RICHMOND, Va. β There have been more than 3,400 emergency room and urgent care visits related to slips, trips and falls in Virginia in the last two days as neighborhood streets and sidewalks stay iced over, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health.
VDH's Central Region, which covers most of the CBS 6 viewing area, saw 1,108 total emergency room or urgent care visits Tuesday and Wednesday. VDH shared the data below, which includes the entire state:
| | Jan. 27 | Jan. 28 | 2-Day Total |
| Central Region | 469 | 639 | 1108 |
| Eastern Region | 298 | 284 | 582 |
| Northern Region | 264 | 246 | 510 |
| Northwest Region | 315 | 421 | 736 |
| Southwest Region | 201 | 299 | 500 |
| Total | 1,547 | 1,889 | 3,436 |
VDH reports the daily average from Tuesday and Wednesday of 1,718 is more than double the daily average from Dec. 1 to Jan. 22, which was 796.
Dr. Cora Owen with Patient First suggests that people limit their time outside until conditions improve.
"The biggest thing I would say is making sure you have good shoes that have really good traction, and if they're able to be near something that they can kind of hold onto, especially if they have an unsteady gait as it is, it's even more important to take extra precaution in this kind of weather," Owen said.
Medical professionals recommend several safety precautions for anyone who must venture outside. Choose snow boots or shoes with cleats for better traction instead of heels or clogs. Wearing a heavy snow hat can provide additional protection for your head in case of a fall.
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