Virginia Coronavirus: Over 700 New Cases, Legislature's Actions

VIRGINIA — Virginia's number of positive new coronavirus cases increased by 732 from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the Virginia Department of Health's latest data. The total number of cases stands at 10,998, including 10,627 laboratory-confirmed cases and 371 probably cases among patients with symptoms and a known exposure to COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. The number of deaths increased by 23 to a total of 372.

Earlier this week, the Virginia Department of Health released data on cases of the new coronavirus by county and independent city. That includes data on deaths, hospitalizations, cases per 100,000 people and breakdowns by ages and race. However, racial data remains missing for 32.8 percent of cases.

Localities with the highest rates of cases per 100,000 people are:

• Richmond County: 730.3 cases per 100,000 people; 66 total cases
• Harrisonburg: 640.3 cases per 100,000 people; 346 total cases
• Southampton: 403.7 cases per 100,000 people; 71 total cases
• Emporia: 351.5 cases per 100,000 people; 18 total cases
• Alexandria: 318.9 cases per 100,000 people; 512 total cases
• Manassas: 305 cases per 100,000 people; 127 total cases

Fairfax County leads the state with 2,362 cases, followed by Prince William County with 1,027, Henrico County with 718, Arlington County with 686, Alexandria with 512 and Loudoun County with 498.

Here's the latest case update for jurisdictions in our Northern Virginia coverage area:

• Alexandria: 512 cases, 74 hospitalizations, 14 deaths
• Arlington County: 686 cases, 118 hospitalizations, 24 deaths
• Fairfax County: 2,362 cases, 431 hospitalizations, 76 deaths
• Fairfax City: 26 cases, three hospitalizations, two deaths
• Falls Church: 25 cases, two hospitalizations, two deaths
• Loudoun County: 498 cases, 64 hospitalizations, 10 deaths
• Manassas: 127 cases, 18 hospitalizations, one death
• Manassas Park: 38 cases, six hospitalizations, one death
• Prince William County: 1,027 cases, 108 hospitalizations, 18 deaths
• Fredericksburg: 20 cases, three hospitalizations, no deaths
• Spotsylvania County: 94 cases, 20 hospitalizations, three deaths
• Stafford County: 180 cases, 38 hospitalizations, two deaths

Henrico County's 83 deaths represent the most in the state, followed by Fairfax County's 76 deaths, Arlington County's 24 deaths, Prince William County's 18 deaths and Alexandria's 14 deaths.

The Virginia Department of Health reports 1,753 hospitalizations, but the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association has more detailed information on current hospital resource use and discharged patients. As of Thursday, 1,379 people with confirmed or pending COVID-19 test results are hospitalized, a minimal change from the previous day. The association says 1,567 confirmed COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals, up from 1,497 people on Wednesday.

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Of the hospitalized people with pending or confirmed results, 249 are on a ventilator and 400 are in the intensive care unit (ICU). There are 635 the available 2,899 ventilators being used at Virginia hospitals. That represents 22 percent use of ventilators available in Virginia.

Virginia reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on March 7. As of Thursday, 64,518 people in the state have been tested for the virus, an increase of 3,740 from Wednesday's report.

The Virginia General Assembly met Wednesday to address Gov. Ralph Northam's action on legislation and proposed budget amendments. Legislators approved Northam's request to halt new spending, delay the first minimum wage increase to $9.50 on May 1, 2021, and set aside funding for the state's coronavirus response. A reconvened session in the summer would allow legislators to adjust the state budget when the economic and financial impacts of the pandemic are better known.

Northam released a statement responding to the General Assembly's actions:

Thanks to today’s votes, the Commonwealth will have more tools to address the effects of the novel coronavirus on hard-working Virginians. We will protect homeowners and renters who have lost income due to COVID-19 from eviction and foreclosure. We will establish a COVID-19 relief fund to help small businesses impacted by this public health crisis. We created a work-share program as an important tool to help workers keep their jobs. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities will receive critical funding in the wake of unprecedented challenges.

Northam's proposal to move May local elections to November hit a roadblock. The Senate did not pass the proposal after the House of Delegates approved it. Northam used statutory authority to move the June 9 primary election to June 23, but he'd need General Assembly approval to move May elections to November. Northam said he "will review the General Assembly’s actions on scheduling local elections and announce next steps soon."

Legislators were in Richmond as protesters called for an end to Northam's restrictions. According to NBC12, protesters spoke about economic impacts on businesses in their call to reopen the state.

Northam's stay-at-home order for Virginia residents is in effect through June 10. He recently extended his order closing certain non-essential businesses and limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery only through May 8.

On Thursday, Northam joined Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to call on the Trump administration to continue telework for federal workers. "While of course any essential employee should continue to report to work, we know that a continued federal telework policy will help save lives by allowing more of our region’s 360,000 federal employees to work from home," the leaders wrote in a letter.