The number of new COVID-19 cases in the Roanoke Valley continued to rise over the past week, though the increase was not as steep as previous weeks.
The Roanoke City-Alleghany Health District reported 409 new cases over the past week, up from 371 the week before. The number of district residents hospitalized for complications related to COVID-19 also rose from 31 to 34.
"So our case counts continue to increase at a rate that alarms us," district director, Dr. Cynthia Morrow, said during a weekly call with reporters. "It's important that we continue to due what we can to mitigate this virus by getting vaccinated, wearing our mask and keeping our distance to the best of our ability."
Morrow said the people hospitalized tend to be older and unvaccinated. The district is also seeing an increasing number of outbreaks. Morrow said there are seven active outbreaks as of Tuesday, primarily in long term care and congregate living facilities.
Travel is the number one contributing factor in new cases, according to Morrow. "That could be in part because so many people are traveling during the summer months," she surmised.
About ten percent of the total number of cases are in children.
About 3,500 vaccine doses were administered in the district over the past week. That's up from about 1,500 per week in early July. "That's good news that people are still getting vaccinated," Morrow added.
Morrow said she was relieved that most school divisions in the district will now require masks when schools open this month. While children generally have milder cases of COVID-19, Morrow said they can also pass the illness to others who may be more vulnerable. "Having a universal mask policy in our schools not only protects our children but protects all of us."
Centra Health Holds First COVID-19 Update in Months
Centra Health is seeing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
The health system that operates hospitals in the Lynchburg and Farmville areas held its first COVID update in months Tuesday.
Officials said Centra hasn’t seen the number of hospitalizations recorded during the pandemic’s peak earlier this year. They are concerned about how quickly the number of cases and hospitalizations has increased in recent weeks, though.
Previously, older people with underlying health conditions were most likely to be hospitalized. But now, according to ICU doctor Jeremy Hardison, the game has changed.
“This group over the last two weeks is markedly different. So now when I’m upstairs – the last time I was on service – half of our patients were under the age of 50," he said. "These are patients who do not have a lot of medical problems.”
Hardison and other Centra officials begged people to get vaccinated. Vaccination rates are 41-percent or lower in areas covered by the health system.
VDH Says Vaccination Numbers Have Gone Up in Recent Weeks
Vaccinations against COVID-19 in Virginia have increased in recent weeks.
That’s according to the state’s vaccine coordinator – Dr. Danny Avula:
“Our low point was about 11,000 doses a day and right now we’re just shy of 14,000 doses a day, he says. "And while I’d love to say that’s because of our increased outreach efforts and our really thoughtful campaigns, I think the reality is that it is the impact of Delta.”
Avula says full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine is expected sometime next month. And vaccine approval for kids younger than 12 is also expected in September – which he says will boost Virginia’s vaccination numbers.
Federal regulators are also looking at a potential third, booster shot for immunosuppressed individuals – with guidance on that potentially coming next month, too.
Avula says Virginia’s vaccine infrastructure is prepared to handle that should approval be granted.
