COVID-19 cases across Virginia climb to at least 1,706

As of Thursday, April 2, the Virginia Department of Health has received 1,706 positive or presumptive positive tests for COVID-19 across the commonwealth.

On Monday, when the case total was at 1,020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam

by signing

, effectively instructing all Virginians to stay home except for essential needs.

Virginia remains under a state of emergency until June 10, and Northam's previous order that closed many non-essential businesses,

, remains in place.

Currently, someone who hosts a gathering of more than 10 people in violation of the governor's orders can be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

All elective surgeries have also been postponed in Virginia hospitals through a public health order signed by Northam on March 25, designed to help preserve critical equipment like ventilators and personal protective gear.

By the second day of April, the Virginia Department of Health had confirmed 1,706 cases of COVID-19 across the commonwealth. Virginia crossed the 1,000-case threshold on Monday.

Those positive test results are out of 17,589 people that have been tested in Virginia.

At this point, 246 Virginians have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus, and 41 have died of causes related to the disease. That's an increase of nearly 40 hospitalizations since the day before and 7 deaths.

The

is updating with the latest statewide numbers at 9 a.m. each day.

The numbers that appear on that list are based on the cases that had been submitted to the department by 5 p.m. the previous day, so there is always some lag between when local health districts announce positive test results and when the department's numbers reflect those new results.

For instance, the numbers released on March 30 and March 31 did not show the

by the Central Shenandoah Health District on March 29.

In our area, as of April 2, there were at least 7 confirmed cases in Augusta County, 15 cases in Harrisonburg, 14 cases in Rockingham County, 2 cases in Page County, 10 cases in Shenandoah County, 1 case in Staunton, 2 cases in Waynesboro, 16 cases in Frederick County, 5 cases in Winchester, and 2 cases in Rockbridge County.

Just to the east, there have been at least 23 cases in Albemarle County, 17 in Charlottesville, 1 in Greene County, and 8 in Nelson County.

Thursday's state website update still did not show the one case in Staunton that the Central Shenandoah Health District

, though it had updated to show two cases in Augusta County. It also showed the two cases that were

.

Rather than rely on the VDH map, considering those lapses in communication with local districts, we're reporting local numbers directly from our health districts.

More cases throughout our area were confirmed on Wednesday too.

that they had received their first two positive results from tests administered at their hospital. However, the hospital provided no specific information on the patients, including their places of residence, which determines where cases appear on the VDH breakdown.

Dr. Laura Kornegay, the director of the Central Shenandoah Health District, says their district is thoroughly investigating each of the COVID-19 cases identified at Augusta Health to identify anyone who may have been in close contact with the patients and have them take necessary steps to avoid further spread of the coronavirus.

Anyone who was exposed will be notified by the Virginia Department of Health and told what they need to do.

There had already been two cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Augusta County prior to April 1, but neither of those test results were for patients who had been tested at Augusta Health. Instead, it's likely their testing was done through a commercial lab.

As of March 26, Augusta Health

to increase testing capacity for the Augusta County area through the tests developed by UVA researchers.

There's no word on whether either of the two newly confirmed cases may have been the second McKee Foods employee who tested positive or the newly identified case in a Western State Hospital staff member.

On Wednesday, McKee Foods

that a second employee of their Stuarts Draft facility had tested positive for COVID-19.

The company said the new case was not directly related to the first case, however, and that they're reaching out to all employees the person with the most recent case may have come into contact with to have them take the proper CDC-recommended precautions, including self-isolation.

Company spokesperson Mike Gloekler said the new patient was a long-haul driver and completely separate from manufacturing. That driver had also not been in any facilities since March 20, according to Gloekler.

Gloekler says McKee Foods continues to "run increased cleaning and sanitation protocols" and that they're carefully monitoring employee health.

He said the company sees no indication of any need to stop operations of the facility at this point, as they carry out their "mandate to keep grocery shelves stocked."

The first case confirmed at McKee Foods, over this past weekend, was for a patient from Nelson County, so that case was listed among Nelson County's case total, which now stands at 8.

Also on Wednesday, Western State Hospital

that a part-time staff member had tested positive for COVID-19.

A spokesperson for the facility said they couldn't release any further details about the staff member, but that they hope for a full recovery as quickly as possible.

