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Five new COVID-19 cases reported in TJHD; 51,738 probable and confirmed cases across Va.

The Virginia Department of Health reported Tuesday that the statewide total for COVID-19 cases is 51,738 — an increase of 487 from the 51,251 reported Monday.

As the overall number of positive COVID-19 test results in Virginia grows, data from the VDH coronavirus dashboard show the percentage of positive results from testing is down. The seven-day average for percent of positive test results was at 8.9% as of Saturday, which is the most recent figure provided by the VDH on Tuesday. That’s down from a peak of 22.2% on April 19.

In the region covered by the Thomas Jefferson Health District, the current seven-day positivity rate for PCR tests sits at 6.1%. There have been 11,696 PCR testing encounters in the health district.

PCR testing differs from serological testing, which looks for the presence of antibodies in a patient. PCR testing looks for the presence of the active virus in a patient.

In total, 13,063 testing encounters have occurred within the TJHD. This number is combined with the number of serological tests performed.

The current seven-day moving average of testing encounters in the TJHD shows a slight decline.

The 51,738 cases reported Tuesday include 49,362 confirmed cases and 2,376 probable cases. Also, there are 1,496 COVID-19 deaths in Virginia — 1,391 confirmed and 105 probable. That’s an increase of 5 from the 1,477 reported Monday.

The VDH defines probable COVID-19 cases as people who are symptomatic with a known exposure to COVID-19, but whose cases have not been confirmed with a positive test.

Across the TJHD, five new cases have been reported, marking a total of 649 cases in the region.

Albemarle County has 258 cases; the most out of any locality within the TJHD. The county has also had eight fatalities.

Charlottesville has 141 cases, Fluvanna County has 95, Greene County has 44 and Louisa County has 94 cases.

Nelson County continues to have the least amount of cases in the TJHD, with 17. It is also the only locality in the TJHD to not have any reported hospitalizations or fatalities.

People between the ages of 30-39 make up nearly 20% of the region’s diagnosed cases (19.9%), while people 80 and older make up the majority of the region’s fatalities (73.7%).

VDH data shows most cases (80%) are occurring in adults between the ages of 20 and 69. The majority of deaths (76.4%) are among Virginians over the age of 70.

Fairfax County, the state’s most populous locality with more than 1.1 million people, has the most cases with 12,695 and 416 deaths.

VDH said there are 401 outbreaks in the state, 227 in long-term care facilities. These facilities also account for 845 of the state’s deaths attributed to the virus.

Locally, there are now 12 outbreaks in the TJHD. Five have been reported in congregate settings, four in long-term care facilities, two in correctional facilities and one in an educational setting.

Of the region’s cases, 170 have been associated with an outbreak, while 47 healthcare workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The Virginia Department of Health classifies an outbreak as one with two or more lab-confirmed cases.

State health officials have said there’s a lag in the reporting of statewide numbers on the VDH website. Figures on the website might not include cases or deaths reported by localities or local health districts.

On Monday, a message was posted to the VDH website saying that the COVID-19 data dashboard will reflect 13,000 additional tests that were backlogged because a Richmond-area laboratory had previously been providing test results via fax.

VDH staff members prioritized the positive results, while noting that the remaining backlog largely includes negative tests.

Source: www.dailyprogress.com

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