VaNews
May 29, 2020

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** Northam says next phase of reopening at least a week away ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

Looser restrictions on businesses and social gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic are still at least a week away in Virginia, the governor said Thursday. Gov. Ralph Northam said current coronavirus-related trends are “encouraging” but more data is needed before the state can start its second phase of reopening. He said the earliest the state would move into Phase 2 would be June 5.
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** Northam says a business can decline service to a customer who does not wear a mask ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday that businesses faced with a customer not wearing a mask should educate the person on the importance of face coverings, and that they can refuse service to a customer who does not comply.
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** Virginia lags in implementing extended unemployment benefits ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

When registered nurse Amanda Marsh lost her job working from her Virginia home as a health plan medical reviewer late last year, unemployment benefits helped support her family while she looked for work. Those ran out in March, so when she found out the coronavirus relief bill that Congress passed around the same time contained a provision providing up to 13 extra weeks of benefits to people like her, she was relieved.
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** The Heavy Toll of COVID-19 on Virginia's Latinx Community ([link removed])
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By CAT MODLIN-JACKSON, WVTF

At a Dairy Queen drive-through in Harrisonburg, Liz Zavala has been serving customers from behind a mask throughout the pandemic. Like most of her family members, she’s risked her safety working on the front lines. In spite of their precautions, seven of Zavala’s relatives have contracted COVID-19 including her grandmother, Cecilia, who died in May.
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** UVa hopes to return to in-person classes in August ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

At least some University of Virginia students likely will be able to return to Grounds in August, though their semester will be abnormal. In an email from President Jim Ryan on Thursday, some details of the fall semester were presented, including an on-time start to the semester of Aug. 25. Many issues — such as whether tuition and fees would increase as planned — are yet to be detailed, and all come with caveats.
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** Suffolk business owners charged after woman is shot at party with over 100 people, police say ([link removed])
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By SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

One woman was shot, several people were taken into custody for disorderly conduct and two Suffolk business owners have been charged this week after allegedly hosting a party with more than 100 people over the weekend. Police said in a Facebook post that the owners of Rennee’s Celebration Center — Jeffrey Van Townsend and Rennee Townsend — violated Gov. Ralph Northam’s executive order 44-146.17 barring large gatherings.
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** County Libraries to Start Contactless Services, Grab-and-go Pickup Next Week ([link removed])
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By FATIMAH WASEEM, Reston Now

Book lovers can check out books and pick up holds at Fairfax County Public Libraries beginning next week — albeit under different circumstances. On Monday, June 1, FCPL will kick off a curbside pickup and grab bag program. Although libraries remained closed, patrons can park in designated areas, call the bank number and pick up any items on holds. Patrons must provide their library card over the phone. Once the items have been deposited on a designated pickup table and library staff has returned to the building, items may be picked up.
The Full Report
54 articles, 28 publications

Read Online ([link removed]) 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])


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

VPAP has redesigned its COVID-19 dashboard to add additional data about testing and statewide hospital capacity. Still includes a timeline of when COVID-19 cases were confirmed, a statewide map showing the number of cases and deaths by locality and per-capita cases by ZIP Code. Updated each morning before 10:00 am.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Northam reiterates need for masks as state prepares for executive order ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday he expects people to do the right thing and wear a face covering to protect themselves and others from exposure to the coronavirus. “If you wouldn’t go into a public place without shoes or a shirt, you shouldn’t go in without a face covering,” he said.
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** Mask mandate is a ‘personal responsibility,’ Northam counsel says ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS AND SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine

As Virginia’s mask mandate goes into effect Friday, both Gov. Ralph Northam and Rita Davis, counsel to the governor, told residents Thursday that it’s their personal responsibility to wear a mask in businesses and other enclosed public places.
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** Beaches can reopen Friday as Virginia remains in Phase 1 for at least one more week ([link removed])
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By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The rest of Virginia’s public beaches — closed except for fishing and exercise since March 30 — can open for sunbathing and other activities starting Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam said. The announcement comes nearly a week after Virginia Beach became the first locality to reopen its beaches with the governor’s permission. Northam called the city’s social distancing and monitoring plan a “model” other localities with beaches should follow during the coronavirus pandemic.
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** Virginia to remain in phase one for another week ([link removed])
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By SOPHIE KAPLAN, Washington Times