Western State staff is working with the Virginia Department of Health to identify any employees or patients that had close contact with the staff member and have them monitor their symptoms and take necessary precautions according to CDC guidelines.

They say they've been screening employees before each shift since March 14, in accordance with guidelines from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).

No patients at the hospital have shown any major symptoms of the coronavirus, according to staff, but Western State says they are "working to prevent possible cases and planning for what to do should there be one."

The hospital is also preparing for ways to isolate any patients should there be any positive cases there.

In West Virginia, where there have been 191 total positive cases, Hardy County

, Pendleton County

, and Grant County remains with none.

Local health districts are no longer sending individual updates for every new case, as they expect, realistically, that numbers will keep rising until we hit the peak of cases, which current models, highlighted by Gov. Northam on Wednesday, don't project until most likely some time in May.

Our Virginia counties are primarily served by the Central Shenandoah Health District, which covers Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge and Rockingham counties, as well as the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and Waynesboro; and the Lord Fairfax Health District, which covers Shenandoah, Page, Frederick, Warren, and Clarke counties, as well as the city of Winchester.

According to the department's April 2 breakdown, 17,589 people in Virginia had been tested for the virus, with 1,706 positive results. That testing number was an increase of more than 2,000 from the previous day, as testing capacity across Virginia has improved over the past week.

Their breakdown and location map, available to the public

, has a graph showing the number of illnesses in the state by the date the illnesses themselves began, as well as breakdowns by demographics.

For instance, only 13 of Virginia's confirmed cases have been in children 9 and under, and only 26 cases in children 10-19.

Here's the full breakdown of cases as of 9:15 a.m. on April 2, starting with our most local cases and then broken down by health districts across the state (Note that not all cases confirmed by local districts yet appear on the statewide list):

• Augusta County - 2

• Harrisonburg - 15

• Rockbridge County - 2

• Rockingham County - 11

• Staunton - 1

• Waynesboro - 2

• Clarke County - 1

• Frederick County - 16

• Page County - 2

• Shenandoah County - 10

• Warren County - 3

• Winchester - 5

• Albemarle County - 23

• Charlottesville - 17

• Fluvanna County - 4

• Greene County - 1

• Louisa County - 12

• Nelson County - 8

• Culpeper County - 6

• Fauquier County - 8

• Madison County - 3

• Orange County - 4

• Alexandria City - 33

• Alleghany County - 2

• Botetourt County - 8

• Covington - 1

• Roanoke County - 4

• Salem - 1

• Arlington County - 128

• Amherst County - 6

• Bedford County - 3

• Campbell County - 2

• Lynchburg - 9

• Chesapeake City - 39

• Chesterfield County - 73

• Powhatan County - 4

• Charles City County - 4

• Goochland County - 9

• Hanover County - 8

• New Kent - 3

• Greensville - 3

• Hopewell - 5

• Petersburg - 4

• Prince George County - 8

• Surry - 1

• Sussex - 1

• Tazewell - 2

• Accomack County - 10

• Northampton - 1

• Fairfax County - 328

• Hampton City - 16

• Henrico County - 87

• Lee County - 2

• Loudoun County - 121

• Bristol - 1

• Carroll County - 1

• Galax - 1

• Smyth County - 2

• Washington County - 2

• Wythe County - 2

• Montgomery County - 1

• Radford City - 1

• Norfolk - 37

• James City County - 97

• Newport News - 33

• Poquoson - 3

• Williamsburg - 9

• York County - 17

• Amelia County - 4

• Buckingham County - 2

• Cumberland County - 1

• Nottoway - 1

• Prince Edward County - 2

• Danville - 7

• Pittsylvania County - 1

• Portsmouth - 16

• Manassas City - 2

• Manassas Park - 1

• Prince William County - 117

• Fredericksburg - 2

• King Georrge County - 4

• Spotsylvania County - 9

• Stafford County - 28

• Richmond - 52

• Roanoke City - 9

• Brunswick County - 1

• Halifax County - 1

• Mecklenburg County - 5

• Gloucester County - 8

• King and Queen - 1

• King William County - 1

• Lancaster County - 1

• Matthews - 2

• Northumberland - 3

• Virginia Beach - 111

• Franklin County - 6

• Henry County - 2

• Franklin City - 1

• Isle of Wight County - 8

• Southampton - 2

• Suffolk - 6

In Northam's Monday briefing, he announced that he was immediately implementing a 'Stay at Home' order for Virginia, taking effect from March 30 until June 10, unless it's later amended or rescinded.

