WVTF

Northam Orders Hiring Freeze, Agency Heads to Look for Cuts

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is instituting a hiring freeze of state employees and is telling agency heads to look for ways to cut budgets in response to the coronavirus.

COVID-19 Cases in Virginia Pass the 2,000 Mark

As Coronavirus Spreads, Resilience Gardens Take Root

Virginia Prosecutors Face Deadlines Despite Judicial Emergency

By Michael Pope • 45 minutes ago

Any one charged with a crime in Virginia is entitled to a speedy trial. But, a speedy trial in the age of coronavirus is proving to be a challenge.

Cville Doctor Designs a Better Face Mask

By Sandy Hausman • 1 hour ago

State officials are still pleading for supplies to help fight the new coronavirus, and a Charlottesville doctor is doing her part. Sandy Hausman reports that her actions could help medical professionals nationwide.

Dr. Ralph Northam has joined a chorus of governors in asking for personal protective equipment – PPE – for the state’s healthcare workers. He says more than 200 disposable masks and gowns could be needed to care for a single patient on a single day.

Government Works To Begin Disbursing Loans And Payments Amid Record Unemployment

By Philip Ewing & Barbara Sprunt • 20 hours ago

Updated at 7:37 p.m. ET

The government has gone to work disbursing the billions of dollars Washington has committed to sustain the economy after the deep shock it has undergone in the pandemic, the White House promised on Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Jovita Carranza, head of the Small Business Administration, vowed that some of the first systems for loans or payments would be up and running as soon as Friday.

Storytelling Festival Goes Online

By Luke Church • 21 hours ago

A storytelling festival held each year near Roanoke is going on this weekend, but not in the traditional way.

Telemedicine Gets a Boost from the Pandemic

By Sandy Hausman • 21 hours ago

Telemedicine is nothing new, but the practice of seeing patients from a distance is getting a huge push during the COVID crisis.

Staggering: Record 10 Million File For Unemployment In 2 Weeks

By Avie Schneider • Apr 2, 2020

Updated at 10:38 a.m. ET

The number of new people claiming unemployment benefits totaled a staggering 6.648 million last week — doubling the record set a week earlier, the Labor Department said Thursday.

In the prior week, ending March 21, a revised 3.307 million initial claims were filed.

In just two weeks, nearly all of the jobs gained in the last five years have been lost.

Thursday: 1,706 COVID-19 Cases in Virginia, UVA Health Joins Clinical Trial

By David Seidel • Apr 2, 2020

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Virginia grew to 1,706 Thursday morning, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Museums Try to Reach Visitors and Stay Afloat

By Cat Modlin-Jackson • Apr 2, 2020

Hundreds of museums across Virginia have closed, just as droves of field trippers and after-hours crowds were set to gather for spring events.

So what happens now that the lights are out and would-be visitors are stuck at home?

State, and Grassroots Efforts, Provide Supplies to Home Health Workers

By Mallory Noe-Payne • Apr 2, 2020

Last week, RADIOIQ aired a story about how home health workers are lacking guidance and protective equipment as COVID-19 spreads.

Since then, the Virginia Department of Health has posted guidelines for home health workers and a spokesman for the agency tells RADIOIQ they will be distributing masks, gloves, and gowns to home care agencies based on need and availability.