COVID-19 Cases Among VA Patients at All-Time High: Midwest Facilities Hardest Hit

A record-breaking number of COVID-19 cases was reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday, Stars and Stripes reported.

The agency said it had 6,890 active cases, which includes veterans and VA employees; the previous high was about 6,400 in mid-July, Stars and Stripes reported. Cases increased 10% since Monday, the news outlet reported.

According to agency data, 81 more veterans and two employees died since Tuesday, bringing the total deaths to 4,098 veterans and 64 employees since the start of the pandemic.

The news outlet reported the Minneapolis VA hospital has the most cases across the VA system, with 203 patients currently sick with the virus — up 8.5% from Tuesday. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was second, with 196 patients, an increase of 7% from Tuesday.

Though active cases are rising higher than ever, VA Press Secretary Christina Noel told the news outlet that for the month of October, hospitalizations of coronavirus patients reached a low point of 15%.

But they are on the rise, the news outlet reported, increasing by more than 20% over the past week — bringing the total to 606 veterans hospitalized with the virus on Thursday.

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