New COVID-19 cases in Henrico remain relatively steady, hospitalizations jump
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Henrico continues to average just more than 110 new COVID-19 cases per day during the past week, according to Virginia Department of Health data. The county has averaged between 110 and 126 new daily cases each day during the past three weeks or so.
Friday, the VDH reported 134 new cases in the county, up from the totals each of the past two days. The county also witnessed two more deaths (bringing its total this month to 17) and eight new hospitalizations related to the virus Friday, according to the data. The two victims were men (one Black and one white), one in his 60s and one in his 70s.
Friday’s total was the most COVID-related hospitalizations on a single day in Henrico since late August; two of those hospitalized were in their 40s, two in their 70s and four in their 80s.
On Thursday, Assistant Henrico Health Director Melissa Viray said that the steady stream of cases is beginning to impact local hospitals.
“Our hospitals are definitely seeing the burden, and so it’s critically important that we all do what we can to improve vaccination rates,” she said.
Vaccination rates in Henrico, as elsewhere in the state, are inching upward slowly. In the past two weeks, a total of 3,072 Henricoans have received their first dose of COVID vaccine, while 3,687 have become fully vaccinated. Overall, just more than 58% of the county’s total population is fully vaccinated; those younger than 12 are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, however.
There are four current COVID outbreaks (occurrences of two or more related cases) in Henrico, according to the VDH:
• two at Henrico High School (one that started Sept. 2 and has resulted in five cases, another that began Sept. 8 and has resulted in fewer than five cases);
• one at Glenburnie Rehab and Nursing Center that began Sept. 1 and has resulted in 15 cases;
• one at Spring Arbor of Richmond that began Sept. 3 and has resulted in fewer than five cases.
Chesterfield County has reported 10 current outbreaks, by far the most of any Virginia locality; all are in schools or childcare facilities.