The move came after Maryland's governor announced a similar order in the morning. West Virginia and North Carolina each already had similar orders in place before Monday.

The order Northam announced in his press conference is

.

It, essentially, means that Virginians can only leave home for food, supplies, work, medical care, or exercise/fresh air purposes.

Only leave home if you have an essential reason to do so — Going to visit a friend for a poker game would not be essential. Going to visit a friend to help care for them because they have a broken leg would be essential. Exercise common sense about what is or isn't essential, and if it isn't, then don't go out.

You're still free to leave the house to get groceries or go to the pharmacy. You're also still free to go on a run or go for a hike, so long as you're following social distancing. But if you're not doing something essential and if you're not following social distancing orders, then just don't do it.

“Our message to Virginians is clear: stay home. We know this virus spreads primarily through human-to-human contact, and that’s why it’s so important that people follow this order and practice social distancing," Northam said.

It doesn't mean you have to be barred inside your home and cannot leave at all; but it does mean you should limit leaving homes as much as possible.

Last Friday, when asked why he had not issued a 'Stay at Home' order at that time, Gov. Northam said, "We're talking semantics here."

Northam said his message, repeatedly each day, had been to tell Virginians to stay at home, and that that was the same message that all states were giving.

But on Monday, the governor said after seeing people not following social distancing guidelines and packing beaches and trails, he was changing course and issuing an order.

"This was a suggestion," Northam said. "Today, it's an order."

Anyone holding a gathering of more than 10 people can be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor while the order is in place. That's through the previous Executive Order 53, which closed many non-essential business across Virginia.

Any violations of the parts of the order requiring the cancellation of in-person college classes, the closure of public beaches, and the closure of short-term stays at overnight campgrounds can also be charged as Class 1 misdemeanors.

The language from Gov. Northam's previous executive order, Executive Order 53, remains in place, which allows restaurants and "non-essential" brick-and-mortar retail stores to continue operating, so long as they limit people in any space to 10 and stick to delivery, takeout, and pickup services at restaurants.

Any business that cannot follow the social distancing order of 10 patrons or fewer is required to close, according to Northam.

Governor Northam started Wednesday's briefing by addressing questions that he's received about the 'Stay at Home' order issued on Monday.

Northam acknowledged that the June 10 date set for the order to end is significantly later than the dates set in most other states with similar orders.

"My strategy has always been to plan for the worst and hope for the best," the governor said.

He said that date, the same as the current ending date for Virginia's state of emergency, is to help Virginians prepare for the long haul, considering the reality of data on COVID-19.

Northam cited models that currently project that Virginia's cases will reach their peak by late April into late May.

"For now, we are at the beginning of this virus," Northam said.

The governor said he hopes he'll be able to lift the order early if the situation changes enough before June 10.

Considering the models projecting the peak of cases in April or May, Northam said that's exactly why it's so important for everyone to stay home to make it as difficult as possible for the virus to latch on to a host.

Essentially, Northam said the order means, "Stay at home. Don't go out if you don't need to. . . Go out when you need to and not when you want to."

The governor reiterated that Virginians who don't adhere to the ongoing order limiting gatherings to fewer than 10 people can be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Gov. Northam said the Army Corps of Engineers has worked with the Virginia state government to evaluate 41 sites across Virginia for places that could be converted into field hospitals to care for surpluses of patients to assist surge planning for hospitals in areas with clusters of cases.

Northam said they identified an Exxon Mobil facility in Fairfax, the Hampton Convention Center, and a site in the Richmond area as possible sites.

At this point, no locations have been surveyed west of Richmond because the concentrations of cases in Virginia have thus far been in central, northern, or eastern Virginia. However, state officials said engineers will be heading to the Charlottesville and Roanoke areas in the days to come.

Decisions will be made on those locations by Virginia's Friday briefing.

State health officials said they're getting requests from all quarters of the supply chain to get more protective gear to the front line medical workers responding to COVID-19.

When asked how much PPE the state needs, Northam said, "We need as much as we can get, bottom line."

