PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia reported 3,853 new coronavirus cases, 45 new COVID-19 deaths and 50 new current COVID-19 hospitalizations on Thursday.

While the case average trend in Virginia has stalled somewhat this week in the 3,500-4,000 range, which could be due to weekend/early week reporting, hospitalizations and deaths are still rising overall, with more than 30 deaths reported each day on average currently. Case loads are still expected to rise based on trends, with a peak of 98,331 cases per week in early February, per UVA’s COVID-19 model.

Virginia is still on the lower end among states in cases per capita, with 42 per 100,000 people.

Statewide numbers for Virginia:

  • New cases: (+3,853 296,093 total), trending up overall
  • Case incidence rate: 42 per 100K, trending up overall
  • New deaths (+45 4,553 total), steady overall, but trending up (31 per day on average)
  • Current hospitalizations (+50 patients, 2,399 total), trending up overall, at record levels
  • Testing (11.6% 7-day average of positive tests), trending up overall, Virginia’s testing average went down by several thousand tests around the holiday but is back up to nearly 27,000 per day.

Hospitalizations have been steadily trending up, breaking records for Virginia nearly every day. ICU occupancy (490 patients) officially hit 80% on Thursday (67% this time last year), though the number of COVID-19 ICU patients actually decreased slightly to 490. 246 are on ventilators, per the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.

Reported deaths have also been steadily rising with the increase in overall virus levels. Virginia is averaging 31 per day as of Thursday.

The United States is now averaging 2,500 COVID-19 deaths per day, and the national death toll officially passed 300,000 deaths earlier this week.

Local cases

Accomack: 1,545 cases, 115 hospitalized, 23 deaths (+12 cases, +2 hospitalized, +1 death)
Chesapeake: 8031 cases, 574 hospitalized, 92 deaths (+141 cases, +2 hospitalized, +3 deaths)
Franklin: 616 cases, 31 hospitalized, 17 deaths (+4 cases)
Gloucester: 689 cases, 24 hospitalized, 6 deaths (+8 cases, +1 death)
Hampton: 3,636 cases, 177 hospitalized, 42 deaths (+83 cases, +11 hospitalized, +1 death)
Isle of Wight: 1,261 cases, 67 hospitalized, 28 deaths (+16 cases, +3 hospitalized)
James City County: 1,458 cases, 88 hospitalized, 25 deaths (+37 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Mathews: 251 cases, 13 hospitalized, 1 death (+4 cases)
Newport News: 4,911 cases, 182 hospitalized, 63 deaths (+57 cases, +2 hospitalized)
Norfolk: 7,635 cases, 524 hospitalized, 101 deaths (+63 cases, +8 hospitalized)
Northampton: 383 cases, 53 hospitalized, 31 deaths (+2 cases)
Poquoson: 255 cases, 15 hospitalized, 3 deaths (+9 cases)
Portsmouth: 3,722 cases, 389 hospitalized, 73 deaths (+45 cases, +2 hospitalized)
Southampton: 1,071 cases, 34 hospitalized, 40 deaths (+5 cases)
Suffolk: 3,354 cases, 208 hospitalized, 87 deaths (+42 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Virginia Beach: 13,452 cases, 649 hospitalized, 130 deaths (+200 cases, +5 hospitalized, +1 death)
Williamsburg: 340 cases, 22 hospitalized, 8 deaths (+2 cases)
York: 1,181 cases, 32 hospitalized, 9 deaths (+22 cases)

Key local metrics

  • 794 new cases, at record levels and trending up
  • 7 new deaths, trending up
  • 5 new current hospitalizations (534 total), trending up
  • Percent of positive tests: 12.5%, trending up overall

Test positivity

  • Chesapeake — 13.6% — trending up overall (Chesapeake schools going to all virtual learning after winter break)
  • Eastern Shore — 12.2% — trending up overall
  • Hampton — 13.6% —  trending up overall
  • Norfolk — 11.9% — trending up overall
  • Peninsula — 11.8% — trending up overall
  • Portsmouth — 12.9% — trending up overall
  • Virginia Beach — 13.1% — trending up overall
  • Western Tidewater —10.9% — trending up overall