More than 3,600 Virginians have confirmed cases of the coronoavirus and more than 70 have died since the pandemic began.
Adults between the ages of 50 and 59 have consistently had the highest number of new cases each day when the Virginia Department of Health releases data.
Here’s what you need to know Wednesday:
Closings and cancellations due to the coronavirus outbreak
Here’s where children can get free meals while schools are closed
Here’s what you need to know about living through the coronavirus crisis in Hampton Roads
Tracking reported COVID-19 cases in Virginia
“It’s our time”: Navy Reserve calls up Hampton Roads doctors to help fight coronavirus
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5:36 p.m.: Eastern Shore Health District reports coronavirus-related death
An Eastern Shore resident died Wednesday after testing positive for the coronavirus, according to the Eastern Shore Health District.
The woman was in her 70s and was hospitalized, according to health officials.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a beloved member of our community. We are thinking about her family and friends during this difficult time,” said Eastern Shore Health District Director Richard Williams. “This growing crisis has already devastated many across the Commonwealth. We are investigating how she may have obtained the virus as we do in all cases in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
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5 p.m.: Worker at Cox-linked facility in Chesapeake tests positive for coronavirus
A facility in Chesapeake that processes and ships Cox Communications equipment was closed temporarily this week after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus, a Cox spokeswoman confirmed.
The employee, who works for a company that Cox contracts with, was at home and self quarantining after testing positive on Monday, Cox spokeswoman Margaret-Hunter Wade wrote in an email.
The facility closed down Tuesday for deep cleaning and was back open Wednesday, according to Wade.
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4:32 p.m.: Virginia restaurants can now serve cocktails for delivery and takeout
The last shoe finally dropped on restaurant alcohol sales. Takeout and delivery cocktails will be legal in Virginia as of Friday for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.
“All Virginia restaurants that remain open are now takeout or delivery only,” Northam said Wednesday. “Allowing them to sell mixed beverages with takeout or delivery orders will help them augment their revenue streams so they can continue to operate and employ Virginians.”
“As of midnight, Thursday, April 9, mixed beverage restaurants, limited mixed beverage restaurants, distillers and limited distillers with an agreement with ABC will be able to sell product samples and cocktails to go or for delivery, subject to limitations imposed by Virginia ABC,” wrote the ABC on its Twitter account after the media conference.
The full details are not yet in place, said ABC spokeswoman Taylor Thornberg, but the rules will be finalized well before the executive order becomes effective on Friday.
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3:40 p.m.: Groundskeeper makes sure Harbor Park stays ready as Norfok Tides’ Opening Day comes and goes
Kenny Magner cruises around on a mower at Harbor Park, its still pristine playing surface in game-day shape.
There is no music blaring over the public address system. The stadium’s lights and scoreboard aren’t being tested, as they usually would this time of year. The Norfolk Tides’ normally bustling front office sits quiet and largely empty as the staff works from home.
Magner, the Tides’ longtime head groundskeeper, and assistant Justin Hall alternate days reporting to work to mow and water the emerald grass.
No one is making Opening Day of baseball season. Like other stadiums around the country, Harbor Park will sit in strange silence as both the major and minor leagues are on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Tides, like most businesses, are feeling the squeeze of the virus’s wide reach. Sponsors who bought outfield billboards or ads in the program, for example, won’t have eyeballs on them for the foreseeable future.
Magner, meanwhile, will continue to keep the field ready to go in eerie solitude. The steady hum of his mower will have to stand in for the ballpark’s usual afternoon cacophony.
He’ll miss his first Opening Day since starting with the team in 1977, a year before assuming his current role.
“It’s just going to be weird Thursday,” Magner said. “It really is.”
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3:30 p.m.: TCC to hold its 70th commencement exercises virtually
Tidewater Community College announced Wednesday that the college will hold its 70th commencement ceremony virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will be held May 11 at 6:00 p.m.
“The college will recognize the achievements of its graduates with an online ceremony that will include remarks by President Marcia Conston, student speakers and a conferring of certificates and degrees,” the college said in a release.
Graduates will see their photos and names displayed during the virtual ceremony, and those who RSVP will get some celebratory items for the day including their mortarboard and tassel, diploma case, program and alumni pin.
The exercises will be broadcast on the same date originally planned for the in-person activities and will be available as a recording afterward.
“The decision to conduct these ceremonies online honors guidelines announced by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and is in line with CDC regulations for social distancing to deter the spread of COVID-19,” the release said.
Graduates should register online by April 20.
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3:08 p.m.: Small businesses, their banks race to secure some of $349 billion in federal coronavirus loans
It’s a modern-day gold rush, except the picks to break down mountains have been replaced with the clicks to apply online for what is bound to be free money for many in need.
Small business owners in Hampton Roads have raced to claim some of the nearly $349 billion pledged by the federal government through the Paycheck Protection Program to help save them and their employees from financial ruin before the money runs out. At the same time, private banks have enlisted hundreds of employees to field thousands of applications for the loans since Friday.
