Governor Northam Announces New Statewide Measures To Contain COVID-19, Effective Today

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

12/11/2020

The COVID-19 surge that began many weeks ago is continuing across the Commonwealth. All five health regions are experiencing increases in new COVID-19 cases, positive tests, and hospitalizations — despite the governor's additional measures that went into effect last month.

As a result, Governor Ralph Northam enacted Executive Order 72, which includes the following measures will take effect at midnight on Monday, December 14:

• Reduction in in-person public and private gatherings to 10 individuals.
• Expansion of mask mandate: All Virginians aged five and older are required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces when shared with others, and in outdoors while social distancing.
• Stay at home between midnight to 5 a.m.: All individuals in Virginia should remain at their place of residence between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., except under certain circumstances that are listed in the executive order.
• On-site alcohol curfew: The on-site sale, consumption, and possession of alcohol remains prohibited after 10 p.m.

Virginia is averaging 4,000 newly-reported COVID-19 cases per day, up from a statewide peak of approximately 1,200 in May.

All five health regions are experiencing increases in newCOVID-19 cases, positive tests, and hospitalizations.

• Virginia is averaging more than 4,000 newCOVID-19 cases per day, up from a statewide peak of approximately 1,200 in May. Virginia’s PCR percent test positivity rate is at 11.1 percent, an increase from 6.5 percent approximately one month ago. As of December 10, 2020, all but one health region reported a PCR test positivity rate at or above ten percent.
• Hospitalizations have increased by approximately 83 percent in the last four weeks. COVID-19 ICU hospitalizations have been increasing for 33 days and the statewide rate (4.4 per 100,000 persons) has exceeded the threshold of concern (3.5 per 100,000 persons) for the rate of confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations. Since this pandemicbegan in March, we have learned that socialization with persons outside of your household and sustained activities in indoor settings contribute significantly to the transmission of the virus.

Virginians must continue to practice the measures that we know work to stem the spread of the virus: wash your hands, avoid touching your face, avoid gatherings, and wear face coverings both indoors and outdoors. Therefore, additional measures are necessary to protect public healthand stem the spread of COVID-19.

Visit fairfaxva.gov/coronavirus for reliable information and resources on COVID-19.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.