Gov. Ralph Northam is asking health professionals to volunteer to help during the coronavirus pandemic and is mandating all medical facilities postpone elective surgeries.
At a news conference in Richmond Wednesday, Northam asked for more people to serve in the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps, where more than 8,000 people are ready to deploy and about 1,500 have signed up to volunteer in the past month. He said he’s looking for healthcare professionals who are 18 or older, both current and previously licensed, and medical students. People can apply at www.vdh.virginia.gov/mrc.
Here’s what you need to know Thursday:
Virginia to issue extra SNAP benefits in March and April
Counting every Virginian in the census will be even harder during coronavirus
Virginia Beach to close portions of parks until further notice
Here’s where children can get free meals while schools are closed
Here’s what happened Wednesday
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8:27 p.m. Virginia ABC closes Virginia Beach store after employee tests positive for COVID-19
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority confirmed Thursday that a Virginia Beach employee tested positive for COVID-19.
The employee is a sales associate at the ABC store located at 3333 Virginia Beach Boulevard, and last worked March 14, Virginia ABC said in a news release. The employee didn’t return to work after feeling sick.
“The employee notified ABC management today of the positive diagnosis and is in isolation as advised by health authorities,” the release said. “For the safety of employees and customers, the store will be closed until further notice.”
The store will undergo a deep cleaning and sanitization, and customers won’t be able to place online orders for pickup at this store during the closure.
“Virginia ABC will continue to work with the remaining employees at this store and will follow guidance from the Virginia Department of Health on what precautions they should take,” the release said.
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7:07 p.m. King William Board of Supervisors hosts emergency meeting, will hold all meetings virtually amid coronavirus outbreak
For the first time in the county’s history, the King William Board of Supervisors held a virtual meeting from their homes. Calling in, the board voted unanimously to approve and adopt an ordinance instituting several emergency procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Placing County Administrator Bobbie Tassinari’s Declaration of Local Emergency in effect, the board will now perform all of its meetings virtually or telephonically indefinitely for a maximum of six months, the ordinance states.
“The Board of Supervisors acknowledges that the public health threat posed by COVID-19 constitutes a real and substantial danger to persons in the county of King William; that the limitation on the physical assembly of persons is urgently necessary to protect the public health,” the ordinance states.
Tassinari offered an update on the fiscal year 2021 budget. With federal, state and local economy’s feeling the effects of the coronavirus, Tassinari said she wants to ensure the county stays proactive in maintaining the county’s budget.
“I think it will be best if we get in front of this,” Tassinari said.
The newly revised proposed budget was reduced to roughly $25 million. The reduction came from cutting costs from employee raises and deciding to not hire sheriff’s deputies and fire and EMS personnel previously requested. The new budget also sees money that for school renovations reduced.
The county will continue to issue public notices about meetings and the public can view meetings online. While Gov. Ralph Northam’s order is in effect, the county can only allow 10 people into the courthouse at a time.
The board will hold a public hearing and an all-day work session to decide if it will approve the proposed budget. Residents are encouraged to email the county with their budget concerns.
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6:20 p.m. Navy civilian in Norfolk tests positive for the coronavirus
A Navy civilian in Norfolk tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday, according to a news release from the Navy.
The civilian was one of 35 additional people who tested positive, the release said. That number also includes two sailors assigned to a San Diego-based ship and one Sailor assigned to a Pearl Harbor-based ship.
Others are from Memphis and Millington, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia, Key West, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana, among other areas.
“People in close contact with those who tested positive were quarantined and are being monitored,” the release said. “Military health professionals are continuing to determine if others were possibly exposed, and will take additional precautionary measures as necessary.”
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6:11 p.m. President Trump coming to Norfolk Saturday to see off Navy hospital ship
President Donald Trump said during a press conference Thursday that he will visit Norfolk to see off a Navy hospital ship that’s headed to New York to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump said he would be in Norfolk Saturday, according to a tweet from The Associated Press.
The ship he’ll see off, the USNS Comfort, is a Norfolk-based hospital ship that will be providing relief to overcrowded hospitals in New York, and treating patients infected with the coronavirus, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said this week.
