COVID-19 in Virginia: LIVE updates for Sunday, April 4

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)

Positive COVID-19 Cases Since Start of Pandemic: 625,148 (+1,267 from Saturday)
People Hospitalized Since Start of Pandemic: 26,706 (+37 fromSaturday)
COVID-19-Linked Deaths Since Start of Pandemic: 10,329 (+42 from Saturday)

Total Tests: 8,528,863 (+26,266 from Saturday)
All Health Districts Current 7-Day Positivity Rate Total: 6.8% (Up from 6.7% Saturday)

People Vaccinated with at least One Dose: 2,769,690 (+65,652 from Saturday)
People Fully Vaccinated: 1,519,021 (+51,381 from Saturday)
% of Population Fully Vaccinated: 17.8% (Up from 17.2% on Saturday)

Click here for complete city/county-by-county breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Virginia

NOTE: This data is provided from the Virginia Department of Healthdaily at 10 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. Get the latest charts and updated numbers from VDH here. *

VACCINATE VIRGINIA: Preregister for the COVID-19 vaccine on the Vaccinate Virginia websiteor call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-275-8343)

COVID-19 LOCAL HEADLINES

COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expanded in Virginia; all 16+ will qualify by April 18
Everyone in Virginia age 16 and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine beginning Sunday, April 18, which is nearly two weeks ahead of President Joe Biden's May 1 nationwide goal to open vaccinations to every adult who wants one.
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70 additional COVID-19 patients discharged in Virginia; hospitalizations tick up
Seventy additional COVID-19 patients have been discharged from Virginia hospitals in the last 24 hours, according to data from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.
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How Virginia is working to make COVID-19 vaccine available to all adults by mid-April
Virginia vaccine czar Dr. Danny Avula said he was working to make sure all Virginia health districts were into Phase 2 vaccinations on April 18.
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Henrico tests drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic
Health officials completed their first drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic for people with disabilities and their caregivers Saturday in Henrico County.
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Meet the heroes going door-to-door to vaccinate the most vulnerable
Lt. David Bigelow leads three firefighters and a peer-support specialist through the county’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) unit with Chesterfield Fire & EMS' Bed Bound Program. The team brings medical support and services to those who are unable to leave their homes.
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23-year-old tests positive for COVID after receiving vaccine
Health experts say the vaccine is the strongest defense against Coronavirus, but -- as one vaccinated woman learned the hard way -- it doesn't mean people should stop taking safety precautions.
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Dr. Danny Avula, Virginia’s COVID Vaccine Coordinator, get J&J shot at Richmond Raceway
Virginia's vaccine coordinator, Dr. Danny Avula, received his COVID-19 vaccine Thursday morning at the mass vaccination clinic at Richmond Raceway in Henrico County.
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CDC issues new guidelines to celebrate Easter amid pandemic
With Easter just around the corner, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new guidelines on how Americans can safely celebrate amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Check your email: Thousands in Phase 1c can set-up COVID-19 vaccination appointments
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts, the Chesterfield Health District, and the Chickahominy Health District announced Wednesday they were beginning to schedule the first round of Phase 1c eligible people for their COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
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Some Virginia pharmacies will start vaccinating more people
Pharmacies in Virginia that are administering the coronavirus vaccine through a partnership with the federal government will begin offering doses to more people in the state.
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Can your boss mandate you get a COVID vaccine?
As more and more people are able to sign-up for the COVID-19 vaccine, some have asked the CBS 6 Problem Solvers whether their employer can mandate them to get a shot.
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Virginia to ease COVID-19 restrictions: Crowd sizes at entertainment venues, sporting events to increase
Some of Virginia's COVID-19 restrictions will be eased starting April 1, 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced Tuesday.
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How you can get a free ride to your vaccination appointment
In an effort to offer a solution, health officials teamed up with GRTC to make sure everyone has a ride to get vaccinated.
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Virginia reports first cases of California COVID-19 variants
Health officials in Virginia have reported the first cases in the state of a highly contagious coronavirus variant that first emerged in California last summer.
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New Southside mass vaccination center serves more than South Richmonders
Celebration Church on Midlothian Turnpike hosted the first mass vaccination clinic held south of the James River on Tuesday
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COVID-19 in Virginia: No new outbreaks reported Sunday
Health officials are investigating 2,786 outbreaks of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, according to Virginia Department of Health (VDH) data. More than 67,800 COVID-19 cases are associated with outbreaks.
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What Virginia doctor and 3 her daughters are doing to ‘save some lives’ during pandemic
“I wanted to lead by example. I believe in science,” Dr. Michelle Lynam said. “I also wanted to protect my mom who lives with us. She's 83 and she helps care for our children.”
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Virginia wedding industry struggling after being shut-down for a year
"It definitely feels like we're being left in the dust," explained Kim Moody, event coordinator at proprietress at the Estate at River Run in Goochland County.
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CDC now recommends K-12 students keep 3 feet of distance in class, if there’s masking
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now recommending that, with universal masking, students at K-12 schools should maintain a distance of at least 3 feet in classroom settings, instead of the previous 6 feet recommended.
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Southside church to become Richmond's next mass vaccination site
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) will launch a new mass vaccination clinic at Celebration Church off Midlothian Turnpike in South Richmond on Tuesday.
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Isolation could be factor in Alzheimer's death spike amid pandemic: 'I had a lot of sleepless nights'
The death rate in Virginians living with Alzheimer's and dementia has spiked amid the COVID pandemic, according to a report by the Alzheimer's Association.
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COVID-19 vaccine czar: Parts of Virginia could move to phase 1c in 2 weeks
Virginia's vaccine coordinator said the Commonwealth should have no problem hitting President Joe Biden's target of offering the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone by May 1.
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Thousands get COVID-19 vaccine at new Virginia State mass clinic
Thousands of people who live in the Chesterfield and Crater Health Districts got vaccinated Wednesday at a new mass vaccination site inside Virginia State University's multi-purpose center.
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First case of South African COVID variant reported in Northern Virginia
The first case of the South African COVID-19 variant, known as B.1.351, has been confirmed in the Northern Region of the Commonwealth, Virginia Department of Health (VDH) officials announced Thursday. Read more.

