New COVID cases in Henrico drop Nov. 19

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Henrico County took a sharp turn downward Thursday, following a week with several record highs.

The Virginia Department of Health reported a total of 53 new cases in the county, down from the record high of 95 reported Wednesday. Two new hospitalizations and the death of someone in his or her 70s also were attributed to the virus in Henrico.

The county’s average number of new daily cases during the past seven days remained at 59, its all-time high.

Henrico has witnessed 7,509 confirmed cases of the virus since the pandemic began, as well as 549 hospitalizations and 242 deaths.

The county’s 7-day positivity percentage has increased slightly, reaching 5.5% as of Nov. 15. It’s expected to climb in the coming days, as data from earlier this week – when Henrico witnessed nearly 260 combined cases on three consecutive days – is incorporated.

More than 146,000 PCR tests have been conducted among Henrico residents to date.

– Will Gonzalez contributed to this article