Governor Northam says 70% of adults in Virginia have had at least 1 shot of COVID-19 vaccine

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Governor Ralph Northam announced Monday that 70% of adults in Virginia have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This milestone for the state comes two weeks ahead of President Joe Biden’s July 4 goal of having 70% of all adults in the U.S. vaccinated.

Virginia is the 16th state to reach this goal.

The state has administered 8.8 million doses, given to over 4.2 million individuals, which is 60.3 percent of the population over 18 years of age, according to a press release.

Northam commemorated this milestone at Hope Pharmacy, a Black-, woman-owned pharmacy in Richmond.

"Virginia has reached a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19," said Northam. "Thanks to the millions of Virginians who have rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated, the virus is in retreat, our economy is growing, and we are closer to putting this pandemic behind us."

SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 5 DC ON YOUTUBE

In January, new daily cases in the state were at 5,900 and dropped to 250 by June 1, according to data shared by Northam’s office. COVID-19 hospitalizations per seven days were at 2,600 in January, declining to 500 by June 1. Deaths from COVID-19 were at 83 per sevens in January, and that number fell below 7 deaths by June 1.

According to data, 400,000 additional Virginians are eligible for vaccination, following the federal approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15. Thirty percent of individuals in that age group have been vaccinated so far.

White House launches vaccine sharing program

The White House now has a plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to dozens of nations in an effort to curb the spread of the virus across the globe.

"Virginia’s remarkable progress is a testament to the commitment, coordination, and leadership of our local health districts, community-based organizations, faith leaders, National Guard members, and so many others," said Virginia Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny TK Avula. "While there is still work to do in addressing vaccine hesitancy, I remain confident that we can keep this momentum going and defeat this virus."

Virginia ended all COVID-19 restrictions on May 28. Northam declared a state of emergency on March 12, 2020, which is set to expire on June 30.

"We are deeply grateful to all those who have been vaccinated and to the vaccinators helping Virginia reach and surpass this milestone," said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA. "There are still Virginians we need to reach and our efforts to make vaccination as accessible and as convenient as possible will continue."

The CDC encourages unvaccinated individuals to continue wearing a mask, social distancing and following safety precautions.

Additional data on COVID-19 in Virginia can be found here.