Why most in Richmond Schools are not yet fully vaccinated
At least 40 percent of school staff across Virginia are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Governor Ralph Northam. But the number of staff members for Richmond Public Schools who are fully vaccinated does not even come close to that percentage.
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Richmond couple reflects year after COVID diagnosis
A Richmond couple who was among the first to go public with their positive COVID-19 diagnosis said they still experience lingering symptoms nearly a year later.
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Kroger mistakenly used empty syringes instead of COVID-19 vaccine at Midlothian store
Kroger is now clarifying a COVID-19 vaccine mishap that happened at one of its Central Virginia clinics where people were mistakenly injected with empty syringes.
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Physician says vaccinations help prevent spread of variants
As COVID variants pop up across Virginia, Rebekah Butterfield, an epidemiologist with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts, said vaccines and current practices will help stop the spread.
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Vaccination numbers rise, but Virginia still faces hestitance
Gov. Ralph Northam said Virginia has already reached a goal of administering an average of 50,000 vaccine shots a day. And he said 1.5 million residents - or 18% of Virginians - have received at least one dose.
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Hampton University, Ashland company turn RVs into labs to deliver vaccine to underserved communities
An Ashland company is helping to get the COVID-19 vaccine to underserved communities by turning an RV into a mobile lab for Hampton University.
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COVID-related sickness found in child in Southside Health District
The Southside Health District has confirmed a case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19.
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More Richmond-area pharmacies, doctors offices are getting COVID vaccines
The Richmond and Henrico Health Departments are expanding who is administering the COVID-19 vaccine. The expansion comes after an increase in weekly shipments to the Commonwealth.
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Rent relief program no longer includes mortgage payments
A few weeks ago Virginia got a boost of more than $500 million in new federal stimulus funds for the rent relief program to help keep families in their homes during the pandemic.
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First Virginia child under 10 dies from COVID-19
The first child under the age of 10 in Virginia has died from complications from COVID-19, state health officials announced Thursday afternoon.
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CDC study: COVID-19 more prevalent in children than originally thought
A CDC-supported study of infection rates among children in Mississippi show the actual number of juvenile cases of COVID-19 may be much higher than first reported.
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What's safe to do after getting the COVID vaccine?
As COVID-19 cases fall and the number of people fully vaccinated rises, many wonder when the state and county will begin to roll back restrictions placed during the pandemic.Read more.

1.9 million Virginians signed up for COVIDWise app
The Virginia statewide notification system COVIDWise has been working for months to tell people if they've been exposed to COVID-19.
Read more.

Henrico-based researchers launch COVID-19 treatment study
Henrico Clinical Research Partners are studying safe treatments for COVID-19, and they're looking for participants for their research study.
Read more.

