Daily Cases Of COVID-19 Triple Over Past Month In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The number of daily COVID-19 cases in the Fairfax Health District has tripled since dropping to its lowest mark of the year on March 21, health officials said Tuesday.

During the past week alone, 15 new outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported in the district, with 12 occurring in schools and daycare centers. A cluster of cases means three or more connected cases of illness.

“Although not as high as the peak in cases seen in January, this change is concerning,” the Fairfax Health District said in a statement.

Despite the surge in cases, the Fairfax Health District remains at the “low” community level on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 metric. Arlington County and the City of Alexandria are the only jurisdictions in Northern Virginia that have climbed into the “medium” level.

The BA.2 variant is now causing most COVID-19 infections in the United States. While there is no evidence that the BA.2 variant results in more severe disease compared to other variants, it is more transmissible, as shown by the increase in cases and outbreaks in recent weeks, according to the Fairfax Health District.

Over the past two weeks in the Fairfax Health District, cases of COVID-19 have risen by 62 percent.

Statewide, the 7-day percent positivity rate for COVID-19 currently stands at 8.3 percent after reaching a 2022 low of 3.2 percent on March 25, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

While masks are no longer required in most settings, Fairfax County health officials suggest that residents consider their risk level and select a mask with the best fit and protection, such as N95, KN95 and KF94 masks.

With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing again, the Fairfax Health District has put together a list of questions for residents to ask themselves:

• Have you held off on getting vaccinated?
• Have you or someone in your household been diagnosed with a new medical condition that increases your risk of COVID-19, started a new medication that decreases your immunity, or become pregnant?
• Has an elderly parent or other relative moved in with you, or is there someone you’re providing care for?
• Do you have a new baby, or is your child just starting daycare, school or will be going to camp this summer?

Residents who answered “yes” to any of these questions should consider getting a vaccine booster dose against COVID-19 and consider wearing a mask in indoor settings, avoiding crowds and taking other precautions to stay safe.

Visit the Fairfax County Health Department's COVID-19 website for the latest information about dealing with the pandemic.

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