After declines through most of last week, the number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases trended upward over the weekend. Meanwhile, health officials in Northern Virginia say that region needs more time before loosening restrictions.
884 new cases were diagnosed Sunday and 854 Saturday, bringing the state's total to 24,081. The number of new test results also remained relatively high through the weekend, keeping the percentage of positive cases at about 15%. There have been 157,957 tests conducted in Virginia, as of Sunday's data update from the Virginia Department of Health.
27 additional deaths were reported over the weekend, bringing the state's total to 839. The number of deaths reported Saturday and Sunday was significantly lower than the recent two-week average. The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and the number of patients on ventilators also remained relatively flat.
Northern Virginia officials ask for more time before reopening
Health directors in northern Virginia say the region is not yet ready to lift stay-at-home orders and other restrictions that the rest of the state is preparing to implement.
In a memo released Sunday, the health directors say the region is not meeting important benchmarks, like reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The region’s political leaders wrote a letter to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Sunday accompanying the memo. They ask Northam to allow northern Virginia to move at a slower pace in easing restrictions.
Northam has said he'd consider allowing northern Virginia to exempt itself from Phase 1 of reopening the economy, which is expected to launch on Friday.
