RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — In a new development, COVID-19 cases in Virginia have more than doubled over the past month, according to recent reports from state health officials.
This sharp increase is attributed to a combination of intense summer heat and the emergence of a new, rapidly mutating variant known as FLiRT.
Data from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reveals a significant surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases. On June 8, the state recorded 638 cases — but by July 6, this number had risen to 1,247, marking a dramatic increase in less than a month.
Health experts suggest that the extreme heat is leading more people to stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces, which inadvertently fosters the spread of the virus. Additionally, the new FLiRT variant is evolving at such a fast pace that current vaccines are struggling to keep up.
Heather Harmon-Sloan, head of the VDH’s COVID-19 unit, highlighted the challenges posed by this new variant.
“We know COVID mutates often, [and] very quickly,” she said.