Virginia's New Coronavirus Response Outlined, No Cases Confirmed

VIRGINIA — On Wednesday, Gov. Ralph Northam and Virginia officials detailed how the state is executing preparations for the new coronavirus, COVID-19. There have been no confirmed cases, although test results are pending for three possible cases.

"The Commonwealth is taking this public health issue seriously, and we have a plan in place to respond to COVID-19,” said Northam in a statement. "The Virginia Department of Health has some of the country’s leading public health experts on its team, with deep experience guiding public health emergency responses, and I have great confidence in their ability to guide Virginia in this situation."

The Virginia Department of Health's coronavirus website identifies pending test results and people being monitored. Three test results are pending, which includes two in central Virginia and one in Northern Virginia. A total of 14 tests came back negative: five in the central region, two in the eastern region, five in the northern region and two in the southwest region.

As of Wednesday, 106 people are under public health monitoring. As of this week, potential cases are being tested at Virginia’s Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, rather than at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. Officials say this can produce faster responses, as test results can come in within a few hours.

The new coronavirus, COVID-19, is a respiratory illness first identified in an outbreak in the city of Wuhan in China’s Hubei province. Caused by a novel coronavirus, the respiratory illness can be spread from person to person. According to the CDC, it is thought to be spread between people in close contact with another through droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

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Cases have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath — these can appear two to 14 days after exposure. The CDC recommends contacting a doctor if you develop symptoms, have been in close contact with someone that has COVID-19, or have been to an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19.

An incident management team of public health and safety experts is leading Virginia's planning and response to coronavirus. Dr. Lilian Peake, the incident commander in charge of Virginia's COVID-19 management team, says there's a low risk to Virginians at this time.

"But this is a dynamic situation that is changing daily. Being able to test potential cases here in Virginia will help us protect public health by providing results more quickly, so we can prevent the spread of disease and protect our communities," said Peake.

Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne said at a briefing Wednesday the state needs around $3.6 million over the next 90 days to fund protection equipment for health workers and others responding, communication materials going to the public and personnel costs. The funding is available under the governor's authority. If the coronavirus situation continues to develop, Layne estimated the state could need another $6.5 million over the next year.

While state agencies focus on preparations, officials recommend residents take precautions to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

Tips provided by health officials include:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are unavailable.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

More information about the coronavirus, COVID-19, is available on the CDC's website.