Dear Jack,

I'm wishing the best for you and your family during this difficult time. Every Monday, I'll be sending you updates on what the COVID-19 situation looks like in Virginia, and the latest news on what we're doing to stop the spread and help those who are impacted by the virus.

Executive Order 53 & 55, and Reopening Virginia

Last week, Governor Northam extended Executive Order 53, which closes nonessential businesses, by an additional two weeks, until May 8th. Governor Northam's Executive Order 55, which directs Virginians to stay at home except for essential activities, remains in effect until June 10th.

We have gotten many comments recently asking me to encourage Governor Northam to reopen Virginia and allow businesses to operate normally again. I know that many workers and business owners are struggling right now to make ends meet, and we all want to get back to normal.

Governor Northam and the White House are in agreement that we must see a downward trend in new cases for 14 days before taking steps to start reopening businesses and schools. Unfortunately, we have not seen that yet in Virginia. As soon as we start to see a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, we can have the conversation about what our next steps will be in reopening the state. 

What all of this means is, the sooner we can prevent the spread of new infections, the sooner we can all get back to normal. The fastest way out, is through. If we commit ourselves to staying at home, socially distancing, wearing masks when we go out, and washing our hands, we can prevent the virus from spreading out of control, save lives, and shorten the amount of time before we can open businesses again.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

As I wrote last week, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program is part of the federal CARES Act, and is intended to help independent contractors, self-employed people, and gig workers who are not eligible for traditional unemployment. As of this week, there is now a dedicated page to apply for this program on the VEC website. You can apply for PUA here: https://www.vec.virginia.gov/html/pua.html

NVCC JumpStart

This summer, Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) will be using its federal stimulus money to offer tuition-free summer online courses to over 70,000 Northern Virginia high school students as part of its JumpStart program. You can read more about this program and the courses NVCC is offering here: https://www.nvcc.edu/news/press-releases/2020/JumpStart.html?fbclid=IwAR2dGCu37Daiu3-cjUHb1vvoDVCHEKVRXFHe2D40iZZsR3jtczF1i1vIPk4

Tele-Town Hall

On Thursday, April 23rd from 6:30-8pm, I will be hosting a Tele-Town Hall and taking questions directly from constituents. You can dial in to the call at (855)756-7520, and the code is 59419#. There will be volunteers waiting to take your questions so that I can answer them live on the call.

Coronavirus Numbers (4/20):

SD13/Virginia Coronavirus Updates

We have launched a new page on my website, senatorbell.com, for COVID-19 information: https://www.senatorbell.com/covid-19 

Here, you can find important health and safety updates, as well as resources for workers and employers impacted by COVID-19.

The Commonwealth of Virginia also has its own website for COVID-19 information and updates: 

http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/

Here, you can follow the latest updates on what Virginia is doing to combat the spread of COVID-19 and help those affected by the crisis.

As always, please reach out to my office if you need any assistance. My Senate email address is [email protected] and my in-district phone number is (571) 367-9080. I hope you and your family are able to stay safe and healthy during these challenging times.

Sincerely,