COVID-19 case rates decreased across the U.S. and in Virginia during the past week, with around 101,000 cases per day nationally and 2,859 cases per day in the state.

In contrast, the number of cases per day increased in the Three Rivers Health District, with about 31 cases per day over a seven-day average. Dr. Richard Williams, medical director of the district, said there is a continued increase in outbreaks.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the level of Covid in the community is low in Gloucester and Mathews, but medium in Middlesex and across the rest of the district. However, the transmission rate of the virus is high, both locally and across most of the state.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Gazette-Journal has identified the virus according to its transmission level. However, when the CDC switched to identifying levels as low, medium and high, it distinguished between “transmission level,” which is how much virus is being transmitted in the co...