Va. Dec. 4 COVID-19 update: 2,877 new cases, test positivity up to 9.5%, hospitalizations hold around record

Posted: Dec 4, 2020 / 10:32 AM EST / Updated: Dec 4, 2020 / 01:05 PM EST

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia reported another 2,877 new coronavirus cases and 13 new deaths on Friday as the commonwealth’s average test positivity rate increased to 9.5%. its highest level since early June.

Test positivity is up across the board in every region, but Southwest Virginia has the highest with 13.3% of tests coming back positive for the coronavirus. Hampton Roads’ is slightly lower than the state average at 8.8%, but state data shows overall testing has been down significantly recently. with a 7-day average on Friday of about 20,000 tests. Virginia had been averaging close to 30,000.

Statewide numbers:

New cases: (+2,877, 247,380 total), trending up overall
Case incidence rate: 26.2 per 100K, trending up overall
New deaths (+13, 4,160 total), steady overall
Current hospitalizations (+1 patients, 1,854 total), at record levels, trending up
Testing (9.5% 7-day average of positive tests), trending up overall, Virginia’s testing average down by several thousand tests recently

Hospitalizations have held around the same mark the last few days, but are still around record levels and trending up. One model projects some Virginia regions could run out of bed space by January, particularly Southwest. 24,998 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from Virginia hospitals so far, per the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.

Deaths have remained steady overall, with about 16 reported per day now. That’s lower than the 34 per day reported in late May, but Southwest Virginia has been seeing its highest numbers of deaths of the pandemic.

The U.S. in total reported at least 2,700 new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, which is just below record levels reported the other day, and at least 101,000 people are currently hospitalized, a record. A record level of new cases, 210,000 were also reported Thursday.

Our daily update is published. States reported 1.8 million tests, 210k cases, and 2,706 deaths. There are 101k people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the US. Both case and hospitalization counts from today are all-time highs. pic.twitter.com/DuxnKyyG2K
— The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) December 4, 2020

Local cases

Accomack: 1,367 cases, 109 hospitalized, 21 deaths (+4 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Chesapeake: 6,841 cases, 544 hospitalized, 81 deaths (+51 cases, +4 hospitalized)
Franklin: 554 cases, 28 hospitalized, 17 deaths (+3 cases)
Gloucester: 543 cases, 22 hospitalized, 5 deaths (+19 cases, +2 deaths)
Hampton: 2,867 cases, 132 hospitalized, 35 deaths (no change)
Isle of Wight: 1,062 cases, 56 hospitalized, 27 deaths (+11 cases, -1 death)
James City County: 1,240 cases, 74 hospitalized, 22 deaths (+3 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Mathews: 170 cases, 12 hospitalized, 1 death (+5 cases)
Newport News: 4,179 cases, 165 hospitalized, 55 deaths (+35 cases, +3 hospitalizations)
Norfolk: 6,728 cases, 471 hospitalized, 92 deaths (+74 cases, +1 hospitalized)
Northampton: 350 cases, 50 hospitalized, 31 deaths (-1 case, -1 hospitalization)
Poquoson: 159 cases, 4 hospitalized, 2 deaths (+3 cases)
Portsmouth: 3,256 cases, 357 hospitalized, 71 deaths (+10 cases, +3 hospitalized)
Southampton: 998 cases, 33 hospitalized, 40 deaths (+1 case)
Suffolk: 2,836 cases, 169 hospitalized, 80 deaths (+24 cases, +4 hospitalized)
Virginia Beach: 11,318 cases, 556 hospitalized, 116 deaths (+169 cases, +4 hospitalized)
Williamsburg: 301 cases, 21 hospitalized, 8 deaths (+3 cases, +1 hospitalized)
York: 968 cases, 28 hospitalized, 9 deaths (+11 cases)

Key local metrics

426 new cases, trending up, 7-day average double number this time last month
2 new deaths, steady
8 new current hospitalizations (345 total), trending up and roughly double last month’s numbers
Percent of positive tests: 8.8%, trending up overall

Positivity rates