The Shadow
LOW MOOR — Alleghany County schools are formulating a plan for the remainder of the academic year in the wake of Gov. Ralph Northam’s decision to close schools to combat the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
School officials received guidance Tuesday from the Virginia Department of Education.
“Since then, our staff has been working hard on completing the plan to implement the Virginia Department of Education recommendations. The plan will address seniors and graduation, the continuity of instruction for students to be promoted to the next grade level, end of year grades, students with special needs, students with 504 plans and more,” Superintendent Gene Kotulka said.
The superintendent said his staff expected to have its plan developed by late Friday. It will be unveiled Sunday at 6 p.m. on a Facebook Live broadcast.
“The Facebook broadcast will include the specifics of the plan, where the plan will be posted on our Webpage and an opportunity for people to ask questions,” Kotulka said.
The broadcast link will be posted on the Alleghany County Public Schools’ Website homepage or the public can access the broadcast directly by visiting the school division’s Facebook page.
Governor’s Update
As of Friday at 2 p.m., Virginia had 604 confirmed Coronaviris cases, representing 144 new cases from Thursday. Fourteen deaths had occurred in the state as a result of the virus.
“I?want to be very clear. People need to stay at home. This is the only way we can stop the spread of this virus and give our medical system a chance to increase its capacity and save lives,” Northam said.
Most confirmed cases in Virginia involve persons 50 and older. But Northam said 16 percent of the overall cases involve individuals between the ages of 20 and 29.
“This is a virus that affects us all,” the governor said.
Northam is joining with other governors in calling for President Donald Trump to exercise federal oversight over the distribution of medical supplies and equipment.
Northam said the need for Personal Protective Equipment for medical workers in Virginia is critical and he urged Trump to extend federal power over the supply chain under the Defense Production Act.
The president was scheduled to be in Norfolk today to see the USNS Comfort off to New York.
The converted supertanker features 1,000 beds, 12 fully equipped operating rooms and up to 1,200 doctors, nurses and medical specialists.
It will treat non-Coronavirus patients, relieving the immense pressure on New York City’s overwhelmed hospitals during the surging crisis.
The ship is expected to dock in the New York Harbor Monday.
2020 Census
With the Coronavirus pandemic continuing, local officials are reminding residents how important it is to participate in the 2020 Census.
Participation in the census ensures Virginia and local governments receive the billions of dollars in federal funding it needs for healthcare, schools, infrastructure and more.
The census also determines how many representatives the state will have in congress.
Although field operations have been suspended, residents can still participate in the census count online.
As a March 23, response rates in three Highlands localities were exceeding the state and national averages.
The March 23 response rates were: Covington, 29.9 percent; Clifton Forge, 29 percent; Alleghany County, 26.6 percent; and Bath County, 13.9 percent.
The return rate for Virginia was 23.8 percent, topping the national average of 21 percent.
The 2020 Census had been scheduled to stop at the end of July, but the deadline has now been extended to mid-August.
Most U.S. residents started being able to respond to the census in mid-March when the Census Bureau’s website went live and people started receiving notices to participate in the mail.
Unemployment Rises
The Virginia Employment Commission says unemployment claims rose sharply in the March 21 filing week.
The figure for seasonally unadjusted initial claims was 46,277, an increase of 43,571 from the previous week’s level of 2,706.
The VEC said the numbers marked a historically large weekly increase.
A number of counties and cities specifically cited COVID-19 related layoffs, the VEC said.
Many areas reported increased layoffs in service industries, food services, transportation and warehousing, without directly attributing COVID-19.
