ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Government leaders and health officials from the Roanoke Valley and the Alleghany Highlands held a virtual briefing Tuesday morning to discuss the status of the coronavirus pandemic and health equity.
Dr. Cynthia Morrow with the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts was also joined by Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea; Roanoke City Manager Bob Cowell; and Carilion Clinic’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Dr. NL Bishop, in order to discuss partnership efforts to address health equity issues.
This briefing comes after the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reported 1,769 new COVID-19 cases and a record-high 172 new virus-related deaths around the Commonwealth in the updated tally on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Of those new numbers, the VDH says 83 new cases, five new hospitalizations, and eight new deaths are from the following localities in Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts:
- Alleghany County: 18 new cases
- Botetourt County: 13 new cases and two new deaths
- Covington: Three new hospitalizations and one new death
- Craig County: Two new cases
- Roanoke City: 34 new cases and two new deaths
- Roanoke County: 15 new cases, two new hospitalizations, and one new death
- Salem: One new case and two new deaths
However, since Monday, Feb. 22, health officials also reported one less hospitalization in Roanoke City, two less hospitalizations and one less death in Alleghany County, and 19 less cases in Covington.
Meanwhile, the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts plan to host one more drive-thru COVID-19 testing site for February, which is listed below:
- Tuesday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Salem Civic Center in Salem
Health officials say pre-registration is not required to be tested at this free event.
Get breaking news, weather, and sports delivered to your smartphone with the WFXR News app available on Apple and Android.
