RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia reported the biggest increase in COVID-19 cases in a single day during the pandemic Wednesday.
The state reported 12,112 new cases out of the 31,629 tests processed since Tuesday's update. The previous day saw 7,439 new cases.
Officials with the Virginia Department of Health called Wednesday's case count "actual new positive infections" and said that "no reporting delay" had impacted the stats.
Gov. Ralph Northam addressed the record-high COVID case numbers in a statement saying that the increase is "a reason for concern, but not a reason for panic."
That is because Northam said that is because "vaccinations are keeping people safe, even as the omicron variant spreads."
"As the virus becomes endemic, it’s now time to study not only the number of cases, but also the severity of symptoms and the number of people going to the hospital," Northam said. "The data are clear: Nearly everyone going to the hospital with COVID is unvaccinated. This is entirely avoidable, if everyone gets their shots."
RELATED: County-by-county look at COVID-19 cases in Virginia; which areas saw biggest spikes Wednesday
The previous record in Virginia was set on Jan. 17, 2021, when 9,914 cases were reported.
However, the state recently saw 8,756 cases on Christmas Eve and 8,609 cases on Christmas Day.
The Commonwealth has reported a total 1,087,400 virus cases, with 787,538 of those cases confirmed and 299,862 determined to be probable.
Virginia's seven-day positivity rate is 17.4%, which is up from 11.4% Friday, Dec. 24and up from 8.5% the Friday before.
RELATED: Virginia COVID-19 hospitalizations top 2,000 again; 500+ more patients discharged
TRACKING COVID IN VIRGINIA: WEEK-BY-WEEK COMPARISON
Week of Dec. 18-24
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +35,94
People Hospitalized: +383
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +211
Week of Dec. 11-17
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +19,321
People Hospitalized: -383*
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +188
Week of Dec. 4-10
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +17,470
People Hospitalized: +459
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +142
Week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +12,860
People Hospitalized: +316
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +118
Week of Nov. 20-26
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +10,279
People Hospitalized: -113*
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +143
Week of Nov. 13-19
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +10,623
People Hospitalized: +277
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +171
Week of Nov. 6-12
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +9,295
People Hospitalized: +310
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +196
Week of Oct. 30-Nov. 5
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +8,771
People Hospitalized: +380
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +218
Week of Oct. 23-29
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +10,016
People Hospitalized: +448
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +239
Week of Oct. 16-22
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +11,817
People Hospitalized: +502
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +277
Week of Oct. 9-15
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +14,779
People Hospitalized: +503
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +316
Week of Oct. 4-8
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +18,831
People Hospitalized: +553
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +269
Week of Sept. 27-Oct. 1
Positive COVID-19 Cases: +19,463
People Hospitalized: +579
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: +295
Virginians age 5+ are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine. Pre-registration is no longer required,so go to Vaccine Finderto search for specific vaccines available near you or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-275-8343).
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for the most complete coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?
People are considered fully vaccinated:
- 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
How to Protect Yourself and Others When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated
COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
We’re still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. After you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions—like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces—in public places until we know more.
These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not intended for healthcare settings.
Click here for more information from the Virginia Department of Health.