Five more COVID-19 deaths announced in Virginia; total at 27

Arlington Health District reports first two fatal cases, and death toll at Canterbury care center rises to 8

Published March 29, 2020 by Kate Andrews

Regional health departments announced five more deaths related to COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s confirmed total to 27.

Arlington Health District, which had 84 cases reported Sunday, the second-most in a locality in Virginia, reported its first two deaths from the coronavirus.

The first patient was a 72-year-old with chronic medical conditions, who had been ill with COVID-19 for a few weeks. The second was a 60-year-old with chronic medical conditions, identified with COVID-19 this past week, according to a news release Sunday.

The Mount Rogers Health District reported that a man in his 80s has died. Mount Rogers covers Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington, and Wythe counties, and the cities of Bristol and Galax in Southwest Virginia.

The Peninsula Health District reported that a woman in her 80s has died. The cause of death was respiratory failure, and this is the district’s eighth coronavirus-related death, the most in one district in the state. Peninsula covers Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, James City County and York County.

In the Alleghany Health District, which covers the Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig and Roanoke counties and the cities of Covington and Salem,  a woman in her 80s has died, according to a news release Sunday. This is the region’s first fatal case.

Also, Henrico County Health Department Director Dr. Danny Avula confirmed Sunday that the number of fatalities connected to the Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center has risen to eight residents. Six men — including two in their 60s, three in their 70s and one in his 90s — and two women, one in her 60s and one in her 80s, have died from complications related to COVID-19.

More than 50 residents of the longterm care facility are showing symptoms, Avula said Friday, and the center has moved them to an isolated ward where three have since died. Others are hospitalized. On Friday, the center reported that six staff members also have tested positive, along with 19 residents. Some have received testing through private labs, and the Virginia Department of Health must confirm the test results before including them among known positive cases in the state, Avula said.

The Virginia Department of Health updates its numbers of cases and deaths statewide every day at 9 a.m. Sunday morning, there were 22 deaths and 890 positive cases in Virginia.