Last Updated: July 7, 2023
Key Takeaways
- Respiratory disease rates remain low across the Commonwealth. COVID-19 hospital admissions declined in the last week after rising the first three weeks of June.
- Much of the U.S. is expected to experience poor air quality periodically as long as wildfires persist in Canada. The number of wildfires, including uncontrolled wildfires, increased this week.
- The Climate Prediction Center expects higher than average temperatures for much of the U.S. this summer, including along the east coast.
- Heat indexes are expected to be above 90 degrees in most of Virginia this weekend, approaching 100 degrees in some areas. The National Weather Service recommends “extreme caution” with heat indexes in this range.
VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update.
This page updates weekly on Friday by 5:00 PM.
The VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update is produced by the VDH Office of Emergency Preparedness. This update covers ongoing or potential public health and emergency preparedness issues, including COVID-19. This product is intended to enhance situational awareness among the public health, healthcare, and emergency management communities. Some items covered may pose little or no threat to the public at large. These items are included for situational awareness only and do not represent an endorsement of the source or information therein.