Virginia's Department of Health reported an additional 467 cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the state's total to 4,509. There were also 12 additional deaths.
The number of new cases mark largest one-day increase so far in the coronavirus pandemic.
There are also 772 total hospitalizations, up from 685 on Thursday. Fairfax County still has the highest number of cases, now at 777. Meanwhile, six more residents of a Henrico County long-term care facility have died of COVID-19, bringing the death toll there to 39.
That's according to a statement Thursday from the administrator of Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in suburban Richmond. Gov. Ralph Northam called the figure ‘absolutely devastating.’
The statement says Canterbury has 84 other residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, and are receiving treatment either at a hospital or onsite. The number of infected workers there remains at 25.
Canterbury’s death toll is approaching that of the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the Seattle-area nursing home that was an early center of the disease. As of Wednesday night, 43 residents had died there.
During a press conference Friday, Governor Northam addressed the virus' immense impact at Canterbury. Due to the increased risk for residents of long-term care facilities, Northam has created a special task force geared specifically towards helping nursing homes combat the virus.
That task force will work to ensure that those facilities have adequate funding, staffing and medical supplies. It will also focus on tracking and disseminating information on cases to the facilities and the public.
The governor said his administration is working to get as many people into the state's volunteer medical reserve corps as possible. At least 13,000 people have signed up so far.
Northam has also proposed a budget amendment that calls for the release of inmates with one year or less left of their sentences. Those individuals must not pose a threat to society, though. The state's Department of Corrections is working to ensure that people released would have somewhere to go.
Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran says the proposal would impact just under 2,000 inmates. Should the General Assembly approve the proposal when it reconvenes on April 22nd, it would go into effect immediately.
Northam also indicated that he does not plan to ease restrictions in the near future. He said that social distancing appears to be working, but an ease in the state's guidelines could possibly lead to a much worse situation.
The governor also shared that his administration plans to share some modeling information during his Monday briefing.
