Va. coronavirus cases nearing 1,500

10 more fatalities reported since 9 a.m. Wednesday update; deaths now at 44 statewide

Published April 1, 2020 by Kate Andrews

9:30 p.m. April 1 update: A man in his 80s has died from COVID-19 in a travel-related case, Chesapeake Health Department reported Wednesday night. This is the first death in this district, which covers the city of Chesapeake. The man had underlying health issues and died from respiratory failure, according to the news release.

Also, there are now 11 deaths among residents of Henrico County long-term care facility Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, Henrico County and Richmond health departments Director Dr. Danny Avula confirmed Wednesday night, two more since last reported. In Richmond, a third resident — a woman in her 90s with underlying health issues —  has died from virus-related causes, he said.

3:30 p.m. April 1 update: Three inmates at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland tested have positive for the novel coronavirus, the Virginia Department of Corrections announced Tuesday. Three Department of Corrections employees and one contractor have also tested positive for COVID-19. The employees include one officer in training at VCCW, one correctional officer at Indian Creek Correctional Center in Chesapeake and one employee at the Norfolk Probation and Parole office. The contractor is a contract nurse at VCCW.

1 p.m. April 1 update: Fairfax County Health Department reported three more deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday afternoon. Three men — one in his 60s, one in his 80s and one in his 90s — died while hospitalized, according to a news release. This brings the number of fatal cases to five in the county, which has the highest number of confirmed positive cases, 288 at the most recent count by the Virginia Department of Health.

Also, Norfolk and Rappahannock-Rapidan health authorities reported two deaths Wednesday afternoon, the first ones in their health districts.

In Rappahannock-Rapidan, the patient was a woman in her 80s who had chronic medical conditions. She died from respiratory failure as a result of COVID-19. Her close contacts have been investigated, according to the news release. The district includes Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties.

A man in his 80s died from causes related to the virus, Norfolk reported.

Including the earlier announcement in the Rappahannock Area Health District, the number of COVID-19 fatalities statewide is now at 40. The number will be officially updated by VDH at 9 a.m. Thursday.

11 a.m. April 1 update: The Rappahannock Area Health District, which covers the city of Fredericksburg and Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, reported its first fatal case of COVID-19 Wednesday morning. The individual was in their 60s, according to a news release. No other information was released, but this is the first virus-related death in the district.

Earlier:

In its 9 a.m. report Wednesday, the Virginia Department of Health announced 1,484 cases of COVID-19 in Virginia, a jump of 234 since Tuesday. Thirty-four people have died, and 305 are hospitalized, with 145 in intensive care units and 108 on ventilators.

The number of Virginians who have been tested for the virus is now at 15,344, according to VDH. Northern Virginia continues to have the most confirmed cases, with 288 cases in Fairfax County, 119 cases in Arlington County, 106 in Prince William County and 105 in Loudoun County.

Tuesday evening, the city of Richmond and Chesterfield County reported their first fatalities related to the virus. Two city residents — both men in their 70s who had recently worked in New Jersey, according to a news release from Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s office — died in local hospitals. In Chesterfield, a man in his 60s has died, according to the Chesterfield County Health District. No other information about him was released.

On Tuesday, U.S. COVID-19 deaths exceeded the number of fatalities from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks. As of April 1, there were 877,422 confirmed cases globally and 43,537 deaths. The United States now accounts for more than 20% of all COVID-19 cases worldwide, with 189,633 confirmed cases and 4,081 deaths.

This story will be updated. 

Below is current data from VDH.