The number of new daily COVID-19 positives reported today by the Virginia Department of Health is at its lowest level in four months.
The VDH COVID-19 dashboard reported 1,124 positives on Monday, bringing the Commonwealth’s seven-day average for COVID-19 positives to 1,701 – that figure being at its lowest level dating back to Nov. 17.
With the decline in positives, we’re also seeing a decline in COVID-related hospitalizations.
VDH reported 1,319 COVID hospitalizations today, down 67.4 percent from the Jan. 17 high of 4,041, and the lowest level since Nov. 15.
We’re seeing similar trends nationally.
The COVID Tracking Project reported 54,288 new COVID-19 positives on Sunday, and a seven-day average of 67,197 COVID positives.
For context, the seven-day average for the week ending Jan. 10, seven weeks ago, was 244,871 new COVID positives per day.
That’s a decrease of 72.6 percent – again, in a seven-week period.
The COVID Tracking Project reported that there were 47,352 COVID-19 positive patients in hospitals nationally as of Sunday.
That’s a low dating back to Halloween.
The high mark was back on Jan. 8, when there were 131,921 COVID patients in U.S. hospitals.
The decline: 63.9 percent.
The good news extends to the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations.
The VDH COVID-19 vaccine dashboard is reporting that 1,296,491 Virginians have received at least one dose of the two-shot vaccines currently in circulation – 15.2 percent of the state’s population.
The CDC is reporting that that 49.8 million Americans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot – 15.0 percent of the U.S. population.
Going to two shots – full vaccination – VDH is reporting 686,289 people in Virginia having received both doses, 8.0 percent, and the CDC is reporting 24.8 million nationally, 7.5 percent.
Story by Chris Graham