PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Department of Health is reporting more than 4,900 new coronavirus cases along with 77 new deaths for Saturday.

As of Saturday morning, January 23, Virginia has an overall number of 468,655 coronavirus cases since the start of the outbreak. Of the overall cases reported, 378,689 have been confirmed by testing. 89,996 are probable cases, in which a patient who shows symptoms is diagnosed without testing.

Statewide numbers

  • New cases: (+4,904, 468,655 total), back down slightly this week, average still around record levels (5,966 per day on average)
  • Case incidence rate: 69 per 100K people, trending up overall but down recently
  • New deaths (+77, 6,079 total), trending up overall (49 per day on average)
  • Current hospitalizations (-45, 2,972 total), back down slightly but still near peak
  • Testing (12.8% 7-day average of positive tests), back down recently, averaging around 34K tests per day
  • Total vaccine doses administered (443,760, 19,754 on average)
  • Doses distributed (1,010,150 total)
  • Number of people fully vaccinated (50,147)
  • Number of people with at least one dose (393,613)

It’s unclear if the lower case numbers this week (holiday on Monday) is a sign of a possible plateau in cases (North Carolina is reporting consistent drops in cases). A model from the University of Virginia still predicts a peak in cases around early February, but that could change depending on several factors, including behavior and whether vaccinations can ramp up (Virginia’s not expected to get more than 110,000 doses per week until March).

Gov. Ralph Northam and vaccine head Dr. Danny Avula talked about the low numbers of doses coming from the federal government at the moment on Thursday, and said doses are not going to waste. Some issues, such as reporting lag and some health care providers holding back doses because they were worried people wouldn’t get a second dose, have led to the gap between vaccines given and vaccines distributed. Avula said going forward health providers are being asked to not hold back doses with assurance they’ll get a second dose on a schedule.

All of Hampton Roads is expected to begin 1b vaccinations by next week, Avula says, with the Hampton and Peninsula health districts starting today.

Local Cases:
Accomack: 2,228 cases, 153 hospitalized, 31 deaths (+22 cases, +2 hospitalized)
Chesapeake: 14248 cases, 695 hospitalized, 120 deaths (+233 cases, +2 hospitalized)
Franklin: 801 cases, 43 hospitalized, 20 deaths (+6 cases)
Gloucester: 1,336 cases, 39 hospitalized, 19 deaths (+18 cases)
Hampton: 6,505 cases, 221 hospitalized, 60 deaths (+85 cases, +1 death)
Isle of Wight: 1,994 cases, 96 hospitalized, 35 deaths (+21 cases, +1 hospitalized)
James City County: 3089 cases, 110 hospitalized, 37 deaths (+77  cases, +1 hospitalized)
Mathews: 403 cases, 16 hospitalized, 6 deaths (+3 cases)
Newport News: 8,696 cases, 235 hospitalized, 83 deaths (+179 cases, +1 hospitalized, +4 deaths)
Norfolk: 11,895 cases, 659 hospitalized, 136 deaths (+180 cases, +6 hospitalized, +4 deaths)
Northampton: 586 cases, 62 hospitalized, 33 deaths (+4 cases, +1 hospitalized, +1 death)
Poquoson: 530 cases, 16 hospitalized, 7 deaths (+17 cases)
Portsmouth: 6115 cases, 490 hospitalized, 96 deaths (+87 cases)
Southampton: 1,631 cases, 41 hospitalized, 46 deaths (+9 cases, +1 hospitalized, +1 death)
Suffolk: 5,288 cases, 280 hospitalized, 103 deaths (+87 cases, +3 hospitalized)
Virginia Beach: 23,990 cases, 1018 hospitalized, 194 deaths (+307 cases, +11 hospitalized, +1 death)
Williamsburg: 424 cases, 24 hospitalized, 8 deaths (+7 cases)
York: 2,253 cases, 41 hospitalized, 16 deaths (+55 cases, +1 hospitalized, +1 death)

Overall, Hampton Roads and the Tidewater region reported a total of 1,397 cases Saturday, which is 28% of the daily increase statewide.

Key local metrics

  • 1,397 new cases
  • 13 new deaths
  • 30 new patients hospitalized (837 total), trending up

According to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, 2,927 residents in Virginia are currently hospitalized due to the virus. That number is a combination of confirmed positive COVID-19 patients and hospitalized patients whose COVID-19 test results are still pending.