Loudoun County, Virginia, like other places throughout the U.S., is reporting an increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19 that health officials say is fueled by the delta variant.
“The number of cases is clearly headed in the wrong direction,” Loudoun County Health Director Dr. David Goodfriend, said in a news release. He is urging everyone eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated, saying it’s the only way to “bring the pandemic to an end.”
The county said it’s seeing an average 30 cases per day, up from about four per day back in June, and the positivity rate has increased from less than 1% to over 3% in the last few weeks.
The vast majority of newly infected people are unvaccinated and include individuals in all age groups, according to the county.
As for vaccinated people in the county getting infected, health officials said the most likely risk factor for COVID-19 infection is another infected member of their household who is unvaccinated.
“The facts are the vaccine prevents infection and reduces symptoms of illness should a vaccinated person contract the virus, including against the delta variant,” Goodfriend said.
You can find vaccination sites by going to the Loudoun County COVID-19 website.
If you’re not yet fully vaccinated, health officials are encouraging you to continue wearing a mask and to practice social distancing.
“The vaccine is the most effective tool we have in fighting this disease and finally helping our community get back to normal and our children back to school,” Goodfriend said.
In the D.C. area, there are growing indications of the spread of the delta variant and what appears to be a modest uptick in coronavirus cases compared to the surges elsewhere. Health officials across the region stress that the vast majority of coronavirus-related cases, hospitalizations and deaths are found among people who have not been vaccinated.
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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