It’s one of two, 1,000-bed hospital ships the military is dispatching to help treat adults who are not infected with the virus. The ship’s medical staff will be able to conduct general surgeries, critical care and provide ward care for adults, The Pilot reported.
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5:39 p.m. Visitors barred at Eastern State to prevent coronavirus spread
Virginia is not allowing any visitors at all to Eastern State Hospital in James City County, in an effort to keep patients and staff from exposure to the new coronavirus.
There have been no cases at Eastern State or any other state hospital, said Meghan McGuire, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services spokeswoman.
The restriction on visitors does not apply to lawyers representing patients currently admitted to the state mental hospital, or to contractors and vendors who are critical to the facility’s operation.
Eastern State also is screening employees prior to each shift and staff members are monitoring patients for associated signs and symptoms of the COVID-19 virus.
State officials are working with Community Services Boards and private hospitals to make sure people admitted to state facilities are properly screened, McGuire said.
Other steps to prevent or slow down any potential outbreak include flexible staff scheduling, working remotely and reducing planned gatherings of more than 10 people.
“We are also taking every opportunity to decompress our hospital census by discharging patients who are ready for community integration with appropriate wraparound supports,” McGuire said.
The same restrictions and prevention efforts apply to the 12 other state hospitals and training centers.
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4:20 p.m. Peninsula rallies round United Way’s emergency fund — and phones at help line are ringing off the hook
One of the tasks that kept United Way chief operating officer Charvalla West scrambling Thursday was rushing food drive buckets to Ace Hardware stores in Hampton, Newport News and Williamsburg.
The scramble was added to her long to-do list after Kevin Deamer, whose family owns the stores, learned that the United Way was worried the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank was having trouble securing enough for those who rely on it.
His wasn’t the only call to the agency that acts as a coordinator and fundraiser for a slew of the nonprofit agencies that routinely stretch out helping hands to Peninsula people.
The United Way’s First Call help line has been ringing off the hook, West said.
So have the calls from Peninsula residents and businesses once word got out that the United Way had set up an emergency fund, worried about the way the virus and the impact of layoffs and furloughs it sparked would hit already-stressed families and individuals.
In less than a week, the Peninsula gave $300,000 to the fund. That includes the check for $100,000 the Bernadine Franciscan Sisters Foundation wrote after an emergency board meeting Wednesday.
They’re hoping their donation will encourage more to join in.
Virginia Natural Gas gave $80,000. State Senators Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg, and Thomas K. Norment, R-James City, are hoping to convince Dominion Energy that a bit of the utility’s $1 million coronavirus relief fund could help the United Way’s efforts to link people with the resources they need.
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4:16 p.m. Christopher Newport University staff member tests positive for the coronavirus
Christopher Newport University announced Thursday that a staff member has tested positive for COVID–19. It’s the first confirmed case of COVID–19 involving a member of our community, the statement said.
The staff member works in Christopher Newport Hall and was last on campus on March 20. There is no indication this staff member interacted with anyone other than individuals in Christopher Newport Hall, but the hall houses services like the admission welcome center, the admissions office, the registrar, financial aid, housing and others.
“The Virginia Department of Health will contact anyone who may have been in close contact with this individual,” the university said in its statement. “If you receive a call from VDH, please follow their instructions and self-quarantine.”
The school also said it is in contact with the Virginia Department of Health and is “closely following their recommendations to include comprehensive cleaning of the building.”
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3:42 p.m. Dare County delivers food to schoolchildren from Duck to Hatteras Village
Penelope Brewer opened a foam carton, picked up the barbecue sandwich inside and took a big bite.
It’s the seven-year-old’s favorite of all the school lunches.
But Brewer wasn’t at school because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has led governors across the country to shutter classrooms in hopes of stemming the spread. Rather, she and her parents stopped in Wednesday at Dowdy Park in Nags Head to pick up the lunch from a school bus loaded with meals.
“This is definitely an adjustment, but we’re getting used to it,” said Katie Brewer, Penelope’s mother.