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday that despite promising coronavirus data trends, the commonwealth will remain under phase one of the reopening plan for another week. Mr. Northam said at the press conference that starting Friday, NASCAR will host single-day, no-spectator events and that public beaches in Virginia will be able to reopen with restrictions — no gatherings of more than 10 people, no tents, no alcohol and no group sports.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Supreme Court rules in FOIA case long delayed by lawmaker ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

A group of elected officials in southwest Virginia violated the state’s open government law during meetings about dissolving a public library system, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in a case long delayed by a lawmaker’s use of a privilege of his office. State Del. Jeff Campbell, who is also an attorney in private practice, represented the Smyth County Board of Supervisors in the lawsuit brought by the head of a nonprofit that promotes the library.
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** State Supreme Court overturns lower court ruling in Smyth County sunshine case ([link removed])
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By STEPHANIE PORTER-NICHOLS, Smyth County News & Messenger

Observers called a Thursday ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court a victory for the citizens of Smyth County and the commonwealth of Virginia. The Freedom of Information case had been appealed to the court by Beverly Cole, both individually and as president on behalf of the non-profit Friends of the Smyth-Bland Regional Library. The case accused the Smyth County Board of Supervisors of violating the commonwealth’s Freedom of Information Act when its members discussed dissolving the Smyth-Bland Regional Library behind closed doors without properly disclosing the subject of the discussion.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Mass testing of inmates, staff at Riverside Regional Jail has found 36 more infected with COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By MARK BOWES, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A mass testing of inmates, officers and medical staff at Riverside Regional Jail over the weekend has uncovered 36 additional infections of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 53, Riverside authorities confirmed Thursday.
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** Virginia Department of Health won’t be conducting inspections to enforce new mask order ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

The Virginia Department of Health won’t be inspecting or monitoring businesses for compliance with Gov. Ralph Northam’s recent mask order, according to spokeswoman Maria Reppas, who shared additional details of the agency’s enforcement plan with the Mercury on Thursday.
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** Virginia ABC planning to roll out home liquor delivery ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

At some point in the near future, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is hoping to execute the first home liquor delivery in its 86-year history. Just like other retailers adapting to the coronavirus pandemic, the state-run liquor monopoly has been exploring options to get its products to customers with minimal human-to-human contact. . . . If all goes according to plan, next-day delivery is on the way later this year.
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** Drinking at home has been good for Virginia’s treasury during pandemic ([link removed])
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By JEFF CLABAUGH, WTOP

Virginia, like every other state, is facing a budget shortfall because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on tax revenue, but there has been one bright spot: excise taxes collected from state-run liquor stores. Virginia ABC gets about 18% of its liquor store tax revenue from licensees, such as bars and restaurants, but those sales fell to as little as zero to 2.8% between mid-March and mid-May. Spending by retail customers, on the other hand, has skyrocketed.
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** State forming a Minority Business Commission ([link removed])
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By TREVOR METCALFE, Inside Business

Minority business owners in Hampton Roads and across Virginia will soon have an official body for amplifying their concerns and enacting policy changes to combat disparities and promote equity. Virginia’s two-year budget creates the Minority Business Commission — a statewide group that will direct the General Assembly on policy action related to the needs of minority business owners. Gov. Ralph Northam signed the budget on May 21.
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** GO Virginia doubles women on Hampton Roads council ([link removed])
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By TARA BOZICK, Inside Business

The GO Virginia Region 5 Council in Hampton Roads recently doubled the number of women on board....Old Dominion University’s annual State of the Region report in October highlighted a gap in women’s participation in the highest levels of leadership in the region.


