RICHMOND, Va. (WJHL) — The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reported 356 new COVID-19 cases in Southwest Virginia Tuesday, dropping the seven-day community spread rate slightly from Monday’s record high.
Virginia’s statewide case rate fell even more and the rural nine-county region continues to draw closer to the state rate as the Omicron variant continues spreading in the area. The region’s rate dipped from 1,205 Monday to 1,170, while the state’s dropped from 1,387 to 1,312 — down from a peak of 1,543 on Jan. 13.
Southwest Virginia also reported two of only eight new COVID deaths tallied statewide Tuesday — one in Scott County and one in Wise County. Scott County reported the only new COVID hospitalization.
Washington County (including Bristol) has the region’s highest rolling seven-day average of new cases per 100,000. The county and city combined reported 108 new cases Tuesday to put that rate at 1,427. Buchanan County has the second-highest rate in the region at 1,371, but every Southwest Virginia county except Tazewell has a rate higher than 1,000.
The region’s previous high rate of community spread was 660, set in mid-September at the height of the Delta variant surge.
Statewide, VDH reported 1,007,717 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth on Jan. 18.
According to VDH, the total number of confirmed and probable cases is 1,407,403.
VDH reports there have been 13,208 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths across the state.
Below is a complete breakdown of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Southwest Virginia, with new case numbers on Jan. 18:
Note: VDH does not report whether cases are active or recovered. County and community case totals can include active, recovered, confirmed and probable cases.
Bristol, Va. – 3,247 cases / 208 hospitalizations / 59 deaths (29 new cases)
Buchanan County – 3,642 cases / 180 hospitalizations / 90 deaths (13 new cases)
Dickenson County – 2,530 cases / 68 hospitalizations / 40 deaths (10 new cases)
Lee County – 4,549 cases / 149 hospitalizations / 71 deaths (26 new cases)
Norton – 918 cases / 37 hospitalizations / 20 deaths (12 new cases)
Russell County – 5,180 cases / 180 hospitalizations / 80 deaths (43 new cases)
Scott County – 4,281 cases / 193 hospitalizations / 93 deaths (21 new cases, 1 new hospitalization, 1 new death)
Smyth County – 6,312 cases / 362 hospitalizations / 141 deaths (41 new cases)
Tazewell County – 7,547 cases / 239 hospitalizations / 123 deaths (21 new cases)
Washington County, Va. – 10,558 cases / 714 hospitalizations / 186 deaths (79 new cases)
Wise County – 7,435 cases / 273 hospitalizations / 154 deaths (61 new cases, 1 new death)
For full coverage of the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, click HERE.
