COVID-19 cases continued to rise during the past week, with the greatest increase locally in Mathews County, which recorded 33 new cases between last Wednesday and this Wednesday, bringing the county’s total to 1,492 cases of the virus since the pandemic began.

Gloucester County saw 18 new cases after recording only one last week, and Middlesex County had nine, up from last week’s five cases. Those counties’ totals are now 7,334 and 1,839, respectively.

Hospitalization and death numbers were low, with no new hospitalizations recorded in any of the counties and one subtracted from Gloucester, leaving the totals at Gloucester, 103, Mathews, 32, and Middlesex, 45. There were two deaths in Middlesex, for a total of 48 since March 2020, and no deaths in Gloucester, for a total of 103. One death was deducted from the Mathews count, for a total of 27.

Across the Three Rivers Health District, there were 123 new cases, for a total of 27,607 in the past two years. Two new hospitalizati...