Officially, Fairfax County’s COVID-19 community level remains low, but when the county last saw this many cases, Fairfax County Public Schools was still fighting to keep masks in place.
The Fairfax Health District, which also includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, is now averaging 270 cases a day for the past week — the highest seven-day average since Feb. 13 (274 cases) — after adding more than 300 cases each on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (April 21-23).
The 399 cases reported on April 22 set a new one-day record for this spring and represented the most new cases in a single day since Feb. 5, which had 445 cases, according to Virginia Department of Health data.
As typically happens after the weekend, case numbers have dipped slightly with just 196 cases added today (Monday), bringing the district’s all-time totals up to 184,805 cases, 4,448 hospitalizations, and 1,507 deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies the county’s COVID-19 level as low based on hospital admissions (currently 2.2 per 100,000 residents for past seven days) and the percentage of beds occupied by Covid patients (1.4%).
However, cases have more than tripled since the weekly average hit a low of 77 cases on March 22.
The Fairfax Health District’s PCR testing positivity rate has also jumped from 3.7% at the end of March to 8.9% as of April 21, though only about half as many tests are being conducted as there were during the height of the omicron variant surge in January.
Based on the case and testing metrics the CDC used until late February, Fairfax County’s COVID-19 transmission would be designated as “high.”
Vaccination demand remains relatively flat, with fewer than 1,200 residents obtaining their first dose since last week, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.
About 83.5% of all Fairfax Health District residents — 987,872 people — have gotten at least one vaccine dose, including:
- 92.2% of people 18 and older
- 98.4% of 16-17 year olds
- 94.2% of 12-15 year olds
- 58.8% of 5-11 year olds
897,626 district residents, or 75.8%, are fully vaccinated, meaning they’ve gotten two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. That includes 83.9% of all adults.
In Fairfax County, 495,196 residents — 43% of the population — have received a booster or third dose, including 52.5% of adults and 33.8% of adolescents aged 12-17.
Since the end of March, the CDC has also recommended second booster shots for some people, including people 50 and older, those who got the J&J vaccine, and immunocompromised individuals.
Kids under 5, however, may have to wait until this summer to get their first shot, even as mask requirements and other Covid health protocols disappear.
According to Politico, Moderna plans to seek authorization of a two-shot vaccine for kids younger than 6 this month, but data suggests that, like a Pfizer vaccine that got delayed, a third dose may be needed to more effectively prevent symptomatic infections.
Recent Stories
Good Thursday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier…
Nearly 14 years after Clifton Elementary School shuttered, its sign has been repurposed. The sign now serves as a bulletin for local organizations, businesses, and community groups to promote events…
The Spring Hill Rec Center in McLean is now being partly powered by the sun. The Fairfax County Park Authority announced today (Thursday) that it has turned on a new, 307-kilowatt…
A Maryland-based early childhood education company is opening a second location in the Reston-Herndon area. Celebree School will celebrate the grand opening of its newest location at 12700 Sunrise Valley…
The Gillion Academy’s Home School Basketball Program begins Fall 2024 for 7th – 12th Grade student-athletes to complete their online academic studies in a supervised and focused setting while receiving elite training from our professional basketball trainers at The Gillion Basketball Academy, a state of the art training facility in Springfield, Va. We have developed over 200 college athletes and placed over 50 players in the NBA and pro leagues overseas and provide the same level of training for our student-athletes.
We will have a virtual Open House Zoom on May 6th at 7:30PM so please go to our website to learn more about us and to fill out an interest form and register for the event and learn about the top training facility in the DMV area.
Any questions please email our Director at philip.budwick@gil-lionbasketballacademy.com.
For many remote workers, a messy home is distracting.
You’re getting pulled into meetings, and your unread emails keep ticking up. But you can’t focus because pet hair tumbleweeds keep floating across the floor, your desk has a fine layer of dust and you keep your video off in meetings so no one sees the chaos behind you.
It’s no secret a dirty home is distracting and even adds stress to your life. And who has the energy to clean after work? That’s why it’s smart to enlist the help of professionals, like Well-Paid Maids.
Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride
Join us on Saturday, May 11th and ride into spring during our Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride. Back for its second year, Pedal with Petals is going to be bigger than ever. This year’s event will include both an
Encore Creativity for Older Adults at Capital One Hall
Encore Creativity for Older Adults is pleased to raise the curtain and welcome community members to its spring concert at Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA on May 4, 2024. The concert, which starts at 3 PM, will bring hundreds