Northam said the state received its 3rd shipment of PPE from the national stockpile on Wednesday and is working with private corporations across Virginia to get more out to local hospitals.

Virginia has local elections coming up in May and Congressional primaries coming up on June 9, both before the end of the Virginia 'Stay at Home' order.

Northam said he considers elections to be a fundamental democratic event and is encouraging all Virginians to use absentee voting to vote by mail.

You can request an absentee ballot online

.

Dr. Norm Oliver, Virginia's state health commissioner, said we're currently seeing clusters of high numbers of cases in northern Virginia and in central Virginia, as well as the peninsula region.

Dr. Oliver said that there are 108 COVID-19 patients currently on ventilator support across Virginia.

In addition, Dr. Oliver said the state government is working with UVA researchers, who have built a model currently being used by federal agencies to project the 'curve' of cases across the country.

With their help, the state health department plans to have state-level models by Friday's press briefing.

The governor said that the state government is working everyday to improve access to testing across the commonwealth, especially leading up to the projected peak of cases in late April or May when it will be most needed.

With April 1 as the day many people across Virginia have mortgage and rent payments due, Northam said the Supreme Court of Virginia's declaration of a judicial emergency last month suspended all non-emergency court proceedings, and that included suspending all eviction orders through at least April 26.

With Easter, Passover, and Ramadan all coming up in April, Gov. Northam said faith is more important than ever for many people, but "for the safety of everyone, we need to find other ways to celebrate right now."

He specifically mentioned the online services and drive-in services many churches, synagogues, and mosques have been providing in the last few weeks as great examples.

Specific suggestions from faith leaders will be presented in the state briefing on Friday, Northam added.

Northam ended the main portion of his briefing, before questions, by thanking the workers on the front line of the coronavirus outbreak, including grocery store employees, school employees delivering meals, first responders, and many others. He also thanked all the Virginians who have volunteered time and effort in this time.

A group of Virginia businesses submitted a petition on Wednesday for Gov. Northam to delay the implementation of several laws passed by the General Assembly earlier this spring, including a minimum wage hike.

When asked about that request, Gov. Northam said his administration is getting input from business owners, advocacy groups, local governments, and more to evaluate whether to delay those new laws as a way to reduce impacts on companies and municipalities.

Dr. Lillian Peake, the Virginia state epidemiologist, has said that the Virginia Department of Health is seeing more confirmed tests from private labs than from the state lab at this point.

However, Gov. Northam said in Friday's briefing that one major problem they have seen is that some private labs have a turnaround of 5-7 days because test processing may be handled at out-of-state facilities.

"We know that there are thousands of tests out there" that have unreported results yet, Virginia's public health secretary added.

The governor said Virginia's state lab was working to get their turnaround down to 1-2 days, and he pointed to UVA Health and VCU Medical Center as great examples

UVA Health

that they would be beginning to offer testing to additional hospitals across Virginia, including Augusta Health.

Northam said the biggest problem facing Virginia and states across the country is that there are not enough testing materials available, partially due to supply chain disruptions in Asia and other international markets that normally provide medical supplies.

The state government, along with Maryland and Washington, D.C. have asked the Trump administration to establish a federal testing site in the northern Virginia area, where Virginia has seen some of its highest concentrations of cases and where many federal workers live as well.

Virginia's public health secretary said the positive test rate for COVID-19 is only around 7-8 percent, but all the patients being tested have to self-isolate, so testing turnaround time is key to understand where the disease is in Virginia and how to prevent it.

He and the governor tied bringing that time down not only to testing supplies themselves, but to the lack of availability of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Gov. Northam and state health officials emphasized that there are currently not enough protective materials for doctors, nurses, and all medical providers testing for and treating COVID-19.

Northam said the reality is that state governments are bidding against each other, bidding against the federal government, and even having to bid against health systems to try to get increased supplies of protective gear from the distributors that have it.

The governor said he encouraged President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to ramp up U.S. production of PPE to help Virginia and all other states in the country.

He also thanked private corporations like Home Depot and Dominion Energy for donating tens of thousands of PPE supplies to medical providers.

If you have supplies that can be donated, Northam said you can use

to learn how to donate them.

The state government is also working with Virginia-based manufacturers to make more equipment available throughout Virginia.

