VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — COVID-19 cases are rising across Virginia, with new data from the Virginia Department of Health showing hundreds of new cases.
VDH data shows 942 new cases reported Tuesday. Just one day later, that number went up to 1,274 cases.
Maps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show transmission of the virus in Virginia and across Hampton Roads is high.
But officials with the VDH say it’s normal to see COVID-19 cases fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. However, they also say they are looking at the bigger picture.
VDH Public Health Physician Specialist Brooke Rossheim said that compared to July, the average number of cases is actually going down.
“If you look today at Virginia, the seven-day moving average is 1,047 cases per day. So, that’s about a third of what we saw three months ago,” Dr. Rossheim said.
Some people in the community said they are not too concerned about the rise in cases, but said people still need to protect themselves and others.
“I think it’s fairly much to be expected but hopefully people who are compromised in some way, you know, that the vaccines and boosters will protect them and people like us, who aren’t compromised, staying home when we are sick will help them too,” said Virginia Beach resident Janet Brashear.
Others are worried about the two new subvariants that are starting to spread: BQ.1 and BQ1.1. Doctors say at this time, the best option to protect yourself is to get the bivalent booster. They said that shot can provide some protection against the variants.
Despite the rise in cases, community levels are still low in all seven cities in Hampton Roads according to the CDC; that measures the impact COVID has on a community’s health care system.