** CONGRESS
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** Sen. Tim Kaine says he and wife tested positive for coronavirus antibodies ([link removed])
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By FELICIA SONMEZ AND JENNA PORTNOY, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Sen. Tim Kaine said Thursday that he and his wife, Anne Holton, tested positive for coronavirus antibodies earlier this month, making the Virginia Democrat the second member of the Senate known to have recovered from the disease. In a statement, Kaine said that he had tested positive for the flu earlier this year and that he began experiencing new symptoms in late March.
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** Sen. Tim Kaine says he and his wife tested positive for coronavirus antibodies ([link removed])
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By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat representing Virginia, said Thursday he and his wife have tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus. Kaine said in a press release he thinks they may have had mild cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in March or April.
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** Sen. Tim Kaine and wife Anne Holton test positive for COVID-19 antibodies ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and his wife, Anne Holton, interim president of George Mason University, have tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus, a blood test that indicated previous exposure to COVID-19. Kaine said he and Holton decided to be tested for potential coronavirus exposure after both fell ill earlier this year. He said he received positive test results 10 days ago and his wife on Friday.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Virginia unemployment claims during pandemic greater than number filed during Great Recession ([link removed])
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Fauquier Times

In Virginia, the total number of initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits filed during the pandemic is now greater than the number of initial claims filed during the 18-month recession that began in December 2007, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.
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** D.C.-area businesses stock up on hand sanitizer and prepare to reopen ([link removed])
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By FREDRICK KUNKLE, OVETTA WIGGINS AND IAN SHAPIRA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Vinyl junkies will soon be able to visit Crooked Beat Records in Alexandria, Va., and flip through actual bins of actual record albums again. But you’ll have to wear a mask.
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** CVS Health opens 39 new drive-thru sites in Virginia for COVID-19 testing ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Beginning Friday, CVS Health will open 39 new COVID-19 testing sites at drive-thru locations across Virginia. Seven of the CVS Pharmacy sites, which will utilize self-swab tests, will be in the Richmond area, with appointments available by signing up online at CVS.com starting Friday.
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** Virginia Hospital Center talked with Amazon about delivering Covid-19 test kits ([link removed])
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By JONATHAN CAPRIEL, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

Even before Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced it would build its own Covid-19 testing lab, a hospital in the county that houses the company's second headquarters was asking the e-commerce giant for help with screening. Back in March, when the first wave of stay-at-home orders was put in place, Arlington's Virginia Hospital Center looked to partner with Amazon to deliver at-home Covid-19 test kits. VHC was one of the first hospitalsin the region to conduct rapid testing, doing so at a drive-thru site near Virginia Square. It has since opened a second site for sample collection.
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** Amazon said it will keep most it hired during Covid-19 boom ([link removed])
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By JONATHAN CAPRIEL, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

Amazon.com Inc. will turn most of the 175,000 interim warehouse and delivery positions created in March into permanent full-time jobs, the company said Thursday in a blog post. Worker pay will drop, however, from $17 to $15 an hour, as the company will end the across-the-board $2 pay bump it announced during the first wave of hires.
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** ChamberRVA to start distributing $2,500 grants to businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic ([link removed])
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By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

More than 500 businesses in the Richmond area applied for grants from a small business recovery program funded by Facebook and administered by ChamberRVA. This week, ChamberRVA said it notified 100 businesses in the area that they each will receive $2,500 grants from the RVA Small Business Relief Fund, money aimed at helping them cover rent and other expenses during the coronavirus pandemic.
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** Goodwill stores across region reopening ([link removed])
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By MATT WELCH, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Goodwill stores across the region began opening back up this week, and members of Goodwill’s corporate office visited locations to promote safety guidelines. Director of Retail Chris Kackley and Chief Business Officer Sharon Ahrens were in Winchester on Wednesday, where Goodwill relocated its store to 2592 Valley Ave. in early March.
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** Altria Group Inc. files lawsuit accusing Reynolds American Inc. subsidiary of patent infringement ([link removed])
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By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A legal battle is heating up between the nation’s top tobacco companies over the intellectual property rights to certain alternative nicotine products. Henrico County-based tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. on Thursday filed a lawsuit accusing a subsidiary of its largest competitor Reynolds American Inc. of infringing on patents owned by Altria for some e-vapor and smokeless tobacco products.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Metro takes wait-and-see approach as region begins to reopen ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

