The calendar may have turned a page, but COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County keep going up.
The Fairfax Health District, which also includes Fairfax and Falls Church cities, has added 812 cases over the past three days, according to the Virginia Department of Health, which didn’t report new cases on Saturday or Sunday (April 30-May 1).
The district is averaging 307 cases per day for the past week — nearly four times the 77.1 cases recorded on March 22, which remains the lowest weekly average of the year. The district last averaged over 300 cases on Feb. 11 (319.9 cases), as the pandemic’s winter surge was waning.
While hospitalizations are still relatively low, they have noticeably increased over the past month. Another 30 Fairfax County residents were admitted to a hospital for COVID-19 last week, a 23% increase from the previous seven days, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through Friday (April 29).
Virginia’s northern region is averaging 60 hospitalizations per day for the week, a roughly 60% increase from three weeks ago.
In addition, four more district residents have died from COVID-19 since last week, bringing the overall death toll to 1,511 people, according to Fairfax County Health Department data. The district has recorded 186,954 cases and 4,484 hospitalizations.
While the BA.2 omicron subvariant has been the predominant Covid strain during this surge, the VDH reported on Friday that another, even more transmissible omicron subvariant, dubbed BA.2.12.1, “is beginning to make inroads” nationally, particularly in New York and the northeastern part of the U.S.
In a blog post last Tuesday (April 26), the county health department again urged community members to get vaccinated if they haven’t done so already.
“There are instances where some vaccinated people get COVID illness, but the disease will be milder and they will have a reduced chance of hospitalization,” the FCHD said. “Consider wearing a mask in indoor settings, avoiding crowds and taking other precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safer.”
More than three-quarters of Fairfax Health District residents — 76% or 898,938 people — are now considered fully vaccinated. That’s 1,312 more people than this time last week, and it includes 84.1% of all people aged 18 and older.
A total of 988,831 residents, or 83.5% of the population, has gotten at least one dose:
- 92.3% of adults
- 98.5% of 16-17 year olds
- 94.3% of 12-15 year olds
- 59.1% of 5-11 year olds
According to VDH, about 43.3% of county residents, or 498,156 people, have received a booster or third shot, including 52.8% of adults and 34.1% of adolescents aged 12-17.
Recent Stories
Good Friday evening! Today we published 7 articles that were read a total of 7366 times on FFXnow alone, so far. 📈 Top stories The following are the most-read articles…
A dog was chained up and shot this morning in the residential neighborhood behind the Woodlawn Shopping Center in Mount Vernon, police say. Officers responded to the area of Bedford…
The Rotary Club of McLean will peer back into the colonial era this weekend for its 11th annual chocolate festival. Set to return this Sunday (Jan. 29), the McLean Chocolate…
The Herndon Festival will return this year in the summer, bringing back a tradition that was scaled back to a carnival last year. The festival is set to take place…
Linjee Thai Restaurant Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Publishing Notice.
Hi, my name is Moneim Z., and I am a blind male with chronic kidney disease, who needs a living kidney donor for a transplant. My blood type is B+, and I can accept a kidney from individuals who have blood types B and O.
To read my story, please see the attached letter.
To contact me directly, please email me at moneimz87@gmail.com or call at 571-428-5065. My living donor coordinator at INOVA Hospital, Amileen Cruz can be reached at (703) 776-8370 , or via email at amileencheska.cruz@inova.org.
Thank you!