Fauci: States' decisions to lift mask mandates 'inexplicable,' 'ill-advised'
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top expert on infectious diseases and President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser, criticized Texas and Mississippi for deciding to lift mask mandates earlier this week, calling the decision “inexplicable” and “ill-advised.”
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Johnson & Johnson vaccine gets FDA green light, 4 million doses expected to be shipped this week
The FDA gave an emergency use authorization of a one-shot coronavirus vaccine by Johnson & Johnson on Saturday, marking the third coronavirus shot allowed to be administered to Americans.
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Virginia to receive 69,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson's 1-shot vaccine next week
Officials with the Virginia Department of Health said the 69,000 doses of the J&J vaccine the Commonwealth is slated to receive will be "prioritized for mass vaccination clinics across the state."
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House Democrats approve $1.9 trillion stimulus bill
In a nearly party-line vote, House Democrats early Saturday morning approved President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic stimulus package, which will now move to the Senate.
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Which vaccine is best? Experts say it's not fair to compare J&J vaccine data to Pfizer, Moderna
As the U.S. begins distributing a third vaccine against COVID-19, health officials are girding for questions about which one is best.
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Virginia expects an increase in COVID-19 vaccine shipments
Virginia is getting another increase to its weekly shipment of COVID-19 next week, according to Virginia's vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula.
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How you can get a COVID-19 vaccine at Walgreens
Walgreens Pharmacy said that it will begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores in Virginia starting Feb. 24. Registration can be made either online or by calling 1-800-Walgreens.
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US extends restrictions on non-essential travel to Canada and Mexico
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Friday that it was extending restrictions on non-essential to Canada and Mexico amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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VCU student creates self-cleaning mask that can kill COVID-19
"To have a mask that cleans itself sort of adds that kind of peace of mind," VCU student McKenzie Piper said.
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Despite study, Dr. Fauci says 2 COVID-19 vaccine doses still necessary
“When you're dealing with variants, you want enough of a height of a response that even if you diminish it, you don't diminish it so much to get out of the realm of protection, number one. “No. 2, if you do have a less-than-optimum response, you could theoretically and inadvertently be selecting immunologically for variants.”
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White House: Winter storm caused a 'backlog' of 6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses
The White House COVID-19 response team said Friday that severe winter weather across the U.S. caused a "backlog" of 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week.
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More than half of Virginia's prison population gets COVID-19 vaccination
The Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) announced more than 50 percent of those people inside Virginia's prisons have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Gov. Northam talks new COVID vaccine call center
Governor Ralph Northam held a news briefing Wednesday with his emergency support team to give an update on the Commonwealth's response to COVID-19 and vaccine roll-out.
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UVA researchers developing nasal COVID-19 vaccine
“There's no need for needles. We're working on a device that would actually spray it into your nose, similar to like an asthma inhaler where you inhale through your mouth.”
Read more.

New study: 7 variants found in U.S. with same mutation
A team of scientists are declaring that a total of seven coronavirus variants spotted around the United States are carrying the same mutation, as reported in a study published over the weekend.
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Fauci: Americans will need to continue to wear masks for 'several, several months'
The government’s top infectious disease expert said that by the time 75% to 80% of the population is vaccinated, “the level of virus in the community could be so low that you could start pulling back a bit on what are stringent public health measures.”
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CDC: People who have been fully vaccinated can skip COVID-19 quarantines if experiencing no symptoms
Anyone who has received a full dose of a COVID-19 vaccine does not need to follow the standard 14-day quarantine if they’re within three months of their vaccination and do not develop symptoms of the virus, according to the CDC.
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Study: 40% of COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented
The Lancet Commission on Public Policy and Health said public health measures such as wearing masks and social distancing could have saved lives.
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More than 20% of VMI cadets are in isolation or quarantine
The Virginia Military Institute has experienced a spike coronavirus in cases that has led more than 20% of its cadets to be in isolation or quarantine.
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CDC study: 2 masks and tighter fit could reduce COVID-19 exposure by up to 96%
Masks and facial coverings are required in most settings to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The CDC released new data Wednesday on how to improve mask fit that reduces a person’s exposure to the virus by as much as 96%.
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Here's what we know about COVID-19 vaccine at locally-owned pharmacies
The Virginia Department of Health is working on a state pharmacy program that will involve 100 pharmacies across the state that will receive COVID-19 vaccines, but that partnership has not been activated yet.
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Nationwide COVID-19 hospitalizations dip below 80,000 for first time since November
The White House COVID-19 response team held regular briefing on Wednesday as new cases and hospitalization tick downward, but the threat of variant strains of the virus continues to loom.
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Why Virginia lags in reporting race, ethnicity data for COVID-19 vaccinations
Health officials explain why Virginia lags in reporting race and ethnicity data related to the coronavirus vaccine, and how it affects the measuring of health equity.
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Why advocates say upping staff at nursing homes could save lives
During a COVID-19 outbreak at Canterbury Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, officials said they had a staffing shortage that could've contributed to lives lost.
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LATEST COVID-19 U.S. AND WORLDWIDE STATS