ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts have topped 13,000 COVID cases since the pandemic began, now at 13,001, adding 1,477 new diagnoses since last week.
The Alleghany Health District has 2,070 active cases, while Roanoke City has 859.
84 people across both districts are currently hospitalized with COVID. 55 are new patients.
“We’re continuing to see high levels of COVID activity as this pandemic continues to hurt our community,” said Dr. Cynthia Morrow, Director of Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts at a weekly press briefing Tuesday.
The Virginia Department of Health reports Carilion, LewisGale, and the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts have all already received doses of the newly-approved Moderna vaccine. That will bolster the already-underway distribution of the Pfizer shots among frontline workers.
“We’re continuing to vaccinate staff across the health districts who have the most contact with people who are most likely to have COVID,” said Morrow.
The decision to move vaccine distribution into phase 1B will come at the state level. Eventually shots will be rolled out to the entire community via drive-thru operations.
“I really ask for the public to be patient as the situation continues to unfold,” said Morrow, who offered this reminder just days before Christmas:
“Keep any gathering as small as possible, less than 10, with limited inter-mingling of households. Travel in your personal vehicle, wear your mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance.”
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