MONTGOMERY COUNTY. Va – An uptick in COVID-19 cases in the New River Valley is mostly being caused by social gatherings, according to New River Health District Director Noelle Bissell.
The rise in cases has caused several school divisions in the region to transition to online learning, but Bissell says transmission isn’t happening in the classroom.
“Across the district, it’s primarily spreading through social gatherings and in some of our religious services. We know how to control it, if we watch our distance and seek outside or inside well-ventilated areas, if we wear a mask and wash our hands,” Bissell said.
Bissell says the rise in cases is also likely reflective of outbreaks in long-term care facilities and as cases continue to rise, it gets hard to track them.