Explosion of overdose deaths reported in Hampton Roads throughout the pandemic By: Margaret Kavanagh and last updated 2021-02-23 18:45:44-05 HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - There has been a disturbing number of deadly overdoses in Hampton Roads throughout the past year. News 3 has been digging into this issue and learned more about the troubling trend. Experts told News 3 the COVID-19 pandemic has taken the spotlight away from other societal issues like substance abuse. New data from the Virginia Medical Examinerâs Office shows that there has been an explosion of deaths during the pandemic due to drug overdoses. âOverdoses and drug abuse have just skyrocketed since COVID-19. It's actually alarming; shocking numbers,â said Carolyn Weems, a local activist and member of the Virginia Beach School Board. She lost her daughter to drugs seven years ago.