop over the past week, with Gloucester recording just 21 new cases, Mathews six, and Middlesex five since last Wednesday. The new cases bring the total number of cases in each county to 3,872, 895, and 948, respectively.

Hospitalizations were down, as well. Gloucester had just one person hospitalized with the virus during the past week, for a total of 92 since the pandemic began, while Mathews had one hospitalization subtracted from its total, dropping the number from 29 to 28. Middlesex had no new hospitalizations.

There were, however, three deaths in Middlesex during the past week, a stark reminder that the virus is still deadly. The deaths brought Middlesex’s total to 33 residents lost to COVID since March 2020. Gloucester and Mathews each lost one resident to the virus over the week, bringing total deaths in the two counties to 76 and 22, respectively.

Across the Three Rivers Health District, there were just 109 new cases, almost half ...