(Updated 3 p.m.) As the number of coronavirus cases grows in Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam has extended restrictions on non-essential businesses.
In a press briefing today (Wednesday), Northam announced that he is extending his previous order affecting schools and non-essential businesses.
Now, his order that closed recreational and entertainment businesses, along with non-essential businesses that cannot limit patrons to 10 people or less, will expire on May 8 instead of next week.
Virginia is also under a stay at home order, which will last until June 10.
“I don’t have any intentions as of today extending that,” Northam said about the stay at home order, adding that he may considering moving the June 10 deadline back.
“This is such a dynamic situation. It is fluid. It literally changes every day — the data that are being put into these models,” he said. “For me to stand here almost two months before June 10 and say what we’re going to do at that time is really difficult to say.”
Northam said that social distancing — staying at least six feet apart from people — “is working” and that Virginians’ recent efforts are slowing the spread of the virus.
“Our entire sense of normal life is out the window,” Northam said, adding that once the order expire, people will still need to take precautions.
The “new normal” will likely include wearing wearing face coverings, teleworking if possible, social distancing, staying away from large gatherings and spending more time in homes, Northam said.
“Things are not going back exactly the way they were before,” he said.
Image via Twitter
Flood Warning, Wind Advisory in Effect — The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for small streams in central Fairfax County that is in effect until 9:30 a.m. A Wind Advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. [National Weather Service]
McLean Assisted Living Resident, Employees Have COVID-19 — “An Arleigh Burke Pavilion Assisted Living resident at McLean’s Vinson Hall Retirement Community tested positive for the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 illness, the community announced Saturday. Three employees also tested positive, and an additional employee is under investigation as a potential case.” [Patch]
Governor Signs New Election Laws — “New laws signed by Gov. Ralph Northam over the weekend will end Virginia’s voter ID law, make Election Day a state holiday and allow no-excuse absentee voting.” [Inside NoVa]
Merrifield Apartment Fire — On Saturday, Fairfax County firefighters extinguished a fire reportedly in the laundry room of an apartment in the 2700 block of Keystone Lane. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter]
Local Daycare Face COVID-19 Challenges — “The state’s new rules for in-home daycare put both parents and providers in a bind, but some local in-home providers are striving to work within the guidelines and stay in business.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Rain moving through the area this morning, with pockets of moderate to heavy rain over the metros. The threat for strong winds and heavy rain will continue, with the potential for severe storms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes into this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/LJcA0UEBcM
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) April 13, 2020
#Merrifield-based @ECStechHQ is helping the Navy deliver COVID-19 relief services from the USNS Mercy hospital ship on the West Coast. https://t.co/LXYtXjovAh
— Fairfax County EDA (@FairfaxEDA) April 12, 2020
Gov. Ralph Northam wants to see the general election and special elections on May 5 — including the one for the Town of Vienna — delayed to a later date.
Northam asked the General Assembly today (Wednesday) to move the elections scheduled for May 5 to the General Election date on Nov. 3 “to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” according to a press release.
“The General Assembly is scheduled to meet April 22 unless called into session sooner,” the Town of Vienna tweeted. “The Town will share additional information as decisions are made.”
There are three mayoral candidates and seven people running to become councilmembers. Absentee voting for the town’s election began on March 20.
“As other states have shown, conducting an election in the middle of this global pandemic would bring unprecedented challenges and potential risk to voters and those who work at polling places across the Commonwealth,” Northam said in the press release.
Northam is asking the General Assembly to have one ballot in November and to discard all absentee ballots that have already been cast. He also wants elected officials’ terms that will end on June 30 to be continued until the November election.
Additionally, Northam plans to move the June primary election from June 9 to June 23.
Today's news on changing Virginia election dates has 2 parts: (1) Moving 5/5/20 local elections to 11/3/20 will need State Legislature to act, which we can vote on 4/22/20; (2) delaying 6/9/20 primary to 6/23/20 can be done by @GovernorVA's own discretion: https://t.co/KacblZVldd
— Mark Keam 🇺🇸 (@MarkKeam) April 8, 2020
Virginia is ranked #35 for states with the most aggressive response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by WalletHub.
