PORTSMOUTH, Va (WAVY) — The Virginia Department of Health is reporting it’s highest increase of confirmed coronavirus cases in one day with 568.
As of Saturday morning, health officials are reporting a total number of 5,077 confirmed cases with 837 hospitalizations, and 130 deaths overall.
The new numbers eclipse the previous record reported just a day before with 467 confirmed cases.
From Friday, health officials reported 9 additional deaths in the commonwealth along with 65 people hospitalized. So far, at least 37,999 residents in Virginia have been tested.
Virginia residents between the ages of 50 and 59 show the highest number of confirmed cases with 1,022 reported as of Saturday and accounting for more than 20% of reported cases in the commonwealth.
Increases in cases/deaths in Virginia this week:
Monday: 241 new cases to 2,878 overall/3 new deaths to 54 overall
Tuesday: 455 new cases to 3,333 overall/9 new deaths to 63 overall
Wednesday: 312 new cases to 3,645/ 12 death to 75 overall
Thursday: 397 new cases to 4,042 overall/34 new deaths to 109 overall
Friday: 467 new cases to 4,509 overall/12 new deaths to 121 overall
Saturday: 568 new cases to 5,077 overall/ 9 new deaths to 130 overall
Here’s a look at the local cases (increases from Friday):
Chesapeake: 115 (+6)
Accomack: 15 (+3)
Northampton: 4
Hampton: 64 (2)
Norfolk: 80 (2)
James City County: 126 (+1)
Newport News: 75 (+7)
Poquoson: 6
Williamsburg: 17
York: 27 (+2)
Portsmouth: 49 (+1)
Gloucester: 20 (+2)
Mathews: 2
Virginia Beach: 236 (+12)
Franklin: 6
Isle of Wight: 28 (+4)
Southampton: 5
Suffolk: 40 (+5)
The Institute for Health Metric and Evaluation (IHME) has moved Virginia’s peak outbreak of COVID-19 from late May to late April.
On its website, IHME said their projections are updated daily to account for new data and information. The models are based on observed death rates for the coronavirus and not influenced by testing.
The institute said these projections assume that full social distancing will be in affect through May.
At his press conference on Monday, April 6, Gov. Ralph Northam said they would not be changing the state’s plans based on this new projection and would instead continue to follow trends. Currently, Virginia’s stay-at-home order is in effect until June 10.
The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) released a new data dashboard on April 6. It details important information on the state of the commonwealth’s hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.
It shows up-to-date stats on those currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, hospital bed and ventilator capacity statewide, and how many hospitals are having trouble obtaining crucial personal protective equipment for medical workers.
The VHHA’s data on hospitalization is different than what is published by VDH. For example, as of April 7, VDH is only reporting 563 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Virginia, whereas VHHA is reporting 589 hospitalizations.
Sentara Healthcare says it’s now processing COVID-19 tests in-house at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital to help shorten the wait for test results.
Sentara is using the Abbott m2000 RealTime system. Lab results are back within 24 to 48 hours, not the eight to 10 days that the private labs like LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics are taking due to unrelenting demand.
As 10 On Your Side reported, Sentara stopped medical screenings for COVID-19 because lab results from the private labs were taking too long,
“It’s extremely frustrating because at our core we want to take care of our clinicians and patients. We need to get the tests they need and get the results back as quickly as possible,” Young said.
The new in-house testing will help get those results far quicker.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) updates its website daily with the following COVID-19 data: The number of people tested in Virginia, the total number of confirmed cases, the number of people hospitalized and the number of deaths reported.
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