On Monday afternoon Dr. Colin Greene, interim director of the Rappahannock Rapidan Health District, told county officials that Rappahannock is leading the region in the number of COVID-19 vaccinations. 

Our COVID-19 coverage blog

Virginia and Northern Virginia each reported their fewest number of new COVID-19 cases this week since early October as the state looks toward a full reopening in mid-June.

Virginia will lift its COVID-19 restrictions on June 15 if case numbers continue to decline and vaccination numbers continue to rise, Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday. 

The number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for treatment of the virus continue to fall dramatically in Virginia and Northern Virginia, with hospitalizations nearing their lowest levels ever. 

Five students test positive for COVID-19 in two weeks

Northern Virginia has passed a landmark in its fight against COVID-19 as the average number of daily cases and hospitalizations are both below the levels they were exactly one year ago.

As of this week, all Virginians ages 16 and up are eligible to sign up for a vaccine. “We estimate at least three million Virginians will become eligible on Sunday [April 18] and it may take a few weeks to get appointments for everyone,” said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. “ Working with our partners in local health districts, private pharmacy chains, doctor’s offices and others, I am confident that every adult in Virginia who wants the vaccine can get their shot by the end of May.”

Virginia has moved to Phase 2 for COVID-19 vaccinations.  All residents age 16 and older (Pfizer) and 18 and older (Moderna) are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine.

RICHMOND — Virginia universities plan a return to campuses in the fall, but there are questions if the COVID-19 vaccine can be mandated. 

Virginia’s public health officials announced Tuesday morning that the state will temporarily stop administering doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following reports of very rare but severe blood clots.

A decline in new COVID-19 cases over the past few days has brought the averages in Virginia and Northern Virginia down to their lowest levels in over a month, according to new data Tuesday from the Virginia Department of Health. 

All Virginians age 16 and older will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting Sunday, April 18.

According to the latest numbers from the Virginia Department of Health, 2,768 Rappahannock County residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. And that number could start to rise more rapidly now that the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District (RRHD), which serves Culpeper, F…

Virginia health officials say a woman who died a few weeks after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is among six cases nationwide that prompted a pause in use of the one-dose shots.

Virginia’s public health officials announced Tuesday morning that the state will temporarily stop administering doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following reports of very rare but severe blood clots.

Staff helped highest-risk patients get vaccine appointments

Novant Health UVA Health System, an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient services and medical centers in northern and central Virginia, is expanding visitation guidelines for its three acute care facilities.

Just over 50 percent of Rappahannock County residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, marking a major milestone in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Four of Northern Virginia's five health districts are seeing growth in new COVID-19 cases as the B.1.1.7 variant is close to becoming the predominant strain in the state, according to the latest weekly update from the University of Virginia's Biocomplexity Institute.

Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday announced that all Virginians age 16 and older will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine starting on Sunday, April 18.

In addition to vaccinating Virginians in priority groups 1a and 1b, vaccination centers in the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District are beginning to allow those in group 1c to sign up for appointments. 

Despite increasing vaccinations, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Virginia is at its highest level in three weeks heading into spring break for many school systems, and test positivity rates are rising in several Northern Virginia localities.

Virginia is easing some more COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, sporting events and entertainment venues next week, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. 

On Monday night the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District announced it will begin to vaccinate those in priority group 1c while continuing to offer vaccines to anyone currently eligible in groups 1a and 1b.

In order to bring the COVID-19 pandemic to an end, public health experts say between 75 and 80 percent of Americans will need to get the vaccine. Early on, doctors worried that Black Americans especially would hesitate to get a vaccine due to medical racism and abuse in the past. But in fact, the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy — in Virginia, anyway — are among White Republicans in rural areas. 

Dr. Danny Avula, Virginia’s state vaccine coordinator, said last Friday that by mid-April, Virginians in category 1c will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 jab. Group 1c includes essential workers in energy, construction, food service, transportation, higher education, finance, legal services, public safety, information technology and media. The window for that group will be relatively short, Avula said, and by May 1, every adult in the commonwealth will be eligible for a vaccine.

‘We’ve been trying to favor the older members of the population’

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) will distribute 69,000 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week to providers across the state, beginning with mass vaccination clinics. The VDH said an additional shipment of the new vaccine will come to Virginia pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens and Walmart through the federal partnership.

Volunteers will be calling residents who filled out Health District’s survey 

The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District recently received 2,000 doses of the new single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine.

 The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has picked up speed in Virginia recently. More doses are expected to arrive in the coming weeks and a new statewide registration system is up and running. More pharmacies, including Walgreens, Walmart, Food Lion, Martin’s, Harris Teeter and Kroger are approved to begin providing shots in the coming weeks and community groups are offering to help sign people up.

On Monday, Fauquier Health announced that they will relax the zero-visitor policy implemented before the holidays. The hospital is permitting limited visitation starting this week. 

RICHMOND — The Virginia General Assembly passed multiple bills allowing health care workers and first responders to receive workers’ compensation benefits if they are disabled or die due to COVID-19.

Mirroring national and state statistics, the amount of white area residents who have received coronavirus vaccines far outnumbers the number of minorities vaccinated. Also similar to national trends, local Black leaders are attempting to educate citizens on the vaccine's safety and necessity. 

Starting Monday, Gov. Ralph Northam is easing pandemic restrictions on social gatherings, entertainment venues, alcohol sales and will end a voluntary curfew as Virginia’s COVID-19 cases continue to decline.

RICHMOND — Virginia lawmakers have passed bills that allow certain first responders to file workers’ compensation benefits for being disabled from COVID-19, but still need to reach agreement on some differences.