The lunch delivery is part of the Dare County School’s program to feed students learning at home during the coronavirus social distancing policies. Many school districts in the nation are carrying on similar efforts, but Dare County stretches along the Outer Banks more than 80 miles. Delivery logistics and timing for the federally-funded feeding program there are extensive.
Staff working in three different cafeterias in Kill Devil Hills, Manteo and Buxton, prepare, cook and pack 440 breakfasts and 730 lunches each day, said Kelleta Govan, school nutrition director for Dare County Schools.
The main course favorites are still on the menu — chicken filet sandwiches, pulled-pork barbecue on a bun and corndog nuggets. Chocolate milk is the preferred beverage.
Wednesday’s lunch alone required 348 pounds of barbecue.
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3:27 p.m. Spouse of soldier assigned to Fort Eustis dies from coronavirus complications
The spouse of a soldier stationed at Fort Eustis died of complications related to the coronavirus, Joint Base Langley-Eustis Commander Colonel Clint Ross said Thursday in a Facebook post.
The individual, whom Ross said he would not identify out of respect for the family, was hospitalized in Newport News.
The soldier is in isolation receiving medical care because they also tested positive for COVID-19, Ross said.
“Our hearts are heavy, I extend my deepest condolences to the friends and family of our lost teammate. My thoughts also remain with those who continue to fight this invisible enemy. I ask you to support each other during this difficult time, while we continue to work together to mitigate the impacts across the installation,” Ross said.
He urged the people to take the threat of the virus seriously, adding, “Your health and safety are my highest priority.”
The Joint Base Langley-Eustis Facebook page responded to several comments from people concerned about the soldiers who were still reporting for duty. It said that it had to maintain a “mission ready force” and that Team Trace had notified people who had close contact with those who have tested positive for COVID-19.
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3:04 p.m. Norfolk parking division offers relief for monthly customers
Folks who park their cars in city of Norfolk garages will get some relief soon, according to a news release from the city. The parking division has created a customer assistance program.
The program was created to “give businesses and individuals stability and flexibility in their parking needs during this time of uncertainty,” the city said in its release.
Now, customers can suspend their accounts for April without providing the required 30-day cancellation notice and customers who stopped using their parking passes after March 17 will be credited for two weeks.
The city also said customers can defer payments of up to half of the monthly invoice fees for the duration of the pandemic. After that, flexible repayment agreements will be arranged with the city.
“The Parking Division has worked diligently to support customers and businesses during this crisis, including providing one-hour free parking at metered spaces for customers grabbing to-go or curbside service from Norfolk restaurants and businesses,” the release said.
The customer service center on Main Street is closed due to the pandemic, but folks can contact the parking division at 757-664-6510 or email the city at monthlyparking@norfolk.gov.
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2:37 p.m. Northam has changed Virginians’ lives during coronavirus. Here’s what gives him the power.
Under state law, being governor also makes Northam the director of emergency management. And with that title, he has the power to coordinate state and local emergency services to keep Virginia safe in times of disaster.
John McGlennon, a professor of government and public policy at the College of William and Mary, said in general, governors serve as their state’s commander-in-chief and have the authority to command state resources to address a crisis and, through various departments and agencies, order regulations be put in place to respond to emergencies.
There’s no one law that lays out the full scope of the governor’s emergency powers, McGlennon said in an email. Some stem from his role as the top administrator of state government. Other sections of state code give Northam the ability to take measures he deems necessary to ensure public health and safety.
One code section, 44-146.17, gives Northam broad authority to restrict or regulate the sale of goods and services under a state of emergency, which he declared on March 12. On Monday, he used that power to shutter all businesses he deems non-essential, like barbershops, movie theaters and fitness centers.
The state Board of Health — a 15-member group appointed by the governor — also has broad powers to issue orders “suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health and communicable, contagious and infectious diseases and other dangers to the public life and health.”
It can develop regulations for the safe operations of restaurants, and the state health commissioner can take any action deemed necessary to prevent the spread of a preventable disease in restaurants, hotels, campgrounds or summer camps.
