Health and Medicine
Governor Northam says Virginia will soon unveil enlarged and upgraded systems to handle future COVID-19 vaccination registrations. It follows growing complaints about the way the program has been handled so far. Northam says the confusion and frustration many Virginians have felt about when and how they can sign up are understandable, and the state health department is a developing a statewide system to improve the process. Northam says vaccine deliveries from the federal government have been inconsistent to this point, but states have now been told to expect more doses – and just as importantly, a consistent supply of them. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Northam’s promise of more COVID vaccines – and a better system to administer them – comes in the shadow of news reports ranking Virginia at or near the bottom of all states in several respects. They include doses per 100,000 residents and percentage of those doses actually administered. Several Virginia localities have complained to Northam about the state’s handling of the program.
—
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Facing escalating criticism over the state’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam outlined a series of policy changes and initiatives Wednesday that he said would make the process smoother and more transparent.
While the latest federal data show Virginia has made improvements in getting more shots into arms, Northam acknowledged there’s still much work to be done.
“I feel the frustration out there. I also, as a medical provider, feel the urgency. We are doing everything that we can to save lives,” Northam said at a news conference in Richmond.
“That confusion is justified because the answer has not been clear,” Northam said. He did not provide a date when the system would become available but said it would be soon. Currently, the state directs people to call their local health department or visit its website for information.
The governor also announced that the state health department would be publishing additional data about vaccine distribution and usage on its online dashboard and seeking to fill in significant gaps in demographic information about who has received the doses so far.
Further, he said his administration had worked with hospital systems to shift inventory so that health providers can get 40,000 additional shots into arms by Sunday. Just over 600,000 shots have been administered in Virginia so far.
The latest available data from the CDC’s COVID data tracker shows Virginia’s inoculation rate compared to other states has improved. The state, which had generally been hovering in the bottom 10 in terms of doses administered per 100,000 people, had risen to the middle of the pack by Wednesday. Northam noted Virginia was ranked 26th and on par with most of its neighbors, though not on pace with West Virginia, which has been doing exceptionally well.
He said that while Virginia would begin to receive about 16% more doses starting with the orders it will place on Thursday, supply is not expected to immediately catch up with demand.
He said it’s imperative that Virginians keep following social distancing measures and also announced that he is extending for at least another 30 days a number of coronavirus-related restrictions, including a prohibition on public gatherings with more than 10 people and a curfew that requires most Virginians to stay at home between midnight and 5 a.m.
Health systems based in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Southside Virginia collectively report a 20% drop in hospitalized COVID patients in the past week. The number of patients under intensive care fell about 7%, but those on ventilators increased close to 6%. The numbers are not broken down by specific health system or location.
NEWS RELEASE: Here are updated numbers for the Near Southwest Region (which includes Carilion, Centra, LewisGale, Sovah, and Salem VA facilities) as of today (January 27):
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients: 345
ICU patients: 85
Ventilator patients: 54
Hospitalized PUIs (patients under investigation awaiting results): 39
PREVIOUS: Here are updated numbers for the Near Southwest Region (which includes Carilion, Centra, LewisGale, Sovah, and Salem VA facilities) as of today (January 20):
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients: 432
ICU patients: 91
Ventilator patients: 57
Hospitalized PUIs (patients under investigation awaiting results): 31
The Virginia Department of Health reports 238 new Roanoke Valley COVID-19 cases — and one new hospitalization — in the last 24 hours. Health officials report one new death in Botetourt County. Case numbers both statewide and in our region are still well above levels from summer and early fall, but they have been gradually declining since their peak about three weeks ago.
Roanoke City: 6,559 total cases (+78), 116 deaths, 165 current hospitalizations
Roanoke County: 6,110 total cases (+78), 75 deaths, 116 current hospitalizations
Salem: 1,638 total cases (+40), 33 deaths, 45 hospitalizations (+1)
Botetourt County: 1,781 total cases (+42), 21 deaths (+1), 45 current hospitalizations
RELATED: COVID hospitalizations in region drop 20% in one week (Click to view)
The COVID task force in the New River Valley reports that around half of all the phone calls it makes to set COVID vaccination appointments – after people fill out the VDH online survey – are going to voice mail. The New River Health District advises that phone calls coming from 540-838-8222 should be picked up – they are from appointment setters. Again, that’s 540-838-8222.