According to state finance leaders, the CARES Act that was passed by the House of Representatives just a few minutes before Northam's press conference began on Friday will provide at least $1.8 million directly to Virginia's COVID-19 response.

When many non-essential businesses were shut down across Virginia and the state government provided a list of essential business categories, it was

.

Brian Moran, the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, said that under the state operations plan, social distancing can be easily achieved at ABC stores, where a 10-patron limit is being enforced for the amount of people in ABC stores at any given time.

Gov. Northam said that after his call for more people who are able and willing to volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corps at

earlier this week, the corps received applications for more than 650 volunteers in just two days.

That followed more than 1,500 people volunteering in the previous month.

Northam said he is "so proud of Virginians" for stepping up to volunteer.

The state is asking for volunteers with medical experience, as well as medical students or student nurses.

Gov. Northam and State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA directed all Virginia hospitals to stop performing elective surgeries and procedures in order to help conserve supplies of personal protective equipment.

The direction came in

.

The order does not apply to any procedure if the delay would cause harm to a patient and does not apply to outpatient visits in hospital-based clinics, family planning services, or emergency needs.

“Hospitals and medical facilities in Virginia and around the country are in desperate need of additional masks, gowns, gloves, and other personal protective equipment,” said Governor Northam. “While we work to increase our supply, it makes sense to decrease the demand on that equipment where we can. Postponing elective surgeries allows us to divert more PPE to the medical staff who are dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak so we can better protect the men and men on the front lines of this public health emergency, fighting to keep us all safe.”

Licensed inpatient and outpatient surgical hospitals, free-standing endoscopy centers, physicians’ offices, and dental, orthodontic, and endodontic offices may perform any procedure or surgery that if delayed or canceled would result in the patient’s condition worsening.

Outpatient surgical hospitals are encouraged to work with local inpatient hospitals to assist with surge capacity needs.

Gov. Northam announced that all Virginia state parks will be day-use only, meaning that all cabins, campgrounds, and bath houses at state parks will be effectively closed.

That order will last until at least April 30.

According to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, all reservations for stays at state parks will be canceled and reservation holders will receive automatic refunds.

The parks themselves will remain open as "an essential good to the general public for day-use activities such as hiking, biking, wildlife viewing and exercise."

Anyone using the parks in those ways is asked to keep the following in mind:

• Stay close to home.

• Guests should bring their own soap and hand sanitizer to use during day-use visits.

• Groups and gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited and these restrictions will enforced by park staff.

• Guests should keep a distance of at least 6 feet from others at all times. While on trails, alert others of your presence and step aside to let others pass at a safe distance.

• Parking fees remain in place. Guests should be prepared to self-pay with cash or check at the contact station.

In Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's 2 p.m. press conference on March 23, he announced that all K-12 public schools across the commonwealth would be ordered to remain closed at least through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Previously, Northam had

and said that the commonwealth would reevaluate as that date got closer.

By Monday afternoon, bordering states to Virginia, including North Carolina and West Virginia, had already taken similar measures to close schools.

“This is an unprecedented situation, and it requires unprecedented actions to protect public health and save lives,” said Governor Northam.

According to Northam and state officials, the Virginia Department of Education will issue guidance to help individual school districts execute plans to carry on instruction for students while ensuring that everyone is served equitably, regardless of income level, access to technology, English learner status, or special needs.

Officials say that will include options for instruction through summer programming, integrating instruction into coursework next year, and allowing students to make up content.

This includes options for additional instruction through summer programming, integrating instruction into coursework next year, and allowing students to make up content.

Individual school districts will determine next steps as to how to proceed with graduation for seniors.

The state has already applied to the Department of Education

.

School districts across our area have stepped up in recent weeks to continue providing meals to students while they're at home. You can find

.

Northam also announced on Monday that he would be signing

, which would take effect at the end of Tuesday (11:59 p.m. on March 24) ordering some non-essential services, including all recreation and entertainment services, to close.

The order covers three categories of businesses:

1. Recreational and entertainment businesses, like bowling alleys and theaters, which must close their doors by midnight on Tuesday.

2. Non-essential retail stores, which are allowed to remain open so long as they can limit patrons to 10 at most, maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet, and follow CDC guidelines on sanitation.

