Positive COVID-19 Results Declining, Hospitalizations Rising in Fairfax County

Catherine Douglas Moran May 19, 2020 at 10:30am

(Updated at 10:50 a.m.) While most of Virginia has started the first phase of Gov. Ralph Northam’s reopening plan, Northern Virginia localities won’t be able to start easing restrictions until May 29 at the earliest.

The delay aims to give those localities more time to meet five criteria:

downward trend of hospitalizations over a period of 14 days
downward trend of positive test results over a period of 14 days
increased testing and tracing
sufficient hospital beds and intensive care capacity
increasing and sustainable supply of personal protective equipment (PPE)

As of state health data today (Tuesday), the Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County and its towns and cities, has at least 8,111 COVID-19 cases — up by 177 cases from yesterday’s count — and 299 deaths related to the virus.

Tysons Reporter used data for the Fairfax Health District during the month of May to see how the area is faring with the five criteria.

The total number of hospitalizations has continued to increase this month, starting with 650 on May 1 and now past 1,100 today.

The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association says that roughly 4,200 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized have been discharged. Meanwhile, 377 of the 1,497 patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases are in the ICU and 199 are on ventilators.

As for testing, the Fairfax Health District has had more than 34,000 testing encounters and its current 7-day positivity rate for the total number of tests is 19.9% — compared to 13.4% statewide.

Positive test results in the Fairfax Health District have fluctuated day by day so far this month — with dips on both Mondays — but the trendline indicates a downward slope.

Data from the Virginia Department of Health shows that the number of testing encounters from lab reports this month have steadily increased since mid-April, but now appears to be tapering off.