VA Coronavirus Cases Surpass 100, Workers Told To Contact OSHA

VIRGINIA — Virginia health officials said Friday the state has 114 confirmed positive cases of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19. Every region in the state now has a positive coronavirus cases after southwest Virginia reported its first case Friday.

As of Friday, 20 people are in Virginia hospitals receiving treatment for the coronavirus and two people have died, according to the Virginia Department of Health. James City County has the most confirmed cases of the coronavirus at 19, followed by Arlington County with 17 cases, Fairfax County with 16 cases and Prince William County with 12 cases.

Half of the state's 114 positive coronavirus cases are in Northern Virginia. Nationwide, there are 13,000 cases of the coronavirus and 196 people have died from the disease.

At his daily coronavirus press briefing, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Friday he does not plan to implement any new restrictions at the moment on residents or businesses. In contrast, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday night issued a shelter-in-place order that requires residents to stay home and allows only essential businesses to remain open.

Northam is counting on businesses to implement social distancing practices on their own in order to protect their workers and customers. When asked at the press briefing what workers can do if they have concerns about their employers failing to take proper measures to protect workers and customers, Northam said most businesses across the state are complying with state guidelines and recommendations.

But if an employee has concerns about proper procedures not being followed in their workplaces, Northam said: "I would encourage them to have a discussion with their supervisors at their place of work and talk about it at that level and make suggestions on how we can make it better."

If that is not sufficient to fix an employer's shortcoming in addressing the coronavirus, workers should then contact the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to express their concerns, Northam said.

However, employees may be worried about discipline and retribution if they voice concerns with their supervisors or offer suggestions on ways to improve conditions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in their workplaces.

The public health emergency order issued Tuesday by Northam and State Health Commissioner Norman Oliver prohibits more than 10 customers in restaurants, fitness centers and theaters. In addition, Northam asked residents to avoid non-essential gatherings of more than 10 people, mirroring federal guidelines.

That recommendation doesn't apply to essential services like manufacturers, distribution centers, airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, grocery stores or pharmacies.

In neighboring Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan ordered malls to shut down by 5 p.m. Thursday, March 19. Some shopping malls across Northern Virginia remain open, although many have shut down.

Oliver said the state is making the screening criteria for getting a coronavirus test less restrictive so more people can get tested. But screening will remain in place because Virginia and private companies in the state still do not have enough kits to conduct testing on a widescale basis, Oliver said.

VA Coronavirus Cases By County/City
James City County - 19
Arlington County - 17
Fairfax County - 16
Prince William County - 12
Loudoun County - 9
Chesterfield County - 5
Richmond City - 5
Virginia Beach - 4
Williamsburg - 4
Alexandria - 3
York County - 3
Henrico - 3
Stafford County - 2
Spotsylvania County - 1
Charles City - 1
Accomack - 1
Hanover - 1
Prince Edward County - 1
Gloucester - 1
Charlottesville - 1
Hanover County - 1
Goochland - 1
Harrisonburg - 1
Portsmouth - 1
Norfolk - 1
Total - 114

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