Health and Medicine
The Virginia Department of Health is reporting 302,972 total cases of COVID-19 across the commonwealth as of this morning, from the start of the pandemic in March. That up 3,584 from Friday. An 11.4 percent positivity rate (per tests administered) was recorded over the last week. As of today there are 4,643 recorded coronavirus-related deaths statewide since the pandemic’s beginning, up 45 from yesterday.
(news release) Governor Ralph Northam announced that the application period for the inaugural Virginia Food Access Investment Fund (VFAIF) begins today and will remain open through April 30, 2021. VFAIF will provide grants between $5,000 to $50,000 to support business development, construction, rehabilitation, equipment upgrades, or expansion of grocery stores, small food retailers, or innovative food retail projects that increase food access in underserved communities.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem of food insecurity, and historically marginalized groups are bearing a disproportionate burden,” said Governor Northam. “This fund will support our ongoing work to strengthen local food systems by encouraging investment in food deserts and increasing access to affordable, nutritious food where it is needed most, which in turn will help stimulate regional economies and improve the overall health of our communities.”
NEWS RELEASE: Carilion Clinic will implement new hospital visitation guidelines beginning Tuesday, Dec. 22. The visitation level for each hospital will be updated weekly every Monday morning based on the level of COVID-19 spread in the immediate community surrounding each hospital.
The new guidelines have three risk levels: green level (limited visitation), yellow level (restricted visitation) and red level (highly restricted visitation). The public may visit CarilionClinic.org/visitor-guidelines to learn more about each level and look up the current level for their local facility.
On Tuesday, all Carilion hospitals will be at the red level (highly restricted visitation).
This was a difficult decision, especially during the holiday season. Given the increased community spread throughout the region, however, this is the best way to keep patients, staff and visitors safe.
The first of the Covid vaccines arrived in our area and healthcare workers – including those at LewisGale in Salem, which started administering them yesterday – are stressing the importance of not giving up the fight against the pandemic. WFIR’s Rob Ruthenberg has more.
Updated numbers COVID-19 hospitalization numbers for the “Near Southwest Region” – which includes Carilion, Centra, LewisGale, Sovah, and the Salem VA Center as of today: 305 Hospitalized for COVID-19, 67 ICU patients and 37 on ventilator patients. 38 other patients under investigation are awaiting results. That’s 20 more COVID patients in the hospital than a week ago, and 13 more on ventilators.
Carilion Clinic is not only now vaccinating its frontline workers, it is also one of a handful of health care systems in the state that is distributing the COVID vaccine to other providers without the cold storage facilities. Carilion ICU nurse Mary Rogers was one of the first employees vaccinated today; saying she was “excited,” to be part of the rollout process. Rogers has worked in the COVID ICU at Carilion since March.
The New York Times reports the Department of Health and Human Services has released a new dataset that for the first time shows detailed Covid-19 patient information for all U.S. hospitals. Here is what it shows for the two major health systems in the Roanoke Valley:
Carilion: 102 Covid patients, 94% ICU beds occupied and 5 ICU beds available.
LewisGale: 28 Covid patients, 71% ICU beds occupied and 11 ICU beds available.
The numbers are averages for the seven-day period from December 4 through December 10. The figures may have changed since then, and some hospitals might add additional capacity.
We are seeking comment from Carilion and LewisGale.
Click here for the New York Times story (you may encounter a paywall if not subscribed.)
After the initial rounds of COVID-19 vaccines are distributed to frontline health care workers and long-term care facilities, the Virginia Department of Health will think “outside the box” a little to help determine who gets those shots next. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano: