One COVID-19 death in Winchester was reported Friday, the same day that the Virginia Department of Health reported across the state the fifth-highest number of new COVID-19 case, less than 50 percent of that number on Saturday, and the seventh-highest number of new cases on Sunday.
The state’s website at vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus reported 4,078 on Friday, 1,584 new cases on Saturday and 3,999 on Sunday.
The reporting comes after Thursday, Christmas Eve, reported the largest number of new cases at 4,782.
Included with the weekend reporting were an increase of hospitalizations with 61 on Friday, 14 on Saturday, and 84 on Sunday. The death toll increased by 29 on Friday, 20 on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.
The Northern Shenandoah Valley saw its first major snowstorm of the season Wednesday, with snow beginning about mid-morning and continuing as a wintry mix of snow and sleet throughout the day.
The region was expected to see about a foot of snow with 14 to 15 inches at higher elevations and snow tapering off about midnight.
Around the area, town and county offices in Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah and Warren counties and the city of Winchester closed for the day.
Area schools were also closed on Wednesday, opting to take the snow day rather than holding virtual classes.
On Wednesday afternoon, Shenandoah County Public Schools announced a snow day for today. Students will then have virtual classes as usual on Friday as well as Monday and Tuesday before beginning winter break.
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The Lord Fairfax Health District reported 305 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend and statewide cases grew by nearly 7,500 on Saturday and Sunday as Virginia neared the implementation of the first stage of vaccine availability, according to information on the Virginia Department of Healthâs online dashboard.
The local health district reported 158 cases on Saturday and 147 more on Sunday, as well as five deaths attributed to the virus on Saturday matching its second-highest single-day total to bring its totals to 8,014 cases, 479 hospitalizations and 164 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Statewide numbers included 281,909 cases, 16,014 hospitalizations and 4,411 deaths, according to VDH data reported Sunday morning.
A state police patrol vehicle was shot at prior to the high-speed chase of a shooting suspect that ended near Woodstock on Thursday.
State police Sgt. Brent Coffey states in an email on Friday that Harrisonburg police issued a âbe on the lookoutâ bulletin at around 9:50 a.m. Thursday for a suspect involved in a shooting they had responded to that morning in the city.
Around 10 a.m., Coffey states, a state trooper saw the suspect s vehicle, a rental box truck, traveling north on Interstate 81 at the 254-mile marker in Rockingham County. The trooper pulled up to the truck and the driver shot out the patrol vehicle s back window.Â