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Health officials break down rising COVID numbers in Chesapeake

Chesapeake's positivity rate is more than four percent higher than the state average.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — On a day when Virginia reached a record high -- more than 3,200 additional cases of COVID-19 -- Chesapeake reached a staggering number of its own.

The city reported 113 new cases, which is 13 shy of its highest case total ever of 126, a peak reached on July 25. Its seven day-average is now at 74 cases; less than a month ago in late October, that average was under 20. 

Another rising statistic includes the 7-day positivity rate, reaching 11.7 percent, well above the state's average of 7.2 percent.

Lisa Engle, an epidemiologist with the Virginia Department of Health, says reporting differences between areas and local municipalities could be one cause for Chesapeake’s higher reported cases.

“I do think it’s all over. The reporting may be different in different jurisdictions. If you have one provider who is reporting to us in Chesapeake, but another provider may not be reporting in another district, who’s going to have more data?" Engle said. 

Engle also attributes the rise of antigen test results (rapid tests), an influx she's noticed in just the last week.

“There are all these rapid tests on the market that are either not getting reported or we’re starting to see them. The numbers are probably much higher than they actually are, because rapid tests are only starting to get reported to us," Engle said. 

Plus, questions holiday travel, as people across the country prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday break.

“It’s just a theory: are people getting more testing because they want to know if they can go away and see people," Engle said. 

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