As the Washington Metropolitan region takes its biggest step yet toward reopening, Metro plans to keep service limited — but will adjust if demand for rides exceeds the transit agency’s expectations.
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** GRTC passengers must wear face masks beginning Friday ([link removed])
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By JEREMY M. LAZARUS, Richmond Free Press

The rides will still be free, but GRTC will require passengers to wear face masks, or nose and mouth coverings, as of Friday, May 29, to board its regular buses, vans and Pulse rapid transit. GRTC, which previously spurned a union request for such a safety precaution during the pandemic, bowed Tuesday to an order from Gov. Ralph S. Northam that anyone age 10 or older would need to wear a face covering to use public transportation, access government services or enter businesses like grocery stores where social distancing would be difficult.
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** Report Recommends Widening Mount Vernon Trail in Arlington ([link removed])
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ArlNow

Portions of the Mount Vernon Trail in Arlington should be widened due to heavy use and crash risks, according to a new study. The National Park Service this month released a report on its Mount Vernon Trail Corridor Study, which examined the condition of the trail, usage patterns and potential improvements. The trail, which runs along the Potomac from the Rosslyn area to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, is used by more than one millions cyclists and pedestrians per year.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** University of Virginia plans to bring students back in late August ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The University of Virginia plans on students returning to campus at the end of August, but some classes will remain online and the fall semester will end earlier than normal. President Jim Ryan and other top university leaders made the announcement Thursday, saying the Charlottesville school’s current plans are for undergraduate classes to start Aug. 25.
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** VCU opts for remote July courses, sends planning survey to students ([link removed])
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By HANNAH EASON, Commonwealth Times

VCU announced that July summer courses will be moved online in an email to students on Wednesday. The university announced on April 3 that course sessions starting in May and June would be held remotely. Registration deadlines for June and July sessions can be found online. The release — signed by Gail Hackett, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, and Peter Buckley, interim senior vice president for health sciences — said the decision was made as the university plans for on-campus instruction in the fall.
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** University Compiles a COVID Archive ([link removed])
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By SANDY HAUSMAN, WVTF

When the school year ends, many teachers and staff take a break, but at the University of Mary Washington But three librarians are busier than ever – creating an archive that will tell the story of COVID-19 on campus. As head of UMW’s special collections and university archive, Carolyn Parsons understands how present day documents become history. She’s fascinated, for example, by minutes from meetings during the 1918 Spanish flu.
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** 'They should be glad that I'm calling out a racist'; Falwell defends new mask design ([link removed])
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By ELIZABETH TYREE, WSET

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. is in hot water after a recent tweet, protesting the governor's mask regulation. In it, Falwell says he is "adamantly opposed to the mandate of requiring citizens to wear face masks until he decided to make his own."


** CORONAVIRUS
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** About 2.1 million Americans seek unemployment benefits ([link removed])
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By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AND VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

An estimated 2.1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week despite the gradual reopening of businesses around the country, bringing the running total since the coronavirus shutdowns took hold in mid-March to about 41 million, the government said Thursday. The figure for seasonally unadjusted initial claims in Virginia was 39,242, according to the Virginia Employment Commission, a decrease of 5,457 from the previous week.
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** COVID-19 cases in Virginia increase by 1,152 but percentage of positive test results continues to decline ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The Virginia Department of Health reported Thursday that the state has 41,401 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 1,152 from the 40,249 reported Wednesday. Overall case numbers are increasing as more people are being tested. Meanwhile, VDH data show the percent of positive results are continuing a decline that started in the middle of April.
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** Arlington Hits a Few Bumps in Park Reopening Process ([link removed])
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By VERNON MILES, ArlNow

With parks reopening on Saturday, some Arlingtonians were eager to walk around some of the county’s nationally ranked parklands, only to find a padlock secured across the front entrance. At Hayes Park, the front gates were secured, keeping visitors away from the three-acre park north of Virginia Square.
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** Leesburg votes to allow outdoor dining during Phase 1 ([link removed])
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By JOHN DOMEN, WTOP

