Virginia Dec. 20 COVID-19 update: Case levels have doubled from start of month, Hampton Roads test positivity at 10%

Posted: Dec 20, 2021 / 03:48 PM EST

Updated: Dec 20, 2021 / 03:48 PM EST

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia’s average of new coronavirus cases has doubled from earlier this month as metrics continue to rise overall, with Hampton Roads’ test positivity now up to 10% on average.

However hospitalizations are not rising quite as sharply at the moment compared to the delta wave this summer and deaths haven’t gone up significantly (though they lag cases).

Preliminary data at the moment shows omicron may bring less severe symptoms, especially if someone has gotten their booster vaccine, though the sheer number of new infections (and number of unvaccinated people) could still lead to hospital capacity issues.

There is an “optimistic” gloss on all the Omicron data—that maybe this super-transmissible variant is innately a bit milder, and doesn’t cause severe illness in almost any vaccinated non-seniors—that still leads to a very pessimistic outlook on hospital capacity in the US. https://t.co/JpQE6n4LHy
— Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) December 20, 2021

State metrics

New cases (+2,991, 1,023,698 total), 3,286 cases per day and rising (more than double average from earlier this month)
Deaths (+21, 15,136 total), rising again (26 per day) after falling to 12 per day
Current hospitalizations (+18, 1,436 total currently), rising again, up more than 400 patients compared to two weeks ago, 368 in ICU
Test positivity: 9.3%, rising overall, up from 5-6% last month
Vaccine doses administered: 13,635,579
Percent of population with at least one dose: 76.3% (6,510,589)
Percent of adults (18+) with at least one dose: 87.7%
Percent of population fully vaccinated: 67% (5,720,434)
Percent of adults fully vaccinated: 77.7%
People vaccinated with booster/third dose: 1,796,907

For more vaccine data, click here.

Local cases

Accomack: 4,359 cases, 331 hospitalized, 83 deaths (+26 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Chesapeake: 31,004 cases, 1255 hospitalized, 375 deaths (+228 cases, -50 hospitalized)
Franklin: 1,719 cases, 72 hospitalized, 43 deaths (+7 cases)
Gloucester: 4,170 cases, 86 hospitalized, 83 deaths (+33 cases, +1 hospitalized, +1 death)
Hampton: 16,086 cases, 592 hospitalized, 250 deaths (+134 cases, +4 hospitalized)
Isle of Wight: 4,803 cases, 220 hospitalized, 93 deaths (+39 cases, +1 hospitalized)
James City County: 7,824 cases, 235 hospitalized, 100 deaths (+108 cases, -17 hospitalized)
Mathews: 957 cases, 27 hospitalized, 24 deaths (+7 cases )
Newport News: 21,929 cases, 661 hospitalized, 309 deaths (+138 cases, +6 hospitalized)
Norfolk: 26,012 cases, 1,302 hospitalized, 364 deaths (+164 cases, -35 hospitalized, +1 death)
Northampton: 1,215 cases, 106 hospitalized, 48 deaths (+5 cases)
Poquoson: 1,435 cases, 37 hospitalized, 23 deaths (+7 cases)
Portsmouth: 13,413 cases, 888 hospitalized, 254 deaths (+54 cases, +6 hospitalized)
Southampton: 2,498 cases, 89 hospitalized, 72 deaths (+1 case)
Suffolk: 11,684 cases, 699 hospitalized, 254 deaths (+57 cases, +6 hospitalized, +1 death)
Virginia Beach: 53,681 cases, 2,508 hospitalized, 588 deaths (+413 cases, +10 hospitalized, +1 death)
Williamsburg: 1,283 cases, 30 hospitalized, 13 deaths (+12 cases)
York: 5,989 cases, 126 hospitalized, 84 deaths (+48 cases, 1 death)