BY THE NUMBERS as of 10 a.m., March 8
Current 7-Day Positivity Rate PCR Only
State: 6.2%
Peninsula Health District: 9.1%
James City County: 5.2%
Statewide Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths
Cases: 586,592 (increase of 3,532 since Friday)
Hospitalizations: 24,705 (increase of 191 since Friday)
Deaths: 9,683 (increase of 255 since Friday)
James City County Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths
Cases: 3,942 (increase of 36 since Friday)
Hospitalizations: 131 (increase of 1 since Friday)
Deaths: 65 (increase of 1 since Friday)
VACCINATIONS
Statewide
Vaccine doses administered: 2,306,251 (increase of 130,762 since Friday)
People fully vaccinated: 823,887 (increase of 60,448 since Friday)
James City County
Vaccine doses administered: 33,007 (increase of 1,417 since Friday)
People fully vaccinated: 11,956 (increase of 728 since Friday)
HAVE YOU PRE-REGISTERED FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINATION WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH?
- Pre-registration website: https://vaccinate.virginia.gov
- You can also call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682), seven days a week from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Language translation and TTY services available.
- Please list your race/ethnicity when you sign up for your vaccine and on the day of your appointment. We ask because this helps to ensure fair and equitable vaccine access and distribution to all Virginians.
- Updated Frequently Asked Questions from the Virginia Department of Health: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-faq/vaccination/
FEDERAL RETAIL PHARMACY PROGRAM
- We understand that additional pharmacies in our area have received COVID-19 vaccine doses through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Please continue to reach out to your health care providers and pharmacies in addition to pre-registering on the website https://vaccinate.virginia.gov. For more information about the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/retail-pharmacy-program/index.html.
LOCAL INFORMATION
- COVID-19 Vaccine Information Line for Vaccine Distribution in the Greater Williamsburg area: 877-724-1954
- Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.williamsburgva.gov/791/COVID-19-Vaccine-FAQs
LATEST NEWS ON COVID-19
Vaccine appointment emails are being sent throughout the week to those in 1a and 1b. Please reach out to your friends and loved ones and make sure they are checking their emails and answering their phones.
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
- The Virginia Department of Health has made improvements to the statewide vaccine pre-registration system, including the ability to verify and update your information. If you are already pre-registered, you should verify your information and update your record now by visiting vaccinate.virginia.gov or calling 877-VAX-IN-VA. Additional questions have been added to the pre-registration form.
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
- CDC Issues First Set of Guidelines on How Fully Vaccinated People Can Visit Safely with Others: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0308-vaccinated-guidelines.html
- When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html
- Updated - COVID-19 Vaccines for People at Increased Risk for Severe Illness from COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/specific-groups/high-risk.html
- Updated - What to Expect at Your Appointment to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect.html
- Updated - COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Specific Groups: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/specific-groups.html
PREVIOUSLY RELEASED INFORMATION
COUNTY NEWS ON COVID-19
- COVID-19 Eviction Prevention Program
---- Do you live in James City County, the City of Williamsburg or York County?
---- Have you been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?
---- Are you behind in your rental payments?
You may be eligible for rental assistance. Call 757-259-5340 or email housing@jamescitycountyva.gov for more information.
- If you are a JCC resident and have questions about the CARES Act for your water or sewer bill contact James City Service Authority at 757-259-5416 or email at jcsa@jamescitycountyva.gov and put CARES Act in the subject heading. For those that have applied please monitor your account.
FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
- Virginia COVID-19 Briefing, Feb. 24, 2021: https://youtu.be/DGMUMBUZ3YQ
- Governor Northam Increases Capacity Limits for Outdoor Sports and Entertainment Venues as COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Infection Rates Continue to Fall, Vaccinations Rise: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4559
- Executive Order 72, Amended Feb. 24, 2021: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/executive-actions/EO-72-THIRD-AMENDED-and-Order-of-Public-Health-Emergency-Nine-Easing-of-Commonsense-Surge-Restrictions-Due-to-Novel-Coronavirus-(COVID-19).pdf
- Governor Northam Unveils Statewide COVID-19 Vaccine Pre-Registration System: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4533
VACCINATE VIRGINIA UPDATE – March 2
The Vaccine Summary Dashboard continues to show Virginia’s significant progress in vaccinations, with more than 2 million doses administered. More than 9 in 10 available first doses have been administered. (It is important to note that the number of doses shown as being “received” by hospitals and local health districts does not account for the doses they then redistribute to other partners such as physicians and pharmacies.)
The statewide vaccine pre-registration system at vaccinate.virginia.gov has received more than 3 million views and 670,000 pre-registrations since its launch on February 15. Including individuals who pre-registered through local health districts in the past, the new system now includes more than 1.7 million residents and essential workers. All individuals who have previously filled out a survey or form or signed up for a waitlist to be vaccinated through their local health district have been automatically imported into the new statewide system and do not need to pre-register again. As data migration continues, some pre-registrations may not yet appear in the search tool. Anyone who experiences difficulties with the search function should check the spelling of their name and email address carefully and consider whether they may have used a different name, phone number, or email address in the past. Anyone with questions should call 877-VAX-IN-VA rather than their local health district. A public information toolkit is available to assist local health districts, localities, and community partners with graphics, talking points, frequently asked questions, and other materials.
