The Shadow
RICHMOND — Gov. Ralph Northam says state officials are executing longstanding public health plans in response to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
Virginia currently has no confirmed cases of COVID-19, and state officials are continuously monitoring the virus worldwide Northam said.
“The commonwealth is taking this public health issue seriously, and we have a plan in place to respond to COVID-19,” said Northam. The Virginia Department of Health has some of the country’s leading public health experts on its team, with deep experience guiding public health emergency responses, and I have great confidence in their ability to guide Virginia in this situation.”
Virginia’s established an incident management team in January, shortly after scientists first identified the virus in Asia. The team is leading the commonwealth’s planning and response. The team is in regular and close communication with government and private sector partners, the governor said.
“The Virginia Department of Health is closely monitoring the virus, to understand where it has appeared and to learn from the experiences of local communities around the world,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Daniel Carey. “While the risk is still low here in Virginia, state agencies are focused on preparation efforts, and we are encouraging Virginians to practice good hygiene measures and continue following updates from state and federal health officials.”
Potential cases of COVID-19 will be tested at Virginia’s Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, rather than being tested at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga.
Northam said Virginia-based testing is expected to generate results within a few hours, allowing for faster responses.
Although COVID-19 is not spreading in Virginia and the risk in the state is currently low, officials said the public can take precautions to prevent the potential spread of this disease:
— Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
— Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
— Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
— Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are unavailable.
— Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
“The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver. “There are also many everyday preventive measures that you can take to help stop the spread of respiratory viruses like COVID-19.”
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus, which was first identified during an outbreak investigation in the city of Wuhan in China’s Hubei province.
Risk of infection is dependent on exposure. Close contacts of people who are infected are at greater risk of exposure.
The Virginia Department of Health will update its website each weekday with the number of people tested and test results.
Only individuals who meet both clinical and epidemiologic criteria for COVID-19 need to be tested.
To protect patient confidentiality, VDH will not provide additional details about individuals undergoing testing.
