The world looks different a year into the coronavirus pandemic.
The direct impact of COVID-19 has been immense â upwards of 28 million Americans have contracted the disease and more than 500,000 Americans have died from it, making the disease a leading cause of death, right behind cancers and heart disease. One year ago today, Virginia saw its first COVID-19 fatality. As of Saturday, 9,519 Virginians have died from the disease.
Peopleâs habits, vocabularies and entire lives have shifted around the virus. Experts have advised widespread use of masks and maintenance of other fastidious hygiene habits into the future, since dangerous variants of the disease have emerged as threats even as immunizations protect more and more people.
Important update:Â
The Virginia Department of Health has launched a centralized preregistration system for COVID-19 vaccinations: vaccinate.virginia.gov. This replaces the local surveys that had been used by health districts across the state.
If you have already preregistered with your local health district, your information and place in line should be maintained. You can check on the new site to see if you are in the system.
The state has also launched a hotline, 877-VAX-IN-VA or 877-829-4682, for those who do not have computer access. Callers can speak to someone in English or Spanish, or ask for a call back in 100 languages.Â
Each of Virginia’s health districts is responsible for determining how best to safely and efficiently administer their allotments of COVID-19 vaccines in their areas based on their partners and resources.