VaNews
May 5, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Terri Lynch
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Thanks to all the human services staff and volunteers who are going to people’s homes to offer help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Top of the News


** Northam says he’ll probably ease some restrictions in Virginia on May 15 ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, LAURA VOZZELLA AND FENIT NIRAPPIL, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam extended the state's business shutdown through May 14 on Monday but said he expects to begin rolling back restrictions after that, marking the Washington region's first shift toward the next phase of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
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** State Officials: Social Distancing Prevents 35,000+ COVID-19 Cases in Fairfax County ([link removed])
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By FATIMAH WASEEM, Reston Now

State officials say that social distancing has prevented nearly 36,602 cases in Fairfax County so far. By June 10, that number is expected to balloon to nearly 134,681, according to the new data released by the Virginia Department of Health. The department estimates that community mitigation strategies have prevented 203,669 confirmed cases statewide — with nearly one million cases prevented by June 10. Virginia State Gov. Ralph Northam’s stay-at-home order is expected to expire that day.
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** Virginia National Guard teams testing residents and staff at long-term care facilities ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Master Sgt. Stephen Legge waited anxiously as three people dressed head to toe in white Tyvek suits rolled a cart toward him, preparing to stick a long swab into his nostrils.
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** Virginia Beach to suspend pre-applications for program preventing evictions during COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia Beach will suspend pre-applications at noon Tuesday for a program created to prevent evictions for low- and moderate-income renters experiencing financial hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic. Plans for the program were unveiled last week after the Virginia Beach City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to appropriate $2 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27.
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** Abingdon cuts 13 full-time, 64 part-time jobs ([link removed])
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By JOE TENNIS, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Thirteen full-time Abingdon employees and 64 part-time workers have been laid off as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Abingdon Town Mayor Wayne Craig announced Monday. That number includes employees at Coomes Recreation Center and the town’s tourism department.
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** Mike Pence praises DOJ action siding with Va. church cited for 16-person worship service ([link removed])
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By JEFF MORDOCK AND DAVE BOYER, Washington Times

Vice President Mike Pence on Monday cheered the Justice Department for siding with a Virginia church that challenged Gov. Ralph Northam’s ban on in-person religious services of more than 10 people. The Justice Department’s intervention with a statement of interest in support of the church is one of the first moves under Attorney General William Barr’s order for federal prosecutors to be on the lookout for coronavirus restrictions that infringe on religious freedom or other rights.
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** Secluded Chesapeake Bay island keeps eye on virus from afar ([link removed])
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By BEN FINLEY, Associated Press

Inez Pruitt has watched the coronavirus spread throughout the world from the relative safety of Tangier Island, a small fishing community in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. But the virus is now as close it can get without crossing the water, infecting people on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland. “I feel like if we got COVID, it would be devastating,” said Pruitt, a physician assistant who operates the island’s health clinic.
The Full Report
29 articles, 18 publications

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** FROM VPAP
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** From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Data from the Virginia Department of Health shows a timeline of COVID-19 cases and statewide map showing the number of cases and deaths by locality. VPAP has added daily hospital utilization data from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. Updated each morning shortly after 9:00 a.m.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Northam extends business closure order, announces plans to reopen as of May 15 ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday that his earlier order closing some nonessential businesses — including salons, gyms, tattoo parlors, restaurant dining rooms and theaters — would be extended to the evening of May 14, allowing them to reopen that Friday. Maybe.
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** Northam orders non-essential businesses closed for another week, but says reopening could begin next Friday ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Virginia could move on to the first phase of the state’s reopening by the end of next week, if current COVID-19 trends hold, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. Nonessential businesses required to close until May 8 will now remain shuttered until May 14, at which point Northam expects the state will be ready to kick off a phased reopening, he said.
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** Northam: Virginia businesses to remain closed at least until May 14 ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Virginia businesses will remain closed until at least May 14, and Gov. Ralph Northam said Monday he has no plans to ease restrictions in rural areas before other parts of the state. Northam outlined a three-phase plan to allow retail stores, restaurants, gyms, personal care salons and other businesses to open to the public, barring a reversal in current trends of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
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** Northam: Restrictions could be eased next week ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday that he anticipates Virginia will begin to ease restrictions on businesses as early as next week. Northam extended his executive order that closed restaurants, entertainment businesses, hair salons and other businesses from May 8 to 14. If current COVID-19 trends continue to hold, lifting some restrictions could begin at that point, Northam said.
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** Virginia governor extends business closures another week ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said he anticipates nonessential businesses in the state reopening on May 15, saying more time is still needed to help contain the coronavirus pandemic. Northam announced Monday that he is extending by another week an executive order mandating that some nonessential businesses close and banning large gatherings.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Dominion expects bills to rise to pay for renewable mandates ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Customers of Dominion Energy Virginia can expect their bills to increase by an average of about 3% annually over the next 10 years as the company changes its generation mix to comply with new renewable energy mandates, Dominion recently told regulators and lawmakers. Virginia’s largest utility included that finding in the integrated resource plan it filed Friday.
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** Local banks report success in second round of SBA loans ([link removed])
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By MATT WELCH, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

