COVID-19 in Virginia: LIVE updates for Saturday, March 28

RICHMOND, Va. -- In an effort to provide accurate, easy-to-read information on the on-going COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our community, WTVR.com will update this post with the day's local coronavirus headlines and statistics.

COVID-19 in Virginia (Scroll to bottom for U.S. stats)

Number of People Tested: 9,166 (+1,829 from Friday)
Number of Positive Tests: 739 (+135 from Friday)
Number of People Hospitalized: 99 (+16 from Friday)
Number of COVID-19-Linked Deaths: 17 (+3 from Friday)

City/County-by-County Breakdown of Cases

Accomack: 2
Albemarle: 16 (+8)
Alexandria: 20 (+2)
Arlington: 75 (+12)
Amelia: 1
Amherst: 2 (+1)
Bedford: 2
Bristol: 1
Botetourt: 1
Charles City: 1
Charlottesville: 12 (+1)
Chesapeake 7 (+2)
Chesterfield: 12
Culpeper: 2
Danville: 4
Fairfax: 156 (+32)
Fauquier: 6 (+2)
Fluvanna: 3
Franklin County: 1
Frederick: 4
Fredericksburg: 1
Galax: 1
Gloucester: 6 (+3)
Goochland: 5 (+2)
Greene: 1
Halifax: 1
Hanover: 3 (+1)
Hampton: 7 (+2)
Harrisonburg: 5
Henrico: 31 (+3)
Hopewell: 1 (new)
Isle of Wight: 3
James City: 65 (+10)
Lancaster: 1 (new)
King George: 2 (+1)
Lee: 2
Louisa: 6 (+1)
Loudoun: 54 (+11)
Lynchburg: 2
Madison: 3 (+1)
Manassas City: 4 (+1)
Mathews: 2 (+1)
Mecklenburg: 4
Montgomery: 1 (new)
Nelson: 2 (+1)
New Kent: 1 (new)
Newport News: 13 (+1)
Norfolk: 10 (+2)
Northampton: 1
Northumberland: 2 (new)
Nottoway: 1
Orange: 1
Pittsylvania: 1
Poquoson: 2 (+1)
Portsmouth: 4 (+1)
Powhatan: 1 (new)
Prince Edward: 2
Prince George: 2
Prince William: 56 (+12)
Radford: 1
Richmond City: 20 (+3)
Roanoke County: 2 (+1)
Rockbridge: 2 (+1)
Shenandoah: 3
Spotsylvania: 3 (+1)
Southampton: 1
Stafford: 11
Suffolk: 1
Virginia Beach: 35 (+6)
Warren: 2
Washington: 1
Williamsburg: 6 (+1)
York: 9
Williamsburg: 6 (+1)

*NOTE: This data is provided from the Virginia Department of Health daily at 9 a.m. Officials said their cutoff for data is 5 p.m. the previous day. So your local health department may have issued an alert about a case before it is added to the statewide tally released the following day.

COVID-19 LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS

Southside Virginia health department reports first COVID-19-related death

A southside Virginia resident has died from complications linked to COVID-19, according to health department officials.

Officials with the Virginia Department of Health's (VDH) Crater Health District said in a news release Saturday evening that no additional details about the victim would be released to "protect patient confidentiality." More here.

Additionally, officials said a man in Emporia and a woman in Greensville County have tested positive for COVID-19.

Officials with the Crater Health District said the man, who is in his 30s, is self–isolating at home and the woman, who is in her 70s, is hospitalized. More here.

COVID-19 cases in Virginia top 739 Saturday

Officials said 135 more people tested positive for COVID-19 out of the 1,829 people tested since Friday's update. That brings Virginia's total number of cases to 739.

Officials said 99 people remain hospitalized and 17 people have died as a result of COVID-19-related illnesses.

New cases were reported for the first time in Hopewell, Lancaster, Montgomery, New Kent, Northumberland and Powhatan counties. More here.

President Trump sees off U.S. Navy hospital ship headed to NYC

A 1,000-bed U.S. Navy hospital ship is being rushed back into service to provide medical help to New York City, now the epicenter of the nation’s outbreak. More here.

ER doctor calls potential COVID-19 impacts 'tidal wave'

A Central Virginia emergency department physician predicted intensive care unit beds to be filled in about a month during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think a lot of providers feel if they’re standing on a beach and they can see a tidal wave are coming,” said Dr. Carlton Stadler, who serves as a member of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians and oversees local emergency departments. More here.

Alewife's Lee Gregory: 'We're doing our best to hold on'

Lee Gregory is a James Beard-nominated chef whose Richmond restaurant Alewife was just named Best New Restaurant in the South by Southern Living magazine. Two weeks later, Gregory and his dedicated staff are doing what they can to keep Alewife in business. More here.

#10KAnyway -- Monument Avenue 10K postponement doesn't stop runners

Thousands of runners planned to take part in the 21st annual Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K Saturday, but the 10K was rescheduled for Sept. 26 because of COVID-19 outbreak.

However, hundreds of folks tackled their own 6.2-mile route and then shared pics using #10KAnyway on social media.More here.

West End retirement community's ' God Bless America' sing along

A group of residents at a West End senior living community lifted spirits through the power of song Friday.

Folks at the Lakewood Retirement Community on Lauderdale Drive in Tuckahoe gathered to sing "God Bless America." More here.

Some Richmond parks, dog parks, closing indefinitely

Certain parks in Richmond are closing indefinitely in an effort to encourage social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. More here.

VCU Health accepting mask, protective gear donations

As hospitals in Virginia prepare for an influx of COVID-19 patients and potential supply shortages, VCU Health is now accepting donations for Personal Protective Equiptment (PPE) to keep doctors and nurses safe. More here.

Richmond area seamstresses make face masks for Central Virginia nurses

Hundreds of seamstresses and community members have joined a grassroots effort to get handmade face masks to Central Virginia first responders. Julie Kratzer helped organize the Facebook group “RVA Masks 4 Health” shortly after the novel coronavirus pandemic began. More here.

Explore Virginia's museums, zoos, and historical sites through these virtual experiences

As Virginians adjusts to social-distancing measures and businesses and institutions close their doors, online learning experiences are growing in importance. And in the Commonwealth, there's no shortage of online, interactive learning experiences. From exploring the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts collections to interacting with animals at the Virginia zoo to an online stroll through Lewis Ginter Botanical gardens, kids and adults alike can explore the state's treasures from the comfort of their own homes. More here.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: COVID-19 HEADLINES (App users, click here for complete list.)

Latest COVID-19 US and Worldwide Stats