RICHMOND — Gov. Ralph Northam said he will move ahead with Phase III of Virginia’s reopening from the COVID-19 shutdown, despite spikes in cases of the virus in other states.
Phase III is scheduled to begin July 1.
In a Thursday press briefing, Northam said COVID-19 data in Virginia continues to trend positively with the percentage of people testing positive for the virus down to 6 percent.
The governor said hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the state are also trending downward, while supplies of personal protective equipment are growing. Testing is also growing in availability with the state meetings its goal of testing 10,000 people per day, he said.
“We’re going to watch the numbers in [other] states … we also watch the numbers here in Virginia and depending on where those numbers go, we’ll make decisions,” Northam said in warning that he will reinstate stricter measures if necessary.
“It is vital that everyone continue to be cautious. This virus has not changed. It has not gone anywhere. We can see that in the numbers from other states. The only thing we can do is protect ourselves and behave responsibly,” he said.
As Virginia enters Phase III in the heart of summer, crowd limits will still be in effect. For sporting events, the spectator count can be as high as 1,000 people, depending on the rules and regulations venues have put into place.
The governor said he is launching a new program to help people struggling to pay their rent or mortgages amid the pandemic.
An initial $50 million in federal Coronavirus-relief funds is going toward housing assistance, he said.
Starting next week, Virginians whose ability to cover housing costs has been hurt by the pandemic can apply for financial assistance.
Also, with the moratorium on evictions coming to a close on June 28, Northam announced that he has asked circuit court judges to extend the date.
Schools
In addressing questions concerning the reopening of public schools, Clark Mercer, who serves as Northam’s chief of staff, said final decisions must be made by local school boards.
Mercer advised parents to get to know their school boards and become involved in the discussions at the local level. He said school boards will ultimately be responsible for developing reopening plans.
“We believe our local leaders are best positioned to do that thoughtfully,” Mercer said.
The state, he said, only provides guidance to direct discussions at the local level.
Local Cases Numbers
In the Alleghany Highlands, cumulative case numbers being reported by the Virginia Department of Health remained at 39 Friday, with 31 cases in Alleghany County and eight in Covington.
Bath County continued to be the only locality in the state reporting no cases.
Greenbrier County Outbreak Update
Greenbrier County, W.Va., is continuing to see an increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The Greenbrier County Health Department on Thursday said cases related to an outbreak at a Baptist church in Ronceverte had grown to 44.
The county had another three cases linked to travel. An additional two were traced to community transmission, the health department said.
On Thursday, four people in Greenbrier County were hospitalized from COVID-19.
Greenbrier County has seen 59 cumulative cases since the pandemic started three months ago.
