Virus cases surging in Hampton Roads

Leading into the Thanksgiving holiday, when the coronavirus is expected to have its way at family gatherings, Hampton Roads’ seven-day average of new cases is already the highest it has been since late July.

Over the past week, Hampton Roads is averaging about 376 cases and 15 hospitalizations per day, roughly double the region’s daily average in recent months, according to the dashboard from the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, which uses data from the Virginia Department of Health.

The region has 40,562 cases out of the 223,582 in the state, or about 18% of the total.

The rate of cases per 10,000 people is the highest in Franklin, followed by Southampton, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Surry, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, James City County, York, Poquoson and Gloucester.

Virginia Beach has the highest number of cases in the region, with more than 10,000, but also the largest population. The numbers have been surging there, as with the rest of the region. Norfolk has the second highest, with about 6,300 cases.

So, what caused the surge? A variety of things, experts say.

“This may be the result of several factors including Halloween get-togethers, election turnout and early voting where people stood in line for hours to cast their vote,” wrote Anna Barriner, a district epidemiologist with the Virginia Beach Department of Health, in an email.

She noted that who is being infected has changed over time.

“Initially, we were seeing COVID-19 in our travelers and in our older population,” she said. “In the spring and summer, we observed the average age drop and an increase in cases among our 20- and 30-year-olds. Now, we are seeing COVID in all age groups including children. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, recent evidence suggests that you may have short-term immunity but can be at risk of reinfection in as little as 90 days.”

With the holidays around the corner, Barringer is expecting another surge of cases in the upcoming weeks and months. She knows people want to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and friends and aren’t willing to cancel their celebrations.