Governor Ralph Northam announced his final decision on the beginning of Phase One reopening in most of Virginia during his Wednesday afternoon news conference.
Governor Northam says most of the state will begin reopening some businesses and services this Friday -- entering Phase One of his reopening plan. That excludes a handful of localities in northern Virginia, which will have been approved for a two-week delay.
The governor said leaders in that region of the state have been the only ones that have reached out to his administration about a delay in reopening. On Tuesday, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said his city may need to wait a bit longer before entering Phase One.
During the news conference, Northam said childcare providers will continue to prioritize children of healthcare and other frontline workers during Phase One. He also stressed that gatherings of 10 or more people will continue to be prohibited during the first step of reopening. He asked businesses to continue to allow employees to work from home is possible, and emphasized that maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks will be vital.
The state is getting closer to its goal of conducting 10,000 COVID-19 tests per day. Northam said Virginia has receieved additional funding from the federal government, which will be used for testing initiatives. That includes contact tracing. State health officials are aiming for 15 contact tracers per 100,000 people. The state is currently working on hiring people for that work.
Northam also said 11 DMV centers across Virginia will reopen on Monday. They will prioritize services that can only be conducted in person -- like new driver's license issuance.
Finally, Governor Northam announced that his tri-weekly news conferences -- currently held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday -- will move to just Tuesdays and Thursdays following Memorial Day.
Northam's plan to enter Phase One on Friday is causing some backlash -- including from the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. The group wants Northam to reconsider.
In a letter to the governor, caucus members say Virginia still does not have adequate testing to move forward with Phase One of Northam’s reopening plan.
In addition, the VLBC says reopening too soon would negatively impact communities of color – that have already been disproportionately impacted by the virus.
The caucus is joined by several other groups – including the National Domestic Workers Alliance – in opposing plans to reopen this week.
Northam has responded to the VLBC – saying he is committed to moving forward in a gradual manner that protects all Virginians.
Overall Case Information for May 13th
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the state passed the 900 mark. The Virginia Department of Health reported 36 additional deaths Wednesday morning, putting the state's total at 927.
946 additional cases of COVID-19 were reported in Wednesday's update, raising the state's total to 26,746. 8,845 new test results were entered into the state's database, upping the state's testing total to 180,084. That puts the state's positivity rate for the day at about 10%. That key indicator has been trending down from an April high of about 22%.
Other key indicators,including hospital capacity and ventilator useage have been relatively flat. No hospitals have reported problems with their supply of personal protective equipment since May 3rd, according to data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.
Carilion Clinic Joins National Convalescent Plasma Study
Carilion Clinic is now participating in a national study researching a potential COVID-19 treatment.
In an interview conducted by Carilion, Dr. Dorothy Garner says hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms will be able to participate in the plasma infusion study. That requires donations from individuals who have recovered from the virus.
“Their antibodies in their plasma is actually infused to a patient who is still severely ill with the COVID illness in the hospital – and it may help that person survive their illness," she explains.
The health system says those who have recovered from COVID-19 can donate their plasma through the American Red Cross.
**Editor's Note: Carilion Clinic is a financial supporter of RADIO IQ.