Parade For Hospital Staff, Grocery Store Outbreak | Patch PM

There was plenty of news across Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia on Thursday. If you missed any of it on your local Patch, here's a roundup of some of the top stories from the past 24 hours.

UVA Researchers Participate In Antiviral Drug's Successful Trial

A team of researchers and other experts at the University of Virginia participated in a critical National Institutes of Health study that found the antiviral drug remdesivir speeds patients' recovery from COVID-19. Remdesivir, an experimental drug, helped patients with advanced cases of COVID-19 recover 31 percent faster than patients who received a placebo.

First Responder Parade Honors Inova Fairfax Hospital Staff

Fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles queued up on the streets and a helicopter flew over Inova Fairfax Hospital in a parade to honor health care staff on the front lines of the new coronavirus crisis Wednesday.

VA Coronavirus: Daily Tests Reach 5,500 As State Aims For 10,000

Virginia's cases of the new coronavirus increased by 885 from Wednesday to Thursday and 30 more deaths were reported, according to the latest data from the Virginia Department of Health. The latest totals are 15,846 cases, 552 deaths and 2,322 hospitalizations.

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Coronavirus Outbreak Reported At Spotsylvania Grocery Store

Several employees of the Aldi grocery store in the Four Mile Fork area of Spotsylvania County have tested positive for the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, the first coronavirus outbreak reported in the Rappahannock Area Health District, the Spotsylvania County government said Thursday. An outbreak is defined as two lab-confirmed cases that are linked by a person, place, or time outside of a household.

DC Mayor Announces Agreements To Build 2 New District Hospitals

Residents in some of the District's most underserved areas will soon see a boost in the quality of available health care. D.C. officials announced agreements Wednesday night with two local health-care providers to build two new hospitals that will create a network of care for residents in Wards 7 and 8.

• Confirmed Coronavirus Cases In DC Top 4,300; 224 Total Deaths

Loudoun Elementary School Staffers Test Positive For Coronavirus

Loudoun County Public Schools staff members at Frederick Douglass Elementary School in Leesburg and Guilford Elementary School in Sterling have tested positive for the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, according to the school system. Both staff members are self-isolated at home while they recuperate.

Also Worth a Look Today

• Woofie's Offers Free Walks To Dogs Of Front-Line Medical Workers
• Workhouse Arts Center Goes Virtual, Holds Fundraising Campaign
• 100 Bowls Of Soup Continues Nourishing Herndon During Coronavirus
• Fairfax County Continues To Seek Protective Gear Donations
• Alexandrians Encouraged To Spread Cheer, Not The Coronavirus
• Manassas Man Charged With Theft Of $170K In Construction Material
• Reston Man Charged On Grand Larceny, Burglary Warrants
• 2 Virginia Square Burglaries Under Investigation
• Fatal Shooting Of Southeast Man Under Investigation
• Oxon Hill Man Charged In 2019 Fatal Shooting Of Southeast Man
• Alexandria 2021 Budget Adopted Without Real Estate Tax Hike
• Car Fire In Springfield Repair Shop Extinguished Without Injury

Across America

• U.S. Coronavirus Blog: 1 In 6 Now Jobless; Little League, Big Out
• Florida Restaurants Reopening, Governor Excludes SoFlo Counties
• AZ Coronavirus: Governor Extends Stay-At-Home Order To May 15
• Costco Requires Shoppers To Cover Faces Amid Coronavirus Crisis
• May Day: Let's Bring Back The May Baskets While Social Distancing