Northam can also order people to evacuate, as he’s done in Hampton Roads for the past few years during a hurricane; or control people’s movements in an area, like he’s done with the 10-person limit on gatherings. State code also gives him the right to call on organizations like the National Guard to mobilize. He said at a press conference last week the National Guard was “on standby” but hadn’t been deployed yet.
And he can order suppliers who upcharge goods or services during an emergency — known as price gouging — to immediately lower their prices.
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2:31 p.m. First coronavirus case confirmed in Southampton County
A man in his 60s from Southampton County tested positive for COVID-19, according to a news release. The number was not included in the totals posted Thursday by the Virginia Department of Health.
The man’s address is in Southampton County, but he currently lives at an assisted living facility in Northampton County, North Carolina. He was taken to a local hospital for an unrelated medical emergency, the release said.
The Western Tidewater Health District is working with the Northampton County Health Department, and will notify those with contact exposures and let them know about the next steps they should take.
“This case is a great example of the collaborative public health effort that occurs when we have patients that cross state borders,” said Dr. Todd Wagner, director of the Western Tidewater Health District.
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2:25 p.m. Eastern Shore Health District confirms third positive case of COVID-19
The Eastern Shore Health District has confirmed another case of the coronavirus, according to a news release.
The patient is a woman in her 20s, and recently traveled from another country with known community transmission, the release said. The health district is conducting a “thorough investigation” of the case and any potential exposures.
“Social distancing continues to be our best weapon to combat the spread of this virus,” said Eastern Shore Health District Director Dr. Richard Williams. “While we anticipate the case count to grow, limiting exposure to others as much as possible is vital.”
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2:05 p.m. Deadline for REAL ID extended a year
The Department of Homeland Security is extending the deadline to get a REAL ID license beyond the existing Oct. 1 deadline.
Enforcement will be delayed until Oct. 1, 2021.
Across the country, including in Virginia, Departments of Motor Vehicle offices are closed, restricting access to those trying to get REAL IDs.
The new IDs will be needed to board a plane or enter a military base. It meets new federal regulations that establish “minimum security standards.” The change is intended to “inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”
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1:47 p.m. Norfolk closes some parks
Norfolk will closed all its dog parks, the Northside skate park, small neighborhood and school parks along with picnic shelters today at sunset.
They’ll remain closed until further notice to discourage gatherings and maintain social distancing, according to the city.
Beaches, large open spaces and the Elizabeth River Trail will all remain open. Public boat ramps and kayak launches will stay open, along with Town Point Park, Lakewood Park, Northside Park, Barraud Park, Poplar Hall Park and Bay Oaks park.
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1:24 p.m.: A coronavirus vaccine from Virginia? These researchers are working on it.
The spiky proteins of the new coronavirus appear all over the place. From the evening news to this newspaper, close-up pictures of the proteins poking out of a sphere represent the virus at its most pared down.
The virus gets its name from the crown-like points.
But to Dr. William Petri, those proteins are more than an informative illustration. At his lab at the University of Virginia, he believes understanding them is key to unlocking a potential solution to the ongoing crisis.
Petri, vice chair for research at the school’s Department of Medicine, and his team are working on a COVID-19 vaccine using a new approach that would jumpstart people’s immune response to the virus by adding a new ingredient of sorts. He thinks his theory, if proven, could not only protect people against the coronavirus, but also improve upon existing vaccines like those used with the seasonal flu.
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Virginia’s top health official warns against hoarding drugs some think could treat coronavirus
Chloroquine. Hydroxychloroquine. Mefloquine. Azithromycin.
Those drugs — normally used to treat malaria, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, bacterial infections and other conditions — have seen a surge in demand over the past few days as they’ve undergone studies to see if they could potentially help against the coronavirus.
Now, the state’s health commissioner wants to tamp down on that.
In a letter to doctors and pharmacists Wednesday, Health Commissioner Norm Oliver said the surge in prescriptions is leading to an inadequate supply for patients already taking these medications, as well as for those hospitalized with COVID-19 who are being treated with them under doctor supervision.
