Gloucester and Mathews counties, as well as the other jurisdictions that comprise the Three Rivers Health District, have experienced fewer COVID-19 cases over the past week than it has “in a couple of months,” according to district director Dr. Richard Williams.

Eighty-five new cases were reported across the district from last Wednesday to this Wednesday, for a total of 2,251 cases since the pandemic began. Districtwide, there have been 137 people hospitalized, and 38 people have died.

Of all the localities in the district, Williams said that Mathews County and two others—Lancaster and Westmore-land—were at “highest risk” from a case incidence perspective under K-12 school metrics developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Gloucester and all the other localities in the district were at “higher risk,” he said.

The number of new cases reported in Mathews over the past week was eight, for a total of 135 cases since the pandemic began. Gloucester had 13 cases during the p...