3. Restaurants and food service establishments, which can remain open for carry-out, curbside pickup, or delivery, but not in-house dining.

Hair salons, barbers, massage therapists and similar non-essential services who can't feasibly carry out social distancing must close.

Dining and on-site alcohol establishments are allowed to keep operating through delivery and takeout services, but must close on-site dining to the public. That includes restaurants, food courts, farmers markets, breweries, distilleries, vineyards, and tasting rooms.

Grocery stores, health services, businesses in supply chains, and other essential businesses will be able to remain open no matter what. Virginia ABC stores are also considered an essential service, Northam clarified in response to a reporter's question.

The construction industry and construction supply stores are also considered essential services.

Here's a comprehensive list of businesses considered essential that may remain open during normal hours:

• Grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers that sell food and beverage products or pharmacy products, including dollar stores, and department stores with grocery or pharmacy operations;

• Medical, laboratory, and vision supply retailers;

• Electronic retailers that sell or service cell phones, computers, tablets, and other communications technology;

• Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers as well as automotive repair facilities;

• Home improvement, hardware, building material, and building supply retailers;

• Lawn and garden equipment retailers;

• Beer, wine, and liquor stores;

• Retail functions of gas stations and convenience stores;

• Retail located within healthcare facilities;

• Banks and other financial institutions with retail functions;

• Pet stores and feed stores;

• Printing and office supply stores; and

• Laundromats and dry cleaners.

All essential businesses must still adhere to social distancing as much as possible and implement enhanced sanitation practices.

According to a press release issued by Northam's office following the briefing, the following list of businesses must close to the public as off 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday:

• Theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues, museums, and other indoor entertainment centers;

• Fitness centers, gymnasiums, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities;

• Beauty salons, barber shops, spas, massage parlors, tanning salons, tattoo shops, and any other location where personal care or personal grooming services are performed that would not allow compliance with social distancing guidelines to remain six feet apart;

• Racetracks and historic horse racing facilities;

• Bowling alleys, skating rinks, arcades, amusement parks, trampoline parks, fairs, arts and craft facilities, aquariums, zoos, escape rooms, indoor shooting ranges, public and private social clubs, and all other places of indoor public amusement.

Professional businesses not in any of the above lists must utilize telework as much as possible. Where telework is not feasible, such businesses must adhere to social distancing and other CDC guidelines.

Businesses violating the governor's order can be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

"I know the next several weeks will be difficult," Northam said. "These restrictions on non-essential businesses will create hardships on the businesses and employees affected. But they are necessary, and we do not undertake them lightly. I am calling on Virginians to sacrifice now, so that we can get through this together.”

The order will remain in effect for at least 30 days in Virginia.

State leaders said that the Virginia Employment Commission received more than 40,000 applications for unemployment from March 16-23.

They reiterated that the state's 1-week waiting period to receive benefits has been waived, as well as the regular work search requirement while so many employers remain closed due to the coronavirus.

You can find more information on unemployment claims at

.

also outlines policies for workers that have been temporarily laid off or discharged during the public health crisis.

Northam also touched on the stress and anxiety that many people are feeling due to the spread of the virus and encouraged people to call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK if they are feeling thoughts of suicide. He noted that the Disaster Stress Hotline is also available to provide counseling and support for people during an emergency like this one at 1-800-985-5990.

At this point, state health officials have confirmed that there is ongoing "community spread" of COVID-19 between Virginians, especially in distinct "clusters" of cases seen in parts of northern and eastern Virginia where the virus has been the most prevalent.

Those clusters have been detected in the northern, central, and Peninsula regions of the state.

Everyone living in those areas is asked to stay home, practice social distancing, and follow all CDC and VDH guidelines for prevention of the virus.

State leaders clarified in their March 19 conference that Medicaid coverage covers testing and treatment for patients with COVID-19.

Gov. Northam directed the Dept. of Social Services to modify Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy program, which is currently caring for 25,000 children, to increase support and flexibility for enrolled families and providers. These modifications include:

• Expanding eligibility for school-aged children currently designated for part-day care to full-day care.

• Increasing the number of paid absences from 36 to 76 days for both level 1 and level 2 providers.

• Automatically extending eligibility for families due for eligibility redetermination in the near future by 2 months and temporarily suspending the requirement for face-to-face interviews.

