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ISLE OF WIGHT

Isle of Wight County reported 25 new COVID-19 diagnoses overnight Thursday to Friday, nearly eclipsing its 27-case single-day record set April 14.

According to Virginia Department of Health data, COVID-19 diagnoses have been trending upward since mid-November, with Isle of Wight’s seven-day average of new daily cases rising to a record 38.3 per 100,000 people Dec. 11.

Infectious disease experts had warned prior to the Nov. 26 Thanksgiving holiday that large gatherings of family and friends could lead to a surge in new cases in the weeks following, but local public health officials haven’t said whether Isle of Wight’s 25 new cases are the result of such gatherings, tied to site-specific outbreaks or are non-holiday-related community spread. By press deadline Dec. 11, Dr. Lauren James, interim director of the Western Tidewater Health District, was unable to be reached by phone or email.

Isle of Wight had a percent positivity of 7.3 as of Dec. 11, meaning 7.3% of the people being tested for COVID-19 are testing positive. That’s actually a slight decrease from Isle of Wight’s 7.8% positivity recorded Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, but an overall increase from the 6.71% positivity reported a month ago on Nov. 11.

The district overall, which includes Isle of Wight County, Southampton County and the cities of Franklin and Suffolk, had a 9.4% positivity rate as of Dec. 11. There have been six congregate outbreaks in the district and one in a health care setting since the pandemic began. Another four outbreaks are tied to correctional centers, though none are located in Isle of Wight. A total of 12 outbreaks have been tied to long-term care facilities, but according to site-specific health department data, none of the nursing homes in Isle of Wight County have active outbreaks.