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“Fishing is not a necessity”: Hampton Roads charter boat industry facing financial hit from coronavirus
In a way, the coronavirus is responsible for Virginia Beach charter boat captain Jake Hiles earning the most notoriety he’s received as an angler. He fears it might also continue to cost him money.
Hiles, who possesses commercial and charter licenses, said the bluefin tuna market was so bad in Asia this winter because of the virus, he chose on February 20 to fish for sport instead of business. He landed a state-record bluefin tuna, 708 pounds, honoring his late friend Chase Robinson, whom he helped catch the previous record 606-pound tuna almost five years earlier.
While he has received plenty of congratulations – and was featured on the USA Today and Field & Stream websites – he’s not getting phone calls in his Matador Charters office in Rudee Inlet from tourists looking to charter his 35-foot boat “Toro” this summer. He predicts that is a sign of difficult summer for him and others in the business because of the virus.
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How to have elections during a pandemic? Some Virginia officials want everyone to vote by mail.
As Brenda Cabrera weighed the risks of holding in-person elections while a pandemic spread in Virginia, a man stood in her registrar’s office in Fairfax and said he’d probably still vote in person on Election Day.
As the director of elections and general registrar for the city, Cabrera tried giving him an application to vote absentee in the May elections — to vote right then and there, in person — but he refused, saying he enjoyed going to his polling place.
“The mindset will be hard to change,” Cabrera said.
But that mindset is what election officials are asking the state and the federal government to consider shifting, as the feasibility of holding in-person elections safely while practicing social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic is in doubt.
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12:30 p.m.: Virginia cases rise to 460, 13 dead, according to new data
There are now 460 identified cases of the coronavirus in Virginia, according to data released by the Virginia Department of Health at noon.
It’s an increase over the 391 patients from Wednesday.
Thirteen people have died now, according to the VDH. A total of 6,189 people have been tested and there are 65 people in the hospital, according to the state.
For the first time, VDH has released demographic data on those who have tested positive. Of the 460, 211 are women, about 46% and 242 are men, or about 53%. Seven people did not report if they are male or female.
The state also broke down racial data and age ranges for the patients.
Four children younger than 9 tested positive and seven between the ages of 10 and 19 tested positive. The highest number of patients came in the 50- to 59-year-old and 60- to 69-year-old groups. Each had 84 patients. There are 73 patients between the ages of 20 and 29 and 67 patients between 30 and 39. Sixty-nine patients are between 40 and 49. Fifty patients are between 70 and 79, and 22 patients are older than 80.
Of all the patients, 48% are under the age of 50, according to the state’s data.
Fewer than half of the patients tested, 230 out of the 460, reported their race. Of those 230, 121 patients identified as white, 32 identified as black or African American, and 27 people identified as “other.”
In Hampton Roads, James City County still has the highest number of cases: 49, followed by Virginia Beach with 26 cases. York has nine, Newport News has eight, Norfolk has six, Williamsburg has five, Chesapeake has four, Portsmouth has three, Gloucester and Isle of Wight have two each, and Suffolk, Hampton and Poquoson each have one case.
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11:45 a.m.: Virginia has never seen this many people file for unemployment in one week
As a record number of workers across the nation filed for unemployment last week, 46,885 Virginians sought benefits as they, too, found themselves out of work. And that number likely doesn’t include “gig” workers who contract as drivers and delivery people.
It’s an unheard of amount for the Commonwealth. Megan Healy, Gov. Ralph Northam’s chief workforce development advisor, said a big filing day during the most recent recession would have been 3,000 claims which, if it happened every day for a week, still would have been less than half what the state saw from March 15 to March 21.
The previous record in the state was set in December 1989 when 25,133 people filed for claims.
And the number will grow.
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11:30 a.m.: Midwives see surge in pregnant women scared to give birth at local hospitals because of coronavirus
As a float nurse at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Caroline Segovia sees it all. She works in just about every unit as needed, including labor and delivery.
At 36 weeks pregnant, she’d planned on giving birth in that same unit too.
But then came the new coronavirus outbreak, and soon Segovia was re-evaluating. She saw lots of patients with COVID-19-like symptoms sweep through the hospital and fear started to set in.