The program — part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, signed into law on March 27 — allows small businesses with fewer than 500 employees to seek a forgivable loan worth 2.5 times its average monthly payroll costs. It’s the banks lending their own money. If the businesses do what they agree to do at the end of eight weeks, including using 75% of the funds to maintain their payroll, the loan would be forgiven and the federal government would pay back the banks, with 1% interest plus fees. If the borrower goes out of business before then or defaults on the loan, the federal government is on the hook to pay. The loans require no personal guarantee or collateral from the business.
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2:32 p.m.: Northam wants lawmakers to move May city elections to November
The June 9 congressional primaries will be postponed by two weeks and the May municipal elections could be moved to November, Virginia’s governor said Wednesday.
Holding the elections as scheduled would put voters and election officials’ health at risk during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam said at a press conference in Richmond.
He is using his executive power to postpone the June Congressional primaries by two weeks. Chapter 24.2 Section 603.1 of the state code says he can issue an executive order to postpone primaries during a state of emergency, which he declared on March 12. The election will now be held on June 23.
He said he’s asking the General Assembly to move the May municipal elections to November when lawmakers come back to Richmond on April 22 to consider any bills vetoed by the governor and any budget amendments.
Chesapeake, Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News and Williamsburg all have city council, school board or mayor elections in May. All absentee ballots already cast will be discarded, and Virginians will have to vote again in November if the General Assembly approves the change.
Elected officials whose terms expire on June 30 will stay in office until their successors are sworn in.
“We have wrestled with our options and none of them are ideal or perfect,” Northam said. “No one should have to choose between protecting their health or casting a ballot.”
The number of confirmed cases in Virginia reached 6,345 on Wednesday, with 615 people hospitalized. The state Department of Health reported 75 people have died after contracting the virus.
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1:55 p.m.: Gloucester seeks help to boost broadband access as coronavirus demand for online service climbs
Gloucester County itself is offering free, if limited, wi-fi access in the parking lots of the main library and its Point branch in Hayes. People can also tap the county’s broadband service through Wi-Fi on Main Street around the court circle.
Roughly 15% of county residents don’t have reliable broadband access.
“There are many out there who would like to be able to complete homework assignments, check their emails or connect virtually with family members,” said assistant county administrator Carol Steele.
She’s hoping that county businesses with strong wi-fi signals will agree to let county residents park in their parking lots to tap the signals and go online. But she’s asking county residents to leave the job of asking businesses about access to county officials
Gov. Ralph Northam’s budget proposed boosting Virginia’s spending on expanding broadband to $35 million year, but that was before the coronavirus hit and sent state officials scrambling to find savings.
The Mathews County Library says people can tap into its Wi-Fi from its parking lot, and from parking spots near the library building on Main Street. People can also tap in from the library courtyard.
The Williamsburg Regional Library is offering mobile internet for two hours at a time at various spots around the area, as well as some some long-term hot spots, accessible 24 hours a day at Home Cooking (8953 Pocahontas Trail); Powhatan Apartments (226 Burton Woods Dr.); Burnt Ordinary (7901 Sterling Dr., Toano) and Merrimac Crossing (159 Merrimac Trail).
Blackwater Regional Library offers 24-hour a day wi-fi outside its branches in Isle of Wight, Surry, Sussex and Southampton counites, as well as Smithfield and Franklin.
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1:54 p.m.: Despite coronavirus challenge, a top grade for Virginia finances
Analysts really like it when a government socks away money when times are good — which was a big talking point when Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne talked recently to bond rating agencies about the new coronavirus.
And a first formal reaction is in: Fitch Ratings says Virginia will keep its AAA grade — the top of its chart — and that the state’s outlook is stable.
Layne said his conversation with Fitch and the other big two rating agencies focused on the state’s effort to beef up its financial reserves over the past two years.
Those reserves are up from a 20-year low of $235 million in fiscal year 2016 to $791 million last year and were on track to hit $1.5 billion by June 30.
“When times are good, they want to see you put money into reserves and not spend it all,” Layne said. “They understand with things like coronavirus that you’ll need to go into reserves.”
Building up Virginia’s reserves was the top priority for both Layne and the General Assembly’s money committees over the past couple of years, as the state’s relatively strong economy saw multi-million-dollar increases in tax collections.
While the first monthly report on state revenue after the virus socked Virginia isn’t due for a few days still, Layne’s bracing for a big decline.
As a result, when Gov. Ralph Northam sends back his budget recommendations for the General Assembly to consider later this month, he’ll be asking to make all new spending contingent on whether there’s enough money to pay the bills, Layne said.
That includes such popular increases as the 2% raises for teachers next year and the year after.
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12:24 p.m.: Historic Jamestowne staffer creates mini-documentaries from home for people around the world
Mark Summers normally shares untold stories of Jamestown colonists on outdoor walking tours, surrounded by people.