(from VDH news release) (CHRISTIANSBURG, Va.) — The COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center serving the New River Valley Public Health Task Force reported recently that up to 50 percent of all return calls the center made to individuals to schedule vaccine appointments were not answered, or went directly to voice mail.
Outgoing calls from the call center come from 540-838-8222. If you receive a call from that number, it’s the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center, likely calling to schedule your vaccine appointment. Please answer, even if it’s labeled as potential spam.
Changes were made yesterday so that every outgoing call is identified as “NRV Health District” and “540-838-8222.” If you can adjust the settings on your phone to be sure to accept these calls, please do so. Citizens Cooperative, the call center service provider, also is in the process of verifying the phone number so it will no longer be labeled as potential spam. This process is under way, but may take several days.
“Call center volunteers frequently must make multiple calls to reach someone. We have learned that many calls are not answered because they’re tagged as potential spam, either by the user, or by the service provider as a service to its customers,” said NRV Business Continuity Team Public Health Director Ashley Briggs. “Under normal circumstances that makes perfect sense, but during a pandemic, in order to improve everyone’s response time, we really need the calls to go through and for users to answer them, as quickly as possible.”
Dr. Cynthia Morrow/VDH-VT photo
There’s overwhelming interest in getting the COVID vaccine in the local health districts – but the current inventory and signup issues for those not Internet-conversant means the process could take months. One complaint heard after the online signup for last weekend’s mass vaccination event in Roanoke filled 4000 slots in about 3 hours – what about those who don’t spend a lot of time on the Internet or social media – how can they get “in the loop”? Dr. Cynthia Morrow is director of the Roanoke City-Alleghany Health Districts. During her weekly briefing today Morrow said the VDH is working with local emergency system managers on a vaccine registration-by-phone option.
Virginia Tech plans to gradually restore more in-person instruction during the spring semester that just got under way. It is one of many ways the university hopes to use lessons learned in recent months to regain some sense of campus normalcy. Life as it was known on campus in Blacksburg came to a virtual halt last spring, and since then, the university has worked to find ways to gradually restore college life, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports:
Photo: WFIR/Ian Price
The first mass vaccination clinics in the Roanoke Valley administered 6,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines over the weekend. Many more will follow, so what was it like at the Berglund Center – and what can you expect when it is your turn? WFIR’s Evan Jones was among the group 1-b recipients, and he takes us inside the clinic as he reports in depth:
With different communities moving at different paces when it comes to getting the COVID vaccine “in to arms,” the State Vaccine Coordinator advises Virginians to temper their expectations. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has this update:
Click below to hear complete vaccine update from Dr. Danny Avula:
Photo: Ian Price
2,000 Roanoke Valley school teachers are getting their first COVID-19 vaccinations today in a mass event at the Berglund Center. It is the largest mass clinic so far in the area, and WFIR’s Ian Price is there:
The teachers we spoke to say things are moving along very quickly. Chris and Melissa Caldwell both teach in Botetourt County Schools, and they spoke with Price:
This is just day one of a three-day mass clinic at the Berglund. Tomorrow and Sunday, 4,000 people placed in priority group 1b are scheduled for COVID vaccinations, largely those 65 and older.
With one in 5 mothers nationally – 1 in 2 from at-risk populations, experiencing “maternal mental health” issues like postpartum anxiety disorders, a Roanoke-based support group for women is ready to step up and help. WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
Click on link below to hear extended conversation on the HUM postpartum support group, with HUM co-founder Dr. Jacklyn Nunziato and Mandolin Restivo of Postpartum Support Virginia :
See link below to register for Feb. 5 Zoom support group meeting
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIscO2qrjouHtFsOY7SJPgf0O5yGGmQTUh0