“I just didn’t feel safe in the hospital,” said Segovia, 32. “So I talked to my husband and we decided I shouldn’t be having the baby there.”
Instead, she said, she’ll be giving birth inside her Newport News home with local midwife Jennifer Rector.
More pregnant women across Hampton Roads are considering having their babies outside of a hospital as the pandemic continues, Rector and other local midwives say.
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11:02 a.m.: Hampton Roads distilleries making hand sanitizer in the face of global shortage
As sanitizer supplies dry up around the country during the coronavirus pandemic, local distilleries have decided to pitch in by making their own.
This is a trend that began earlier in other states — including North Carolina, where Outer Banks Distillery gave away 150-proof alcohol as hand sanitizer last week. But manufacturing sanitizer wasn’t legal for craft distilleries in Virginia until March 18, when the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority temporarily changed their regulations in response to the coronavirus crisis.
In the meantime, grocery stores and many hospitals have reached dangerously low levels of sanitizer. As of this week, at least five Hampton Roads distilleries are helping fill the gap for local institutions, following guidelines for sanitizer production laid out by public health agencies.
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10:42 a.m.: Virginia’s coronavirus testing lags behind many states. That could be a big problem.
As the nation scrambles to expand testing capacities for the novel coronavirus, Virginia appears to have fallen behind the pack.
Even with Virginia ramping up its ability to test high-risk people showing symptoms of COVID-19, the commonwealth’s testing rate ranks 37 out of the 50 states and Washington D.C. That is according to an analysis of data compiled at 4 p.m. Tuesday by the COVID Tracking Project, an independent group that pulls testing numbers released by each state’s department of health.
And Virginia might rank even lower since several states lower on the list don’t report all negative tests like Virginia.
Virginia’s lower rate matters because experts have stressed that robust testing is crucial to pair with social distancing practices to beat back the global pandemic. Fewer tests means the state can have a harder time actively identifying cases and quarantining people.
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10:05 a.m.: High demand for testing creates long lag for results
Sentara officials said the high demand for coronavirus testing has slowed turnaround times for results to 10 days or longer.
As of Wednesday, that was the estimate for patients suspected of having COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, who gave samples at one of Sentara’s drive-thru testing sites.
“There is a large increase in the number of COVID-19 tests being conducted throughout the country, including Virginia and North Carolina,” according to a Sentara news release.
When the drive-thrus opened March 16, the estimated time to get results back was four to seven days.
Sentara is offering three sites for testing 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday:
Sentara CarePlex Hospital, 3000 Coliseum Dr. in Hampton
Military Circle, 880 N Military Hwy in Norfolk
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, 2025 Glenn Mitchell Dr. in Virginia Beach
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9:45 a.m.: COVID-19 brings challenges for first responders
It took a load off Poquoson police chief Cliff Bowen’s shoulders this week when a plumber friend dropped off a box full of N95 face masks — the equipment that blocks tiny airborne droplets, including those carrying the new coronavirus.
He’s still waiting on an order for masks he put in three weeks ago, and that box of masks should help keep his officers and the public they serve a bit safer for the time being.
The coronavirus is bringing new concerns and some new procedures to first responders across the Peninsula.
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9:31 a.m.: The Helpers: Norfolk restaurants serving meals to out-of-work food industry during pandemic
Outside Crudo Nudo restaurant in Norfolk on March 21, Eric Nelson had an unusual problem: More people wanted to help than take help from others.
Nelson, the restaurant’s chef and owner, had organized a singular way to help a restaurant industry whose workers had been suddenly left without income — and at least for the time being, without government assistance to get by.
In Ghent, a different restaurant each day is now serving dinners to underemployed workers on a pay-as-you-can model. Those who’ve hit hard times are invited to take a meal for free, or to drop a cash donation in the box, no questions asked.
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9:29 a.m.: Federal judge extends delays — ordering nearly all federal court cases postponed until May
The chief federal judge overseeing the Eastern District of Virginia has put on hold nearly every federal court case in the district until early May because of coronavirus concerns.