The Leesburg Town Council in Loudoun County, Virginia, has voted to allow restaurants to offer outdoor dining in their parking lots as Northern Virginia moves into Phase 1 of coronavirus-related reopenings. . . . But there was a longer debate over what accommodations can be made for restaurants operating in downtown Leesburg, where restaurants don’t have parking lots. “The short answer is that we’re still working on that,” said Town Manager Kaj Dentler.
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** Advocates for poultry plant workers clog Council phone lines ([link removed])
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By BRICE ESTES, The Breeze

Isabel Castillo phoned in to the Harrisonburg City Council meeting Tuesday night on behalf of her friend whose family of poultry plant workers was “devastated” by the pandemic. Seven members of her family contracted the virus. Two were hospitalized in critical condition. Her grandmother died. “Today I am overcome with grief,” Castillo read from her friend’s notes. “I fear for my family and friends’ lives who work in the poultry plants.”
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** Lord Fairfax Health District shows higher positivity rate than Fairfax County ([link removed])
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By RANDY ARRINGTON, Page Valley News

As testing continues to ramp up across the state, so do the number of new COVID-19 cases reported by the Virginia Department of Health. However, a more positive byproduct of increased testing is increased data. . . . According to VDH, the Lord Fairfax Health District shows a positivity rate of 29.2 percent. Fairfax County — currently the state’s epicenter for cases (10,503), hospitalizations (1,267) and deaths (371) related to the current pandemic — has a positivity rate of 20.6 percent.
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** Accomack County is reopening ([link removed])
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By ROSE VELAZQUEZ, Eastern Shore News (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Most of Virginia is already two weeks into the first phase of recovery and reopening, but Accomack County has been behind the curve. County leaders requested that step be delayed for Accomack, and Gov. Ralph Northam concurred with their reasoning. He cited the fact that the county represented less than 0.5% of the state's population, but more than 2% of COVID-19 cases at the time as justification for putting the brakes on.
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** Montgomery, Prince George’s to start gradual reopening Monday ([link removed])
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By ANTONIO OLIVO, RACHEL CHASON, REBECCA TAN AND LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Maryland’s two largest D.C. suburbs will begin to lift shutdown restrictions Monday, the final pieces of a tentative reopening for the Washington area as it approaches the 100,000 mark for known coronavirus cases.


** LOCAL
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** Calls for help, crime down in aftermath of stay-at-home order ([link removed])
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By ALI ROCKETT AND K. BURNELL EVANS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

People across the region who respond to crises like medical emergencies, child abuse, home break-ins, shootings and domestic violence largely saw requests for help drop in the weeks after Gov. Ralph Northam told people to stay home.
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** BLK RVA looks to help Richmond's black-owned restaurants ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

BLK RVA, a collaboration with Richmond Region Tourism and community leaders that promotes and celebrates Richmond’s black culture, is raising money to support black-owned restaurants with an online store that includes sweatshirts, T-shirts and duffle bags. All proceeds from the merchandise sold will benefit Richmond Black Restaurant Experience’s emergency fund for 35 impacted restaurants.
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** What We Know About Richmond School's Proposed Math Curriculum ([link removed])
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By MEGAN PAULY, WCVE

Richmond Public Schools is preparing to adopt new K-8 math and reading curricula. Administrators say they want to establish consistency in how these topics are taught across grade levels throughout the district. They hope to adopt curricula from EL Education and Eureka Math, developed by Great Minds, for the upcoming school year. But the coronavirus has presented new challenges, and some teachers and school board members want the district to hit the pause button on curricula adoption because of the pandemic.
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** Chesterfield County Gets Their Buildings Ready to Reopen ([link removed])
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By IAN M. STEWART, WCVE

