Virginia hits Biden’s 70% adult vaccination goal
June 23, 2021More than 70% of Virginians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday, which brought the commonwealth to President Joe Biden’s goal for the Fourth of July, Gov. Ralph Northam announced.
“Virginia has reached a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19,” Northam said in a statement.
“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,” Northam said. “A statewide effort has brought us to this point, with strong partnerships in our communities, health systems, the private sector, and across all levels of government. Even as we celebrate this tremendous achievement, we will continue working together to vaccinate everyone who is eligible so our Commonwealth … can keep moving forward.”
Biden set a goal for all states to get 70% of adults to begin the vaccination process by Independence Day. Virginia is the 16th state to reach this number early, reaching the number about two weeks before the holiday. To date, 8.8 million doses have been administered.
More than 4.2 million adults in the commonwealth are now fully vaccinated, which accounts for more than 60% of the adult population.
COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have drastically gone down since the vaccine became available. In January, the seven-day moving average for new cases was around 5,900, but as of June 1, it was below 250. The seven-day moving average for hospitalizations was around 2,600 in January and dropped to about 500 in June. The seven-day moving average for deaths was around 83 in January and dropped below seven in the beginning of June.
“We are deeply grateful to all those who have been vaccinated and to the vaccinators helping Virginia reach and surpass this milestone,” State Health Commissioner Norm Oliver said in a statement. “There are still Virginians we need to reach and our efforts to make vaccination as accessible and as convenient as possible will continue. Those who have yet to get the vaccine are encouraged to do so to protect themselves and to keep others safe, particularly children under 12, people with weakened immune systems, or individuals who cannot be vaccinated for other reasons.”
Virginia ended most of its COVID-19 restrictions at the end of May, but the governor’s office still encourages those who do not have a vaccine to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. The commonwealth’s state of emergency expires at the end of the month and the Department of Labor and Industry’s Health Codes Board will meet to consider ending or changing some of the business regulations that remain on the books.
About 30% of Virginians aged 12 through 15 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The state is working with school districts to increase vaccinations among those children by making it more easily accessible.
Virginia does not have a vaccine passport or mandatory vaccinations for any person, but private businesses are allowed to require people to be vaccinated.
This article was originally posted on Virginia hits Biden’s 70% adult vaccination goal
