Virginia expects to receive about 18,000 more weekly COVID-19 vaccine doses starting immediately, as the federal government’s pledge to increase distribution by about 16% kicks in Monday. That will raise the commonwealth’s vaccine supply from 118,000 doses to 128,000 doses per week, said Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator.
Meanwhile, the number of virus-related deaths in Virginia rose last week as of Feb. 1, with 393 recorded, an average of 56 deaths per day, or one fatality every 25 minutes. The previous week saw 342 fatalities.
Gov. Ralph Northam last week pledged to accelerate the state’s efforts “to get more shots in more arms more quickly” and also to be more transparent about the process. The governor came under fire from local officials and residents for the state’s apparent lag in vaccination, as Virginia ranked in the bottom of the nation for administering shots per capita — about a week ago, Virginia was administering just below 50% of its available supply of vaccine doses. Neighboring West Virginia, by comparison, has been at or near the top of the nation, administering 85% to 90% of available shots.
