COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Roanoke area have been holding relatively steady for the past few weeks. There have been some upticks, especially at a statewide level, though.
The Roanoke City-Alleghany Health District recorded 169 new cases over the past week, about a dozen more than the week before. That's well below the numbers reported during the winter surge when the district was recording thousands of new cases every week.
The number of district resident hospitalized for complications related to COVID-19 has been holding in the single digits, according to district director Doctor Cynthia Morrow. "All of our indicators are showing a relatively steady state for now. But they are inching up," Morrow noted. "All of our indicators are inching up. So we’re just going to have to remain vigilant."
Morrow said wastewater testing in the district has shown a slight increase in the presence of COVID-19.
And at a statewide level, the testing positivity rate has more than doubled since the beginning of the month. It's risen from 3.3% on April 1 to 8.3% Tuesday. Morrow said it's important to consider a number of indicators and not just focus on testing positivity. It can be influenced by the number of tests being conducted and why people are seeking testing.
The Roanoke City-Alleghany District recorded five additional deaths over the past week, bringing its total to 991.
