Updated Emergency Management county and state COVID numbers – and a severe storm watch for Friday

A Warren County Emergency Management Update issued Thursday, October 28, illustrated the county’s continued trend of low vaccination rates (nearly 20% below the state average) and high COVID infection rates versus statewide numbers. Warren County’s vaccination rate of 43.6% is almost 20% under the statewide average of 62.6%. In fact, a check of previous County Emergency Management Situation Reports shows that the county’s fully vaccinated rate was reported at 38.9% on August 20, a number that rose to 44.9% when those with a first vaccination dose were added. So, it would seem that over the past two months the county’s fully vaccinated rate has somehow backtracked from what it would have been anticipated at from those mid-August numbers.

File photo of Deputy Emergency Services Coordinator Rick Farrall reporting to the board of supervisors – his gesture and expression may have been anticipating today’s update indicating a totally vaccinated county percentage 1.3% less than Aug. 20th numbers indicated it would at least be by now. – Maybe the first-dose people moved out of the county? Below, Va. Dpt. of Health statewide chart allowing one to see each county and some city COVID stats. The county now has just under 5,000 reported COVID cases with 84 fatalities. Those fatalities are just over 50% of those hospitalized with COVID here. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

A check of the Virginia Department of Health website indicated that while Warren County continues to trend poorly against statewide numbers, it is faring somewhat better at the middle of Lord Fairfax Health District (LFHD) COVID statistical pack. However, that may say more about generally poor numbers throughout the LFHD, Shenandoah and Page Counties in particular, than be a positive sign for Warren County.

Here is today’s Emergency Management county COVID update in its entirety, followed by a severe weather outlook for the coming week – Friday looks like trouble:

3. COVID-19 Data (Summary).

(a)  As of today (data from 10/17-10/23), the County’s rate of new cases per 100,000 persons is 224.1, and is considered “High” (by comparison, the State rate is 143.0, and is also considered “High”).  Our percentage of PCR tests that are positive is reported at 10.1% (by comparison, the State rate is 5.6%).

(b)  The County’s current hospitalization count is 3.3% and the death count is 1.7% of the case count.

(c)  The County’s (COVID-19) fully vaccinated rate is 43.6%; the State is 62.6%.

(d)  Recommend all County/Town citizens, employees, and employers reinforce basic public health preventative measures, as appropriate.

(e)  vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-in-virginia/community-transmission

Weather update

1. Hazardous Weather (as of 05:19 AM EDT Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021).

(a) DAY ONE (Today and Tonight).  No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

(b) DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN (Friday through Wednesday).  Locally heavy rain is expected on Friday, with scattered instances of flooding possible.  Gusty winds are possible especially over the higher elevations on Friday.

2. Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)

(a) The next scheduled LEPC meeting is on Thursday, November 18, 2021 (3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at the Warren County Public Safety Building (Community Room).

(b) A representative is requested to attend from each of the organizations on this email.

(c) Invitations and information to follow.