Northam announced on March 19 that Virginia's application to the Small Business Administration for businesses to apply to the SBA for federal disaster loans as a result of COVID-19 has been approved.

The SBA’s Disaster Loan program is designed to help small businesses and nonprofits meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot otherwise be met as a direct result of COVID-19.

To learn more about the program, the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center has

of what to know about the program. You can also find more directly through the SBA at

.

State officials said the sales taxes owed by Virginia businesses on Friday, March 20, could be extended to April for some businesses that apply to the state. The process requires applying, however.

Virginia Tax will consider requests from sales tax dealers for an extension of the due date for filing and payment of the February 2020 sales tax return due March 20, 2020. If the request is granted, Virginia Tax will allow filing and payment of such return on April 20, 2020, with a waiver of any penalties that would have applied. However, interest will accrue even if an extension is granted.

Dealers can submit a request for extension by using

.

State leadership is also extending the due date for Virginia individual and corporation tax payments to June 1. Tax returns will still be due on May 1 across Virginia, but the date for Virginians to pay any taxes owed will be extended.

Gov. Northam announced on March 19 that they would be asking Virginia State Police to suspend enforcement of vehicle inspections for the next 60 days.

Northam encouraged everyone in his March 18 address to donate blood for the American Red Cross, which

that they're seeing an extreme shortage due to thousands of canceled blood drives.

The governor said he would be donating blood Wednesday afternoon and emphasized that there's no evidence the virus can be transmitted through blood. Officials encouraged people to make an appointment at their local blood centers.

In the March 18 briefing, the governor also said the Virginia Dept. of Elections is encouraging people to vote absentee in any upcoming May elections, but is not planning at this time to postpone any elections.

The governor announced that the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) would be closing all offices (about 70 across Virginia) to the public from March 18 to April 2, at least. That closure was

.

People who have licenses or registrations expiring by May 15 will be granted 60-day extensions.

Northam also encouraged Virginians to take care of DMV tasks online, at

, if possible.

The State Corporation Commission (SCC) issued

directing utilities it regulates, such as electric, natural gas, and water companies in Virginia, to suspend service disconnections for 60 days to provide immediate relief for any customer, residential and business, who may be financially impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Some, like the SVEC, have also

.

The Supreme Court of Virginia

. From Monday, March 16 through Monday, April 6, non-essential, non-emergency court proceedings in all district and circuit courts are suspended absent a specific exemption.

This includes a prohibition on new eviction cases for tenants who are unable to pay rent as a result of COVID-19.

All non-exempted court deadlines are tolled and extended for a period of 21 days.

On March 12, Governor Ralph Northam

in response to COVID-19, with many local officials doing the same in the following days.

On March 13, he

.

All of the cancellations, postponements, and closures, locally and nationwide, are happening in hopes of “flattening the curve” of the virus.

While letting the virus spread rapidly could shorten the duration of the pandemic, it could put a lot of strain on hospitals, putting them over capacity. The goal is to keep the apex curve below hospital capacity.

Currently, there are two main reasons someone would be tested for the coronavirus: having symptoms or exposure to an infected person. In our area, requirements for testing include both symptoms and either travel to an affected area or exposure to someone with a confirmed case.

The main symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, are fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. These look a lot like the flu and the common cold, so it takes a physician to determine if testing for the virus is necessary.

For a patient, the process of being tested for the virus is easy and can potentially be done almost anywhere. It typically involves taking a swab from deep in a patient’s nasal cavity to collect cells from the back of the nose.

The sample is then sent to a lab, where it will be tested to determine if the patient’s cells are infected with the virus. The same process is used to collect a sample from a patient who is tested for flu.

Most people don't suffer much from COVID-19, but it can cause severe illness in the elderly and people with existing health problems.

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can cause mild to more severe respiratory illness. In a small proportion of patients, COVID-19 can cause death, particularly among those who are older or who have chronic medical conditions. Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Symptoms appear within 14 days of being exposed to an infectious person. COVID-19 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

To lower the risk of respiratory germ spread, including COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Health encourages the following effective behaviors:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Avoid contact with sick people.

• Avoid non-essential travel.

For the latest factual information on COVID-19, you're encouraged to check both the

and the

.