RICHMOND, Va. (WFXR) — Virginia health officials reported 13,500 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday — breaking Wednesday’s record for the largest single-day case spike of the entire pandemic — along with 24 new virus-related deaths. This brings the Commonwealth’s total coronavirus count up to 1,100,900 confirmed and probable cases and 15,565 confirmed and probable deaths.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) confirmed 796,132 cases and 13,007 deaths are related to the virus as of Thursday, Dec. 30. However, 304,768 cases and 2,558 deaths are still reported as “probable.”

With Thursday’s new record-high jump in cases, VDH data shows that more than half of the 10 biggest case spikes of the entire pandemic are just from the last week:

  1. 13,500 new cases on Dec. 30, 2021
  2. 12,112 new cases on Dec. 29, 2021
  3. 9,914 new cases on Jan. 17, 2021
  4. 8,756 new cases on Dec. 24, 2021
  5. 8,609 new cases on Dec. 25, 2021
  6. 7,439 new cases on Dec. 28, 2021
  7. 7,245 new cases on Jan. 18, 2021
  8. 6,757 new cases on Jan. 16, 2021
  9. 6,473 new cases on Dec. 23, 2021
  10. 6,172 new cases on Jan. 25, 2021

Meanwhile, the department says the seven-day testing positivity rate for all types of COVID-19 tests has increased from 17.4 percent to 19.3 percent over the past 24 hours.

Health officials reported 13,500 new COVID-19 cases, 255 new virus-related hospitalizations, and 24 new virus-related deaths around the Commonwealth between Dec. 29, 2021 and Dec. 30, 2021. (Photo: Courtesy Virginia Department of Health)

According to VDH’s Thursday tally, more than 162,000 cases have been reported from the following localities in southwest and central Virginia:

  • Alleghany County: 2,501 cases (+8), 87 hospitalizations, and 87 deaths
  • Amherst County: 4,845 cases (+23), 247 hospitalizations, and 63 deaths
  • Appomattox County: 2,702 cases (+21), 134 hospitalizations, and 38 deaths
  • Bath County: 573 cases (+4), 20 hospitalizations, and 15 deaths
  • Bedford County: 11,337 cases (+55), 463 hospitalizations, and 176 deaths
  • Bland County: 1,180 cases (+4), 53 hospitalizations, and 18 deaths
  • Botetourt County: 4,766 cases (+28), 105 hospitalizations, and 64 deaths
  • Buena Vista: 1,505 cases (+9), 36 hospitalizations, and 33 deaths
  • Campbell County: 8,275 cases (+61), 402 hospitalizations, and 157 deaths
  • Carroll County: 4,703 cases (+19), 340 hospitalizations, and 113 deaths (+1)
  • Charlotte County: 1,527 cases (+12), 88 hospitalizations, and 30 deaths
  • Covington: 815 cases (+3), 34 hospitalizations, and 19 deaths
  • Craig County: 751 cases (+10), 22 hospitalizations, and 11 deaths
  • Danville: 6,960 cases (+47), 397 hospitalizations, and 211 deaths (+1)
  • Floyd County: 1,765 cases (+9), 55 hospitalizations, and 33 deaths
  • Franklin County: 7,298 cases (+43), 303 hospitalizations, and 129 deaths (+1)
  • Galax: 1,750 cases (-1), 143 hospitalizations (+1), and 69 deaths (+1)
  • Giles County: 2,597 cases (+7), 99 hospitalizations, and 38 deaths
  • Grayson County: 2,601 cases (+13), 165 hospitalizations, and 62 deaths
  • Halifax County: 4,527 cases (+37), 197 hospitalizations (+2), and 126 deaths
  • Henry County: 7,687 cases (+45), 487 hospitalizations (+1), and 210 deaths (+1)
  • Highland County: 233 cases (+5), 3 hospitalizations, and 4 deaths
  • Lexington: 1,718 cases (+11), 39 hospitalizations, and 38 deaths
  • Lynchburg: 13,022 cases (+109), 537 hospitalizations, and 215 deaths
  • Martinsville: 2,373 cases (+10), 190 hospitalizations (+1), and 100 deaths
  • Montgomery County: 13,004 cases (+63), 287 hospitalizations (+1), and 120 deaths
  • Nelson County: 1,697 cases (+16), 64 hospitalizations, and 24 deaths
  • Patrick County: 2,537 cases (+11), 139 hospitalizations, and 72 deaths
  • Pittsylvania County: 9,099 cases (+46), 414 hospitalizations (+1), and 141 deaths (+1)
  • Pulaski County: 4,790 cases (+21), 237 hospitalizations (+1), and 105 deaths
  • Radford: 3,277 cases (+17), 56 hospitalizations, and 39 deaths (+1)
  • Roanoke City: 14,138 cases (+88), 334 hospitalizations, and 271 deaths
  • Roanoke County: 14,068 cases (+93), 281 hospitalizations, and 194 deaths
  • Rockbridge County: 2,425 cases (+9), 86 hospitalizations, and 69 deaths
  • Salem: 4,342 cases (+22), 107 hospitalizations, and 83 deaths
  • Wythe County: 5,151 cases (+24), 281 hospitalizations, and 118 deaths

**items in bold indicate increases or decreases in the total number of cases, hospitalizations, and/or deaths since the previous weekday**

Health officials say they have received 41,592 total records of confirmed and probable virus-related hospitalizations around Virginia as of Thursday, which is 255 more hospitalizations than VDH reported on Wednesday, Dec. 29.

This marks the Commonwealth’s second-largest single-day increase in hospitalizations of the entire pandemic, exceeded only by Wednesday’s 398 hospitalizations.