After a month of continually declining case rates, COVID-19 cases increased sharply in Virginia and across the U.S. over the past week.

According to a press release from Dr. Richard Williams, Medical Director of the Three Rivers Health District, the number of cases nationwide nearly doubled during the past week, from 63,000 a day over a seven-day average as of Nov. 29 to 123,799 a day over a seven-day average as of Dec. 6.

The increase in Virginia wasn’t quite as dramatic, but still concerning, with cases rising from 1,468 per day last week to 2,264 per day during this past week, a 54 percent increase. The number of hospitalizations statewide increased, as well, from 877 people hospitalized per day over a seven-day average last week to 1,077 people per day over a seven-day average this past week, a 23 percent increase.

In the Three Rivers Health District, there was a sharp increase in cases of 41 percent, according to Dr. Williams. However, because the health district reports...