(Updated at 10:20 a.m.) The rate of new coronavirus hospitalizations in Arlington has climbed to the highest point since early June.
The Virginia Dept. of Health has reported 18 new COVID-related hospitalizations in the county over the past week, the highest seven-day total since June 9.
Though Arlington has seen a jump in hospitalizations, the number of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients across Northern Virginia has not seen a significant increase lately; it currently stands at 267.
The rate of new coronavirus cases in Arlington is currently around 22 per day. That trailing seven-day average has held relatively steady since Friday. The county’s seven-day test positivity rate is 5.0%, down from 5.2% one week prior.
Mike Silverman, Virginia Hospital Center’s ER chief, said in his weekly public Facebook post that the hospital has seen noticeable increases in COVID numbers recently.
“Similar to what has been reported in the news, we saw an increase in the amount of COVID positive patients that we took care of over the past week and an increase in our percent positive rate when testing symptomatic patients,” Silverman wrote. “Our total number of COVID isolation patients was actually relatively similar to last week but higher than the first half of August.”
Arlington’s cumulative total of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths as of Monday morning is 3,555, 467 and 138, respectively.
Silverman encouraged people to get a flu shot this year and to prepare for what could be a rough fall.
“The experts are certainly expecting a surge in COVID cases throughout the fall and this may be one of the most important years to get your flu shot before flu season gets here,” Silverman wrote. “In reality, the flu never goes away and patients can get the flu at any time of the year. However, it clearly starts to increase throughout the fall typically hitting a peak in winter. I can remember getting the flu when I first became an attending physician and not having the energy to get off the couch for about 2 days… I have not missed a flu shot since that year.”