With the second round of coronavirus relief loans through the Small Business Administration well underway, two locally headquartered banks are reporting success with local loan approvals. Across the board, loan sizes seem to be smaller in the second go-around. Berryville-based Bank of Clarke County said its approved loans are averaging $100,000 per loan.
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** Three Norwegian cruise ships are docked in Portsmouth through June, but they have no passengers ([link removed])
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By ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Three Norwegian Cruise Line ships are docked at Portsmouth Marine Terminal and will stay through the end of June, according to officials from the Port of Virginia. The three ships — the Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Spirit and Norwegian Encore — will take berth space during the cruise industry’s voluntary suspension of U.S. operations.
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** Richmond-area businesses pivot to make and sell masks - and to donate them ([link removed])
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By GREGORY J. GILLIGAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Ledbury has learned to pivot its business in the era of the coronavirus. The Richmond-based maker and retailer of high-end men’s shirts and accessories shifted from making its signature upscale shirts to producing thousands of masks.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Virginia State Police Sees Spike in Speed-Related Fatal Crashes ([link removed])
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By MATT BLITZ, WAMU

Eight drivers were cited by Virginia State Police troopers for going more than 100 miles per hour on Saturday night — including one driver going 132 mph down I-95 in Fairfax County, double the speed limit. Excessive speeding is part of a dangerous and potentially fatal trend, says Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Pandemic provides Patrick Henry Community College the opportunity to teach future nurses in new ways ([link removed])
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By AIMEE KNOWLES, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The coronavirus may have closed the doors to the classrooms at Patrick Henry Community College, but the learning continues — particularly for those in medically related field. And first came a lesson in giving. When Gov. Ralph Northam estimated last month that an average hospital could go through 240 sets of personal protective equipment per patient per day in an intensive care unit, PHCC made that a learning opportunity for students by making a large donation to help health care workers and first responders around Martinsville and Henry County.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** UVa trial to use plasma in exploring potential COVID-19 treatment ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A new clinical trial at the University of Virginia Medical Center is testing the plasma of people who have recovered from COVID-19 to see if it could be a potential treatment for inpatients with the disease, the university announced Monday. Plasma from recovered patients, also known as convalescent plasma, has antibodies that potentially could aid in treatment and will be provided by the American Red Cross. The trial is the university’s second that has looked into virus treatments.
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** Deaths now at 10 during COVID-19 outbreak at Roanoke nursing home ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

The South Roanoke Nursing Home on Monday reported the deaths of three more residents who tested positive for COVID-19, and a Salem assisted living facility is testing all residents for the virus after at least three were hospitalized.
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** Doctors In Virginia Urge Patients Not Delay Elective Procedures Now That Ban Is Lifted ([link removed])
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By MATT BLITZ, DCist

On Friday in Virginia, for the first time since March 25, elective surgeries were allowed to proceed in the Commonwealth. Gov. Ralph Northam announced last week that he would not extend the executive order halting such procedures amid the pandemic, meaning that doctor’s offices and hospitals were free to begin performing them again. . . . Doctors and other medical practitioners in the state say they’re glad the ban on elective surgeries has been lifted — waiting too long to schedule serious surgeries could have a detrimental effect on people’s health, several physicians told DCist.
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** Protecting the Most Vulnerable in Virginia’s Appalachia ([link removed])
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By DAVID KIDD, Governing

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the military killed or wounded while serving. Mack Kiser of Coeburn, Va., which is located deep in the Appalachian part of the state, earned four of them in Vietnam. He also has a Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal, among several others. Mack returned to Virginia from Southeast Asia with a host of medical issues caused by exposure to agent orange. Shrapnel has left him legally blind. . . . As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to put a strain on the country’s health-care system, those living in more remote locations like southwestern Virginia, are having to deal with their own special set of circumstances.
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** Loudoun public libraries use 3D printers to make face shields for health workers, first responders ([link removed])
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By WILL VITKA, WTOP

Public libraries in Loudoun County, Virginia, are using 3D printers to create face shields for health care workers and first responders on the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic. The Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust and Sterling branches are expected to produce between 1,000 to 1,200 face shields per week utilizing Makerspace equipment, according to a release.
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** Food Banks Race to Meet COVID-19 Demand ([link removed])
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By ALEXANDER BROENING, WCVE

