As COVID-19 cases have dropped both statewide and locally, vaccination rates continue to increase.
According to Three Rivers Health District’s weekly pandemic update, Virginia cases have continued to decrease with an average of 1,621 cases per day on a seven-day average. Vaccination rates also continue to rise in Virginia; at present, about 72 percent of the state’s total population is fully vaccinated.
Cases within the district are decreasing dramatically, with about 26 cases now reported per day over a seven-day average. Nationwide, new case rates in the U.S. are also continuing to drop with less than 70,000 per day, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s updated COVID-19 community transmission criteria, Mathews and Gloucester counties are designated at a low level of community transmission and Middlesex is designated as being at a medium level. Levels are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.
Cases, hospitalizations, deaths
A total of 36 new COVID cases were recorded between last Wednesday and this Wednesday in Gloucester for a total of 7,229 cases in the county since the beginning of the pandemic. There were no new hospitalizations recorded for the county, but two new deaths from the virus were recorded during this past week.
Only two new cases were recorded in Mathews for a total of 1,409 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. Mathews recorded one new hospitalization this week, bringing the total to 32 and one additional death, for a total of 28 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
In Middlesex, six new cases were recorded for a total of 1,787. The county recorded one more hospitalization for a total of 42 and four more deaths this past week for a total of 46 since the pandemic began.
Throughout the Three Rivers District, 112 new cases were recorded during this past week, for 27,168 cases since the start of the pandemic. There were seven new hospitalizations, for a total of 651, and 16 deaths, for a total of 394.
Statewide, there were 10,375 new cases for a total of 1,643,050; 153 new hospitalizations for a total of 47,352; and 521 recorded deaths for a total of 18,859.
Clinic
A vaccination clinic will be held at the Middlesex Health Department from 3-6 p.m. next Thursday, March 10. Moderna vaccines are available for those ages 18 and up; Pfizer available for ages five and up. Boosters will also be administered.