In the order issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis said that criminal and civil proceedings scheduled between now through May 1 must be rescheduled.
“After careful consideration of the risks to the public, litigants, counsel, judges, and court employees, and after consultation with appropriate stakeholders, this court has determined that it is necessary and appropriate to … extend the time period for the suspension of all non-critical and non-emergency in-person proceedings in our Courthouses,” he wrote.
That extends by a month Davis’ prior order delaying hundreds of court cases district-wide.
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8:59 a.m.: Chesapeake closes parts of parks
Chesapeake park amenities, such as the skate park at City Park, all city dog parks and all city outdoor courts have closed. Playgrounds and park restrooms are also closed.
Open spaces and trails will remain open but social distancing must be maintained.
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8:30 a.m. Bulk seller of cleaning and paper supplies adds curbside sales as shoppers deplete store shelves. And yes, they have toilet paper.
Riverside Paper Supply in Newport News usually sells by the truckload, delivering cleaning, paper and packaging products o restaurants, offices, government buildings and entire school divisions.
But in the time of coronavirus, Riverside has taken its business curbside.
Drive through Oakland Industrial Park in the far north of the city on a weekday, and you may see a line of cars stretching from the Riverside Paper Supply building and onto Enterprise Drive. At the front, management and office staff are taking orders and loading up the trunks and beds of vehicles with bulk supplies that typically would’ve gone into a warehouse or custodial closet.
The adaptation to operations has helped the company keep up business in an uncertain time and also provide products that have become scarce.
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7:50 a.m. Here’s what you need to know about living through the coronavirus crisis in Hampton Roads
Efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus are disrupting daily life in Hampton Roads. And the situation is changing every day — even every hour. Here are the key things you need to know about the situation. Links throughout have been made accessible to all readers without a subscription.
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6:59 a.m.: Tidewater Medical Training continues educating healthcare workers during crisis
Face masks, hand sanitizer and other vital personal protection equipment are all in short supply across the U.S. as the coronavirus maintains its grip on the world.
And as the pandemic continues, Tidewater Medical Training is feverishly continuing to educate a future line of essential, qualified healthcare workers.
A pop-up message on the school’s website, tidewatermedicaltraining.com, assures that none of its classes have been canceled.
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6:57 a.m.: Hampton Roads Chamber publishes online coronavirus resource guide
The Hampton Roads Chamber has assembled a list of resources for companies hurting from the coronavirus pandemic, and leaders hope to offer even more help to struggling small businesses.
The guide, available on the organization’s website, offers up everything from workplace guidance and small business loan applications to ways businesses can help other local companies.
“We know that these are unprecedented times. This is going to disproportionately impact small business,” Chamber President and CEO Bryan Stephens told a Virginian-Pilot reporter. “We need to do what we can to support them.”
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Liberty University fires back at Gov. Ralph Northam over students returning to campus
At the end of a news conference Wednesday, Gov. Ralph Northam called out Liberty University for inviting students back to its Lynchburg campus earlier this week amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Quoting 1 Corinthians, he said the school’s president, Jerry Falwell, had a duty to the school’s staff and students.
“It is required that those who have been given a trust to prove faithful,” Northam said. “Proving faithful means providing clear and consistent guidance. And it means respecting the duty that Liberty University has to its students, its staff, the Lynchburg community in which it is located, and our commonwealth.”
The comment — and the governor’s quoting of scriptures — didn’t sit well with the school.
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Local firefighters taken off duty after possible coronavirus exposure
Firefighters and paramedics in Portsmouth and Virginia Beach as well as York County and perhaps other area localities are taking precautions after possible exposure to the coronavirus.
There’s no word on whether the employees tested positive, but in Portsmouth nine paramedics and firefighters were possibly exposed Tuesday during an emergency response and are now self-isolating at home, a spokeswoman said.
Officials in York said four firefighters had to quarantine. A Virginia Beach fire department spokesman said a “small number” were isolating there out of precaution.
In a Facebook post, the Portsmouth Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics Association said the quarantines came as its department struggled with staffing that was “already at a dangerous level.”