The new central Vaccinate Virginia phone number, 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682), has received more than 150,000 calls so far, and is available seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Service is available immediately in English and Spanish, with real-time interpreter services available in any of more than 100 languages as needed.
Each essential worker in Virginia should pre-register at vaccinate.virginia.gov or 877-VAX-IN-VA. To protect employee health information and promote equity among employees of many types of businesses and organizations, employees are no longer being pre-registered through employers. Employers are still encouraged to raise awareness among employees of the importance of getting vaccinated and how to pre-register, and to work with local health districts when it would make sense to hold on-site clinics for employees who are already pre-registered and eligible.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Emergency Use Authorization for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, following previous authorization for the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. All three vaccines are safe and virtually eliminate the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19. While there are a variety of differences between the three vaccines, the most important is that Johnson & Johnson only requires one dose rather than the two doses required by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. Virginia expects to receive approximately 69,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson this week. Vaccine brands are assigned to clinics based on logistics needs such as shipping quantities and storage temperatures, and not based on demographics or geography.
Based on our population, Virginia expects to receive 249,000 new first doses this week from the federal government (including Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer-BioNTech), and 75,000 new first doses will be administered through the federal retail pharmacy program that includes CVS, Food City, Giant, Kroger/Harris Teeter, Safeway, Walgreens, Walmart, and multiple independent community pharmacies. There are still simply not enough doses available yet for everyone who is eligible to receive them. Virginia is not likely to meet the demand for Phase 1b until April. Unfortunately, it may be weeks or longer before vaccination appointments become available for those who have pre-registered.
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
- Virginia Department of Health Confirms First Age 0 – 9 Fatality with COVID-19: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4595
- Virginia to Begin Offering New, One-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine Following Federal Approval: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4572
- Additional Pharmacy Networks Added to Federal Partnership to Provide No-Cost COVID-19 Vaccines: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4560
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
- Vaccine Information for Veterans and VA Health Care Personnel: https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
- Updated – Frequently Asked Questions About v-safe: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/faq.html
- Updated - What Older Adults Need to Know about COVID-19 Vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/older-adults.html
- Continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing after vaccination. We don’t yet know whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus to other people, even if you don’t get sick yourself. Experts are also looking at how many people get vaccinated and how COVID-19 is spreading in communities. Until we learn more, continue to wear a mask over your nose and mouth, stay at least 6 feet away from others, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces and wash your hands often.
- Updated - Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html
- Updated – What to Expect After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html
- New and updated COVID-19 videos are now available in American Sign Language (ASL) on CDC’s YouTube channel. The videos cover topics like masks, hand washing, planning outings and visits, and back to school planning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo9CbXNvNRw&list=PLvrp9iOILTQatwnqm61jqFrsfUB4RKh6J
FEMA
- Due to the large amount of speculation regarding COVID-19 vaccines, remember to rely on OFFICIAL sources to get information. Help control the spread of rumors by sharing this page: https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/rumor-control fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/rumor-control
SCAMS
- INFORMATION FROM THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
You cannot pay to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and you will not need to provide your social security number or bank/credit card information to receive the vaccine. Learn what you can do to protect yourself from COVID-19 vaccine scams by visiting the FTC website. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/01/scammers-cash-covid-19-vaccination-confusion
- INFORMATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combattingfraud
- INFORMATION FROM THE FBI: https://www.fbi.gov/coronavirus
TESTING
- Who should get tested for COVID-19? https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-testing/
ADD YOUR PHONE TO THE COVID FIGHT
- COVIDWISE is Virginia’s official exposure notifications app that lets you know if you’ve likely been exposed to another COVIDWISE user with a positive COVID-19 test result. COVIDWISE is free to download on your smartphone and designed to completely protect your privacy. The more Virginians that use COVIDWISE, the better you can be informed of potential exposure, which helps reduce your risk while protecting your family, friends and community. COVIDWISE is now connected to the National Key Server, which lets COVIDWISE anonymously share data with exposure notifications apps from other states. Visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covidwise/ for more information.
NEED HELP OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES?
- If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others:
---- Call 911
---- Visit the Disaster Distress Helpline, call 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746
---- Visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline or call 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224
COVID WARMLINE
- Call the Virginia C.O.P.E.S. warm line if you are feeling stressed by COVID-19 and need support. Virginia C.O.P.E.S., which stands for compassionate, optimistic, person-centered, empowering support, is a “warm” line set up to help people who are having trouble dealing with the changes in our lives due to COVID-19. Callers can receive emotional support and referrals for mental and behavioral health and other services. Unlike 911, which is used only for emergencies, a warm line offers support and gives people the chance to talk about their struggles and mental health. The COVID Warm Line number is (877) 349-6428 Toll Free. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 5 -9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Spanish speaking counselors are available.
COVID-19 INFORMATION
- Virginia Department of Health (VDH): www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus, Phone: 1-877-ASK-VDH3
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/
Media Contact:
Renee Dallman, Public Information Officer
757-253-6605; renee.dallman@jamescitycountyva.gov