WalletHub says the rankings for the 50 states and D.C. were determined after weighting 51 metrics under three dimensions: “Prevention & Containment,” “Risk Factors & Infrastructure” and “Economic Impact.”
New York topped the “Most Aggressive States Against the Coronavirus” report’s list of states with the most aggressive measures against the virus, while Oklahoma came in last.
Virginia’s Response
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to climb in the state.
As of today, there are 3,333 confirmed cases and 63 deaths statewide, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, has the highest number of cases in the state with 532 cases as of today.
Gov. Ralph Northam issues a stay-at-home order last Monday (March 30).
The order, which will last until June 10, lets people leave their homes for essential services — including medical care, food, supplies, work and more — and social-distanced outdoor activities. Gatherings of 10 people or more are currently banned.
Recreation and entertainment businesses have been ordered closed, while restaurants and retailers have been able to stay open under modified operations — restaurants can stay open for delivery and take-out options, while non-essential businesses must limit the number of shoppers in stores.
Recently, Northam urged Virginians to wear cloth face masks or coverings to reduce the spread of the virus — especially by asymptomatic people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear cloth face coverings — not surgical masks or N-95 respirators that medical workers need.
What Other States Are Doing
Nearby, all non-essential businesses are temporarily closed in Maryland and D.C., which both have stay at home orders. In WalletHub’s report, D.C. was ranked #2, while Maryland was #13.
Other states have taken different approaches to combating the virus.
On March 19, California’s governor announced a statewide shelter-in-place order — restricting Californians to only essential errands.
MSN reported yesterday (Monday) that Iowa’s governor is urging people to stay home but has not made it an order, while Oklahoma’s governor has only ordered people who are elderly or who have immunodeficiencies to stay home.
Let Tysons Reporter know in the poll below what you think of Virginia’s response so far to the pandemic.
(Updated 7 p.m.) Gov. Ralph Northam has been hosting live-streamed briefings during recent weeks to provide updates on the coronavirus. But today (Thursday), he answered questions on Twitter.
Using #AskGovNortham, people tweeted concerns about personal protective equipment (PPE), claiming unemployment benefits and if Virginians will need documentation for destinations when traveling.
Tysons Reporter has compiled some of the information from the governor’s thread:
I know Virginians are hurting right now. Here's what we are doing:
✅ Suspending eviction proceedings until April 26th
✅ Developing a program to defer mortgage payments for mortgages backed by @VHDA
✅ Halting evictions for 60 days for people with housing choice vouchers https://t.co/FNst9uemlK
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
On Monday, Northam issued a stay-at-home order for Virginia today as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state continues to climb.
The order, which went into effect immediately and will last until June 10, lets people leave their homes for essential services — including medical care, food, supplies, work and more — and social-distanced outdoor activities that do not involve gatherings larger than 10 people.
Our Commonwealth is large and geographically diverse, which means the virus may peak at different times in different places. We are developing a Virginia-specific model that will tell us more, but for now, we want all Virginians to be prepared for this to last months, not weeks. https://t.co/71Gyk14CJP
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
In mid-March, local public health officials said they found evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in Northern Virginia.
As of Thursday, there are 1,706 confirmed cases and 41 deaths statewide, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county, reported 328 COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Five people have died from the novel coronavirus in Fairfax County.
On Wednesday, Northam said that Virginia will likely see “a surge in the number of people who test positive between late April and late May.”
▪️ We've directed hospitals to stop performing elective surgeries to conserve PPE
▪️ We've received our third shipment from the national stockpile
▪️ And we'll continue looking at any and all leads. Businesses who want to donate PPE should email [email protected]. https://t.co/ld8csR6ME0— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
Absolutely. @VDOE_News has already requested any PPE not needed by our school staff be donated, and many have provided us with extra masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. We're so grateful to our schools for pitching in to protect our healthcare workers and those in need. https://t.co/F2SUzoOiqI
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
Image via Ralph Northam/Twitter
Gov. Ralph Northam issued a stay-at-home order for Virginia today (Monday) as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state continues to climb.
“Our message today is very clear — to stay home,” Northam said.
The order, which goes into effect immediately and will last until June 10, lets people leave their homes for essential services — including medical care, food, supplies, work and more — and social-distanced outdoor activities that do not involve gatherings larger than 10 people.