County buildings in Chesterfield are getting closer to reopening to the public. But before the doors are unlocked, the county is putting in place new safety requirements for the coronavirus. Deputy County Administrator Scott Zaremba says the rules are still being finalized and that buildings will be opened in phases, but they will include everything from mandating face coverings for both staff and the public to limits on how many people can go into buildings.
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** The 1-year anniversary of the Virginia Beach mass shooting is this weekend ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The one-year anniversary of the Virginia Beach mass shooting will arrive this weekend. The city had planned to hold a memorial ceremony for all who were lost and impacted by the tragedy, but those plans were canceled. It is not safe to physically gather for the anniversary due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
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** Virginia Beach didn’t violate contract when it backed out of arena deal, state Supreme Court rules ([link removed])
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By JANE HARPER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia Beach didn’t violate its contract with a developer in 2017 when it backed out of a multi-million dollar plan to build a sports and entertainment arena at the city’s Oceanfront, according to the state’s highest court.
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** Officials say all homeless in Fredericksburg area have been sheltered ([link removed])
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By ADELE UPHAUS–CONNER, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The George Washington Regional Commission reported Thursday that the entire homeless population of Planning District 16—Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and King George—is now sheltered and has a safe place to quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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** Police: Rennee’s owners face charges stemming from weekend shooting ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Suffolk News Herald

The owners of Rennee’s Celebration Center face multiple charges stemming from a shooting of a woman at a party outside the East Washington Street venue, according to Suffolk Police. Jeffrey Van Townsend, 52, of Suffolk, and Rennee Townsend, 57, of Suffolk, have each been charged with violating an executive order, possession of alcohol without a license, maintaining a common nuisance and the illegal sale of alcohol. Jeffrey Van Townsend faces an additional charge of obstruction of justice.
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** Ballad officials stress importance of wearing masks in public ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

As more businesses reopen and summer travel begins, Ballad Health officials Thursday stressed the importance of wearing a mask in public to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. A new gubernatorial directive in Virginia that takes effect today requires adults to wear facial coverings indoors in public.
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** Reactions mixed to executive order on face coverings that takes effect today in Virginia ([link removed])
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By TIM DODSON, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

For some, a statewide mandate to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces in Virginia will take some getting used to. But for many, an executive order that takes effect today simply codifies what they were already doing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “There hasn’t been a magical breakthrough that’s just come down and … we could all line up and get a vaccine and it would be all over with,” Brendan McSheehy said on a recent visit to Food City off Euclid Avenue in Bristol, Virginia.


** EDITORIALS
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** The wall we might need ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

This is the last week of May, which provides a good occasion to look back on the month now passing in history. This has not been a good month for Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health website shows that Virginia’s virus cases peaked in May and basically haven’t come down.
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** To rebuild our economy, we can’t just reopen ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

On Friday, businesses in the city of Richmond, Accomack County and Northern Virginia will enter the long-awaited Phase One reopening period. Some key beneficiaries of eased COVID-19 restrictions are restaurants and breweries (outdoor dining, 50% capacity); places of worship (indoor gatherings, 50% capacity); retail stores deemed nonessential (50% capacity); barbershops and salons (visits by appointment); and gyms and fitness centers (outdoor classes). We welcome their safe return.


** OP-ED
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** Jacocks: Parole board’s releases rife with mistakes ([link removed])
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By A.M. “JAKE” JACOCKS JR, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam and his appointees on the Virginia Parole Board continue to exhibit a disregard for justice and the safety of the law-abiding citizens of the commonwealth, as well as a nearly total lack of good judgement.

A.M. “Jake” Jacocks Jr. served as chief of the Virginia Beach Police Department from 1999 to 2010.
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** Gianfortoni: Suppressing the transmission of COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By JOSEPH GIANFORTONI, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The other day, I was at a hardware store and someone in the return line in front of me said he didn’t know anybody who had COVID-19 or anybody who had died. When the man finished his transaction, he moved toward me and, as I backed away, he said, “Don’t worry, I’m OK.” First of all, I am worried. Second, I don’t know if you are OK.

Gianfortoni is a physician in Henrico County.


** THE FRIDAY READ
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** Coronavirus nurse finally locates NYC firefighter who pulled her from burning building 37 years ago ([link removed])
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By THOMAS TRACY AND LEONARD GREENE, New York Daily News

From one hero to another. An out-of-town nurse on the front lines of New York’s coronavirus battle was reunited Monday with the city firefighter who saved her as a child from a burning Manhattan building nearly 40 years ago.
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