Food banks in Virginia are ramping up their efforts as the COVID-19 pandemic puts more people out of work. Feed More, a nonprofit headquartered in Richmond, has managed to increase its production despite initial setbacks. Many Feed More volunteers were older, and consequently more vulnerable to the coronavirus. The food bank had to reorganize to replace them, but their efforts paid off. In the last month, Feed More has seen an influx of more than 500 new volunteers – allowing them to continue their full operations.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** ‘Safe’ Becomes Rural Tourism Pitch to a Distancing Public ([link removed])
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By NAT IVES, Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

Travel marketing largely went quiet as people huddled at home to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus and slow its advance. But as hints of a reopening grow, some rural destinations are seeing their remote seclusion as a selling point in anxious times. “Eventually we get to choose our isolation,” reads a magazine ad promoting West Virginia, with a climber scaling a jagged slab of rock. “Back to normal seems like a daunting uphill climb,” it continues. “In West Virginia, that feeling of freedom instantly returns in wide-open spaces. Safe. Uncrowded.”


** LOCAL
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** Virginia Beach council split on budget with vote just a week away ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia Beach City Council is usually in agreement by now on what its budget should look like for the next fiscal year, but this year’s process is far from normal thanks to the global coronavirus pandemic. And next week a divided council is set to vote on a $2 billion budget that is still very much up in the air.
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** Portsmouth proposes hikes in meal tax and residential fees during coronavirus pandemic ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Portsmouth City Manager Lydia Pettis Patton is proposing hiking the city’s meal tax and several fees for residents — including on stormwater, water and sewer services — even as the government plans large budget cuts during the coronavirus pandemic. The proposals were posted to the city website a week after the City Council sought public input about Pettis Patton’s spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.
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** City To Lay Off Most Part-Time Employees ([link removed])
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Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The city of Harrisonburg plans to lay off most part-time employees, effective next week, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was part of a broader effort to reduce costs as the city's revenue streams have been sacked by the new coronavirus. According o a press release, city officials estimate that Harrisonburg will lose up to $4 million in projected local revenues this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
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** Lynchburg to delay penalty on late property taxes due to pandemic ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Property owners in the Hill City will have more time to pay local real estate taxes before facing late fees because of the coronavirus pandemic. Lynchburg City Council unanimously voted last week to defer the 10% penalty assessed on late payments due May 15 until after June 30, giving homeowners and struggling businesses a short reprieve amid the economic downturn brought on by the virus.
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** Halifax school meals sites closed after food worker tests positive ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, South Boston News & Record

Halifax County Public Schools is suspending food distribution at its four school meals sites around the county after a food services worker at the middle school tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Superintendent of Schools Mark Lineburg said the suspension of the meals sites will be in effect until Monday, May 11. “We’ll get it back [the free meals service] as soon as we can,” said Lineburg on Sunday. “We know how important it is.”

Today's Sponsor:


** Terri Lynch
------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to all the human services staff and volunteers who are going to people’s homes to offer help during the COVID-19 pandemic.


** EDITORIALS
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** Why must Southwest Virginia wait on the rest of the state? ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam, after flirting with opening Virginia regionally, has now decided against it. Instead he said Monday, “we’ll do that together.” The governor’s “we’re all in this together” approach may be heartwarming, but does it make sense? Mind you, we’re not saying Southwest Virginia is ready to reopen now —we’re not health experts and we’d rather those decisions be informed by science and not politics.
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** Public needs full account of Beach shooting ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Nearly a year since a city employee opened fire at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, killing 12 and wounding four, the public still does not have a thorough accounting of what happened. A report by the private security firm helped shed some light on what transpired, but most hoped an investigation by the city’s police department would prove more illuminating.
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** If you have to leave home, slow down ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

On Saturday, the Virginia State Police (VSP) shared a staggering post on its Facebook page. A state trooper recently pulled over a driver on Interstate 95 in Fairfax County. The person was clocked at 124 miles per hour (MPH) in a 55 MPH zone. That alleged perpetrator was not alone. On Sunday, another post detailed how eight drivers were pulled over Saturday evening for traveling more than 100 MPH.


** OP-ED
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** Barnes: Home health workers need help, protection ([link removed])
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By JOYCE BARNES, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Many people have been using the language of war to describe our nation’s battle with coronavirus. Home care workers such as myself are the soldiers in the trenches and on the front lines. I care for two clients in their 60s who are at high risk from the outbreak. One is recovering from a debilitating stroke, and the other is a double amputee with diabetes.

Joyce Barnes, a resident of Sandston, has been a home care worker for 30 years.
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** Reilly: Data and evidence must guide COVID-19 response ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL S. REILLY, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

This past Friday, we reached the end of the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s recommendation that called on every American to “help slow the virus’ spread and keep our most high-risk populations safe” by committing to social distancing, and following the directions of state and local authorities for 30 days.

Michael S. Reilly served in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) from 2002 to 2008, including three years as the associate deputy secretary
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