“Do not go out unless you need to go out,” he said. “This is very different from wanting to go out. Do not go out to the store just for one thing. Wait until you have a list of needs.”
Northam said that the order will limit access to the state’s beaches except for fishing and exercise, close private campgrounds and ban parties and gatherings with 10 people or more.
“If you can work remotely, you need to do so and companies need to allow that,” he said.
When announcing the new order, Northam said that recreational areas were “literally packed” this weekend. “Everyone who is gathering in a crowd around the state is putting themselves at risk,” he said.
Northam recently received pushback from some residents and local officials for not issuing a stay-at-home order on Friday.
Earlier today, Maryland’s governor put the state, which has surpasses 1,400 COVID-19 cases, under a stay-at-home order that goes into effect tonight at 8 p.m., NBC 4 reported.
Statewide, 1,020 cases of the virus have been identified, according to the Virginia Department of Health — up from 890 cases on Sunday.
As of today, there are 225 coronavirus cases in Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county — almost double the number of cases on Friday (March 27).
Expanding testing capacity in the state could explain the increase in confirmed cases.
Statewide, 25 people have died from complications of the virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Two people in Fairfax County have died from the respiratory illness.
Northam also noted that almost half of the COVID-19 cases in the state are affecting people who are under the age of 50.
“Every age group needs to act responsibly,” he said.
Image via Governor of Virginia/Facebook
As the number of coronavirus cases grows, Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed for the rest of the school year along with all other schools in the state.
In a press briefing today (Monday), Gov. Ralph Northam announced the closure of the schools.
All recreational and entertainment businesses must also close by midnight tomorrow (Tuesday), along with non-essential businesses that cannot limit patrons to 10 people or less, Northam said, adding that grocery stores, banks and pharmacies will remain open.
Northam said that restaurants can stay open for carry-out, curbside pick-up and delivery service.
“We are in this for months, not weeks,” Northam said. “So we are taking additional actions to keep Virginians safe.”
The state is currently seeking help to provide child care for essential personnel like health care providers.
So far, the state has 254 confirmed cases, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Fairfax County has the highest number of cases across all jurisdictions. The number jumped from 31 on Sunday to 43 today.
Governor Northam COVID-19 Briefing – March 23 https://t.co/u8kXFDq03u
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) March 23, 2020
Image via Twitter
(Updated at 10:15 a.m.) Tysons area commuters heading to and from Maryland on the Beltway may see some relief from the constant traffic woes.
The governors of Virginia and Maryland announced an agreement Tuesday morning that would see the construction of a new American Legion Bridge.
The agreement to rebuild the bridge is being billed as “historic” and “a big win for Northern Virginia, the metro region, and our entire Commonwealth” by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D).
The new bridge will “relieve congestion at one of the country’s worst traffic chokepoints,” according to a press release, below. “The project is expected to cut commuting time in half for many travelers, reduce congestion in the regular lanes by 25 percent, provide 40 percent more lane capacity over the old bridge, and include bicycle and pedestrian paths across the Potomac River.”
The new bridge will be build on largely the same footprint as the existing bridge, but with two new express lanes in both directions. The initial stages of construction could begin as early as 2021.
Proud to stand with @GovLarryHogan to announce our new, historic Capital Beltway Accord. Finally, our two states have come together to rebuild the American Legion Bridge—a big win for Northern Virginia, the metro region, and our entire Commonwealth.https://t.co/lamx5p3zqr pic.twitter.com/av4wOhzYjI
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) November 12, 2019
More via a press release from the governor’s office:
Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA) and Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) today announced a bi-state, bipartisan accord to create a new, unified Capital Beltway, replace the aging American Legion Bridge and relieve congestion at one of the country’s worst traffic chokepoints. The two governors made the announcement at the annual Capital Region Transportation Forum in Washington, DC.
“A new bridge means commuters will get to work and back home faster,” said Governor Northam. “Our teams have identified a way to fix one of the worst traffic hot spots in the country. This demonstrates what can get done when leaders come together to find shared solutions to tough regional problems. This is about helping people see their families more, grow their businesses, and further unlock the region’s vast economic potential.”
