CORONAVIRUS CASES UP AMID VA.’S REOPENING
Seven-day average sitting at just over 25 a day, up from 13 on the day restrictions were eased
Three weeks after Gov. Ralph Northam said it’s OK for Virginians to sit down inside restaurants and head back to the gym, new coronavirus cases in the state’s first hot spot — the Peninsula — are on the rise again.
The rolling seven day average of new cases on the Peninsula stands at just over 25 a day, up from about 13 when most of the state, including Hampton Roads, moved into Northam’s eased stay-at-home directives, a Daily Press analysis of Virginia Department of Health data shows.
This increase further reinforces the importance of prevention measures, particularly social distancing, use of face masks, and frequent handwashing. These measures are still important, especially as we undergo the phased reopening as directed by the governor.
The jump started in Newport
News about 2 1⁄2 weeks ago and picked up pace this week, with Hampton seeing a sharp increase beginning last week.
For Newport News, the rolling average stands at about 11.5 cases a day, up from about 9.5 last week and 4.5 to 5.5 as Phase 2 started.
In Hampton, the rolling average is now just over 8 cases a day, up from a range of 3.5 to four last week and about three when Phase 2 started.
The rolling average of cases in James City County, the first part of the Peninsula to be hit, also rose last week, to just under 3, compared to about 2 when Phase 2 started.
Because of the small number of cases in Williamsburg and Poquoson, as well as Isle of Wight and Gloucester counties, a trend is harder to spot with rolling averages of less than 1 case a day, but the fractional averages are currently higher than they were when Phase 2 started.
The increase in the Peninsula is most noticeable in the 20-29 age group, said Natasha Dwamena, the physician who serves as director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Hampton and Peninsula Health Districts.
“We are attributing the increase to several factors: quarantine fatigue, more movement of citizens, more testing and detection of infected persons, and a laxity in maintaining safety measures,” she said.
As restrictions on movement ease, it’s important to maintain social distancing, face maskwearing and hand-washing practices, she added.
“We know community spread is still present so now is not the time to abandon the measures that have kept so many Virginians safe,” Dwamena said.
The region’s economic motor — Newport News Shipbuilding — also has reported increases in new cases, with 20 so far this week, compared with 9 for the week the state moved to Phase 2.
The spread seems to coming from contacts before and after work shifts, as well as at lunch, Dru Branche, the yard’s director of environmental health and safety, said in a recent video message to employees.
The yard’s contact-tracing effort shows fewer workers are being quarantined because of contact with colleagues, a sign more people are following the six foot social distancing, the yard’s president, Jennifer Boykin reported in a social media message to employees.
Many cases are of people who fell ill at home and did not come to work at all, she said. Of this week’s 20 cases, 10 were reported by employees who had not been at work for a week or more.
Under Phase 2, restaurants could offer indoor dining, with occupancy at 50% of capacity. Limits on the number of people allowed in stores were lifted, so that they could operate at 50% of their allowed occupancy. Similar limits were set for outdoor sports events; indoor events and gyms were limited to 30% of occupancy.
A further easing started Wednesday, opening some access to recreational and entertainment facilities and expanding access to gyms. Occupancy limits no longer apply to restaurants and stores.