The Shadow
RICHMOND — Gov. Ralph Northam has extended an order to keep non-essential businesses in Virginia closed until May 8.
The governor made the announcement Wednesday during a 2 p.m. media briefing.
Since March 24, businesses such as hair care salons, bowling alleys, gyms and theaters have been closed to help halt the spread of Coronavirus.
The order was initially set to expire April 23. A separate stay-at-home order for Virginia residents is in effect through June 10.
Northam said preventive measures are working, as the state is seeing a plateau in new cases.
“The sacrifices you have made are necessary and they are helping,” the governor said.
State officials will continue to monitor data, and ways of easing the restrictions will be implemented in the future if the caseload continues to level off, he said.
“The way forward will be deliberate and it will be careful,” Northam said, while also touching on the economic impact Coronavirus will have on the state.
In March, prior to the pandemic, the state’s revenues were 10.8 percent greater than March 2019.
“But that has changed, unfortunately,” he said.
The governor said $70 million will be made available through the CARES Act to help provide essential workers in the state with childcare. The move is expected to impact an estimated 1.2 million children.
Money will be funneled to existing childcare centers to help them stay afloat, and some schools may be converted to childcare centers.
On Wednesday, the state was reporting 6,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 — 329 of the cases were new.
State officials were reporting 195 deaths from the virus, up 41 from Wednesday.
Regional Update
New cases of COVID-19 in the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts appear to be plateauing, a state health official said Tuesday.
Dr. Molly O’Dell, director of infectious disease control, said the health districts are now seeing about two new cases a day.
“We’re confidently optimistic that a plateau has begun,” O’Dell said in Tuesday morning press briefing via conference call.
But she stressed that it’s way too soon to start thinking about scaling back social distancing guidelines and allowing businesses to reopen.
“If we just stay the course, our numbers are going to start going down, and if we relax social distancing, we know what is going to happen,” O’Dell said.
As of Wednesday, the Virginia Department of Health reported a total of 72 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Roanoke-Alleghany Health Districts since the pandemic began.
Four of those cases were in Alleghany County, and one was in Covington.
The largest number of confirmed cases were in Botetourt County, 23, followed by: Roanoke City, 22; Roanoke County, 17; Salem, 3; and Craig County, 2.
But O’Dell said the case numbers are actually higher because the health department is just starting to integrate clinical diagnoses by doctors into its reports.
A clinical diagnosis involves a doctor assessing a patient and determining that COVID-19 symptoms are present. But a test for the virus is not administered.
Persons who receive a clinical diagnosis are advised to self-quarantine. The virus usually persists for 14 days, O’Dell said.
“We treat a clinical diagnosis in the same way we treat a lab-confirmed case,” O’Dell said. “Physicians are just starting to report that to the health department.”
O’Dell said the health districts are still in hopes of acquiring kits for rapid testing, which will reduce the turnaround time on receiving results. Rapid testing produces results in 15 to 30 minutes.
“Everybody is still scrambling to get it more available to more people faster. It’s just not happening,” she said.
Triathlon Postponed
Clifton Forge Main Street Inc. announced Wednesday that a triathlon scheduled for May 16 has been rescheduled for Sept. 26.
