FAIRFAX, VA – The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) has enhanced its Regional Coronavirus Dashboard and released an analysis of all COVID-19 cases to date in the Northern Virginia region that underscores the need to continue to focus public health resources on the Region’s most vulnerable populations.
The NVRC data provides a regional perspective, by zip codes that have reported the highest COVID-19 case rate (determined by cases per 10,000 residents). NVRC’s analysis provides the granularity that indicates that high concentrations of cases are occurring among the most socially vulnerable populations. These populations include those living in low-income areas; essential employees; low-paid workers; those with underlying health conditions; and those in nursing homes.
“The results of this analysis highlight the need to continue to focus on the region’s most vulnerable populations," explained P. David Tarter, Chair of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and Mayor of the City of Falls Church. "Putting public health resources to work in these communities will save lives and ultimately lead to a strong sustained recovery."
With this regional look at the data, public health officials and policy makers can more easily identify these areas with higher concentrations of COVID-19 for focused interventions to limit the spread of the virus.
The coronavirus impact on vulnerable populations locally is consistent with the trends that are emerging throughout the country. Reasons for this heightened impact on these communities include: essential workers with jobs that do not have the option of working from home; wage workers without sick leave; greater challenges with residents living in nursing home or assisted living environments; residents with pre-existing medical conditions that are exacerbated when contracting COVID-19; and language barriers with respect to public health guidance.
NVRC’s next phase of analysis will include incorporating the number and rate of tests by zip code and comparing those rates where the vulnerable populations reside. It will also include the location of testing sites to determine where there may be gaps in providing testing to vulnerable populations.
NVRC’s Regional Dashboard breaks down data by health districts from Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William Counties in the reporting of daily and cumulative COVID-19 cases, as well as hospitalizations and deaths primarily caused by the coronavirus. Information is depicted from research generated from late March to the present-day period including the seven-day moving average. A separate navigation feature provides current information on the total number of tests administered to local residents and the percent that were positive. The website can be found at https://www.novaregiondashboard.com/cases-dashboard.
The full study and analysis about the COVID-19 impact on the local region can be reviewed at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/302bff8bc61343b4914a25a477bb6f4f
NVRC is a regional council of thirteen-member local governments in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Northern Virginia. For additional information about the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, visit www.novaregion.org.