New COVID cases in Henrico climb higher again Tuesday

Henrico County reported 133 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the Virginia Department of Health, an increase from the day before, when new cases had settled into the double-digit range at just 81. The seven-day average of new daily cases in the county declined slightly Tuesday to 139.

Henrico reported three new virus-related hospitalizations and two new deaths Tuesday from complications related to the virus, according to the VDH.

The percent positivity rate among testing encounters in Henrico has continued to hover between 9 and 10 percent, according to VDH data. There was a seven-day positivity rate of 9.5 percent among PCR encounters and 9.6 percent among rapid test encounters, as of Feb. 5. Testing data intentionally lags behind a few days to gather as much information as possible.

Henrico County is rapidly approaching 50,000 vaccinations, according VDH data. More than 8,600 Henricoans have received both doses necessary for full protection from the virus. To date, more than 10 percent of Virginians have received one dose of the vaccine.

Henrico remains at 160 outbreaks county-wide, but the number of healthcare workers infected with the virus continues to climb, reaching a total of 1,057 cases. According to VDH data, Henrico County ranks third in reported outbreaks behind Fairfax County and the City of Richmond.