Delta variant expected to become dominant strain in Virginia as case counts rise

As the CDC announced the highly contagious Delta variant represented more than 80 percent of sequenced COVID cases in the country Tuesday, Virginia health experts predicted the Delta variant would soon become the dominant strain in the state as well.

THE C-D-C SAYS THE DELTAVARIANTOF COVID-19 NOW MAKES UP MORETHAN 80-PERCENT OF U-S CASES.NOW LOCAL HEALTH LEADERS SAYTHEY ARE KEEPING A CLOSEEYE ON THE VARIANT ESPECIALLYFOR KIDS WHO CAN NOTYET BE VACCINATED.OUR SHANNON LILLY EXPLAINS THECONCERNS HEALTH OFFCIALS HAVE.IN A SENATE HEARING AT OURNATION'S CAPITAL.

:51 CDC HASRELEASEDESTIMATES OF VARIANTS ACROSS THECOUNTRY AND PREDICTED THEDELTA VARIANT REPRESENTS 83PERCNET OF SEQUENCED CASESCDC DIRECTOR DR.ROCHELLEWALENSKY SAYS THE HIGHLYTRANSMISSABLE DELTA VARIANT HASASCENDED TO DOMINANCE.1:00 THIS IS A DRAMATIC INCREASEUP FROM 50 PERCENT THEWEEK OF JULY 3RD.

HERE INCENTRAL VIRGINIA.8:42 THE MOST RECENT ESTIMATESWERE ABOUT 10% BUTTED TO 3:36 WESUSPECT THAT THE ACTUAL NUMBERSARE HIGHER THE VIRGINIADEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHOWS THEALPHA VARIANT AS THE MOSTCOMMON STAIRN..WITH DELTAMAKING UP A SMALL PORTION OFCASES.3:46 THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ADELAY, BECAUSE SEQUENCINGTAKES UP TO TWO WEEKS.REBEKAH BUTTERFIELD.EPIDEMIOLOGIST WITHIC RHMONDHENRICO HEALTH DISTRICTS..EXPECTS THAT WILL CHANGE.

4:01EVEN IN THE CENTRAL REGIONOF VIRGINIA D,ELTA IS MOVINGFASTER,AND WILL PROBABLY BECOMTE HEDOMINANT VARIANT HERESOON.BUTTERFIELD SAYS THE STRAINCOULDBE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THEIRSING COVID CASE COUNTS IN THESTATE.PARTICULA RLY INUNVACCINATED AREAS..18:46 THE LONGER WE, WE HAVEUNPROTECTED POPULATIONS, THEMORE OF THESE VARIANTS WE'REGOING TO SEE.AND THAT'S GOING TODISRUPT OUR LIVES THIS COMES ASGOVERNOR RALPHNORTHAM IS EXPECTED TO RELEASEUPDATED GUIDANCE ONMASKS IN SCHOOLS WEDNESDAY.TWODAYS AFTER THE AMERICAN ACADEMYOF PEDIATRICSRECOMMENDED MASKS BE WORN BYEVERYONE TWO YEARS AND OLDER.4:10 EVERY ITME IT SPREADS TOSOMEONE THERE'S A CHANCE FORMUTATION..VCU PEDIATRICIANDR TIFFANY KIMBROUGH SAYS THEAAP'S GUIDANCE TOWEAR A MASK COMES DOWN TO ADDINGAN EXTRA LAYER OFPROTECTION ..TO KEEP KIDS SAFE.AND IN CLASSROOMS.4:12 DELTA IS SOMETHING THAT'RWEE ALL KEEPING OUR EYES ONANDWE'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THENEXT FEW WEEKS AND GOING INTOTHE BEGINNING F OTHE SCHOOL YEARIS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AS THOSECASES CONTINUE TO GO BACK UPAGAINDROP SUPER IN A STATEMENT TOCBS 6 DEPUTYDIRECTOR DR.LAURIE FORLANO SAYS IN PARTQUOTE FS "THE AMERICAN ACADEMYOF PEDIATRICS IS AN IMPORTANTPARTNER TO VDH AND WE WILLCONSIDER THEIR RECOMMENDATION SAS WE FINALIZE OUR K-12GUIDANCE.."HEALTH OFFICIALS ALL OVERCONTINUING TO STRESS THEIMPORTANCE OF VACCINATION.

WITHTHE VDH REPORTING MORETHAN 99 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLETESTING POSITEIV IN THE STATE.AREUNVACCINATED OR NOT FULLYVACCINATED.