“The ‘Capital Beltway Accord’ is a once-in-a-generation achievement for the capital region,” said Governor Hogan. “A bipartisan, commonsense, interstate agreement such as this has eluded elected leaders throughout the region for many decades. Together with our partners in Virginia, we are building a foundation for even greater economic growth, greater opportunity for our citizens, and advancing real, lasting, transformative improvements for the entire Washington metropolitan region.”
The project complements ongoing plans by both governors in their jurisdictions–advancing a region-wide vision for a seamless network of reliable travel options around the Capital Beltway, and along Interstates 270 and 95, 395, and 66.
The project is expected to cut commuting time in half for many travelers, reduce congestion in the regular lanes by 25 percent, provide 40 percent more lane capacity over the old bridge, and include bicycle and pedestrian paths across the Potomac River.
The American Legion Bridge has been operating beyond its capacity for nearly four decades. Daily traffic has grown 390 percent since the bridge opened in 1962, with 235,000 vehicles using it daily. More than 40 percent of the region’s population travels this segment of the Capital Beltway, and the region expects to grow by another 1.2 million people by 2040. Both governors have made it a top priority to identify a long-term, seamless solution for the Capital Beltway.
The project will replace the existing lanes in each direction across the Potomac River and add two new Express Lanes in each direction for approximately three miles between the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Virginia to the vicinity of River Road in Maryland. New bicycle and pedestrian access will connect trails on both sides of the Potomac River. The project is being designed predominantly within the footprint of the existing bridge and right-of-way to minimize impact to travelers, the environment, and surrounding communities. No homes or businesses are expected to require relocation.
“This is once-in-a-generation project that will improve accessibility throughout the region,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine. “This is a milestone in regional cooperation. We in Virginia look forward to working hand-in-hand with Maryland to deliver this transformative transportation solution.”
Firefighter Training in McLean Home — “[Fairfax County Fire and Rescue] units have been conducting ladder truck training exercises at a donated home, in the McLean area, that is slated for demolition.” [Twitter]
New Store Opening in Tysons Galleria — “Lafayette 148 New York has ventured into the nation’s capital, opening its first Greater Washington location this week in the Tysons Galleria shopping center. Its first freestanding boutique in the Mid-Atlantic region, the new Lafayette 148 shop measures 2,500 square feet.” [Washington Business Journal]
Silver Line Test Train Doesn’t Get Far — “The first test train on Metro’s Silver Line extension to Dulles Airport made it only 1,000 feet out of the Wiehle-Reston East station before running into trouble, sources told News4.” [NBC Washington]
Falls Church Development Includes Micro Units — “If approved by the F.C. City Council going forward [the new West End development will] include an extra 150,000 square feet in residential density, including 50,000 square feet for senior housing and 100,000 square feet for 40 or so of the first new condominiums built in the City in over a decade, and even more notable, some 150-175 ‘micro unit’ rentals.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Turmoil in Richmond, Leaders’ Future Uncertain — Under fire for each of their own controversies, resignations by Virginia’s Democratic governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general could end up triggering a special election or even elevating a Republican state lawmaker into one of the top jobs. Meanwhile, the chaos in Richmond was the lead story on the national evening news this week — twice — and made the cover of this morning’s New York Post, with the headline “Virginia is for Losers.” [Politico, Twitter]
NBC 4 Reports on Jones Branch Connector — “A brand new bridge is about to open above the Beltway in Tysons. But, it symbolizes more than just a bridge — it’s part of a larger plan to ‘knit’ Tysons together. [Twitter]
Final Week for Claude Moore Farm — “Absent a last-minute reprieve — a short extension of the management agreement to permit re-introduction of bills in the new Congress — The Farm will be closed and NPS will allow a reasonable period for the nonprofit to remove all structures and other property from the premises. ” [Connection Newspapers]
Burglary in McLean — “Officers responded for the report of an open door. They found someone broke into the home and ransacked the residence.” [FCPD]
Ribbon Cutting for new Capital One HQ — “Dignitaries, including Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Fairfax County Board Supervisor Sharon Bulova attended a Thursday afternoon ribbon-cutting and ceremony to mark the official grand opening of Capital One Headquarters II, the Washington area’s tallest occupied office building.” [WTOP]
Flickr pool photo by Bigbirdz
