Henrico tops 1,000 new COVID cases in 7 days

Henrico has witnessed more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the past seven days – more than 10% of all reported cases in the county since the pandemic began – following the confirmation of 123 new cases in the county Friday.

The Virginia Department of Health also reported five more COVID-related hospitalizations in Henrico; that increases the total during the past seven days to 22. The virus-related deaths of two people older than 80 also were reported in the county Friday.

Henrico is averaging 144 new daily confirmed cases of the virus during the past seven days. The county’s positivity percentage among PCR tests has dropped slightly, to 7.8% as of Dec. 7, as PCR testing encounters in the county have increased slightly to 1,350 per day.

Overall, Henrico is averaging 1,638 total COVID tests per day; that includes PCR, rapid tests and antibody tests. Its overall positivity percentage among all three sets of tests is 8.3%. PCR tests are considered to be the most accurate. Antibody tests can determine whether someone has previously had the virus.

In total, Henrico has witnessed 9,710 confirmed cases of the virus, 633 hospitalizations and 268 deaths.

Whites and Blacks in the county each have accounted for just about 37% of Henrico’s COVID cases, while Hispanics have accounted for 15%. The numbers are disproportionately low for whites, who make up 57% of the county’s population, and disproportionately high for Blacks (who compose 31% of the population) and Hispanics (who compose just 6%).

Females have experienced more than 53% of all Henrico’s cases.

Case prevalence in Henrico is highest among those in their 20s (18% of all cases), 30s (17%) and 40s (15%).

Among those hospitalized by the virus in the county, nearly half have been Black, while 34% have been white and 11% Latino.

Whites account for nearly 52% of the county’s deaths, Blacks about 41% and Hispanics 5%, according to the VDH data.

– Will Gonzalez contributed to this article