Today, the director of public and youth programs at Historic Jamestowne does the same work at home — alone — as he sits on his front porch or at his dining room table.
With the cultural heritage site shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, Summers is creating mini-documentaries based on his tours, which he posts on his YouTube channel JR Education (for Jamestown Rediscovery). He’s also conducting live video classes for students from his West Point home via Zoom and Skype, starting with a group of fifth-graders in France.
“Distance learning is something that we’d already been looking to develop,” he notes. “By embracing technology now, we can keep changing people’s perspectives on history and showing how Jamestown’s story is part of a much bigger, global story.”
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11:30 a.m.:Nonresident property owners sue Dare County, N.C., for access to homes
Six Outer Banks non-resident property owners filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday contending that Dare County’s entry restrictions are unconstitutional and beyond its authority.
The suit calls for the borders to reopen right away.
The plaintiffs, including three from Virginia, say they should be able to prepare their rental properties for the spring and summer season, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in eastern North Carolina.
Dare County closed its borders to visitors and non-resident property owners three weeks ago in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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10:41 a.m.: WHRO to air Virginia Symphony Orchestra performances for Good Friday, Easter Sunday
Need a musical pick-me-up this weekend? The Virginia Symphony Orchestra has you covered, and you won’t have to violate the ongoing stay-at-home order.
Partnering with WHRO-FM, two VSO performances will be aired this weekend on classical station 90.3 FM.
For Good Friday, a 2019 performance of Gustav Mahler’s powerful “Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection)” will broadcast at 9 p.m. For this performance, which was conducted by Maestro JoAnn Falletta, the symphony was joined by members of the F. Ludwig Diehn Chorale and ODU Concert Choir, with soloists Mary Wilson (soprano) and Susan Platts (mezzo soprano).
At 4 p.m. on Easter Sunday, the station will broadcast another performance from 2019, Handel’s “Messiah,” conducted by Stephen Mulligan. This performance features soloists Maria Valdes (soprano), Allegra De Vita (mezzo-soprano), Carlos Enrique Santelli (tenor) and Calvin Griffin (bass-baritone).
Want to listen? Tune into 90.3 FM at the scheduled times or stream the performances online at mediaplayer.whro.org/live.
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10:35 a.m.: Harris Teeter begins limiting customer capacity in stores
All Kroger stores, including Harris Teeter, are limiting the number of customers inside stores to 50% of the building code maximum capacity to further support social distancing.
Store associates will monitor the number of customers to ensure the capacity limit is maintained.
Harris Teeter, among other stores, has already installed sneeze guards to protect cashiers.
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10:04 a.m.: Dozens of Virginia prisoners are being released during coronavirus. Advocates say it’s not nearly enough.
In March 2019, seven people were granted parole and released from Virginia’s prisons.
A year later, that number jumped to 96, a 1,271% increase.
Officials say the Virginia Parole Board — five people appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam to grant or deny parole to state prisoners — is working “overtime” during the coronavirus pandemic. The idea is, fewer people behind bars means a smaller chance of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, spreading rapidly in close quarters.
But advocates for criminal justice reform say that number is nothing to be proud of, and more needs to be done to release inmates before the coronavirus runs rampant in Virginia’s prisons.
While Virginia’s governor has encouraged officials to release non-violent inmates in local and regional jails to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, it’s not that simple when it comes to state prisons.
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10 a.m.: The Helpers: Beach woman cheering up kids stuck at home via video messages from Queen Elsa of “Frozen”
Queen Elsa from Disney’s “Frozen” knows plenty about isolation.
So does Peyton Moore, a Virginia Beach woman who is completing her senior year at George Mason University online from her Fairfax apartment.
Moore, who has younger siblings, knows that kids everywhere are feeling antsy being stuck at home because of restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
So, Moore recently posted on Facebook that she would be happy to dress up as Queen Elsa and record videos for parents to play for their children. Grateful parents responded with requests and praise:
“My kids would love to hear from Elsa,” wrote one mom. “We have been watching ‘Frozen 2’ while being stuck at home.”
Another: “My granddaughter would love this.”
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9:55 a.m.:Virginia’s PPE contract to bring millions of items — but not enough, Secretary Moran says
Virginia is turning to a Norfolk-based firm that sells products for safely cleaning up human waste in order to supply millions of pieces of personal protective equipment, under a new $27 million contract.
The contract with Northfield Medical Manufacturing is the result of weeks of effort, tracking down dozens of leads a day about possible sources of the masks, gloves, gowns and face shields that hospitals and first responders are running out of, said Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran.
Because the supplies are coming in multiple shipments, “we anticipate it being a bit erratic,” he said. The first of several shipments of protective items Northfield is delivering should arrive from China next week.
Northfield specializes in supplying “spill kits” to protect health-care workers when cleaning up body fluid spills, as well as chemicals that solidify liquid wastes and kits to handle waste from urology clinics. The Dun and Bradstreet credit agency reported Northfield’s revenue as $6 million last year.
Although the contract is not going to be enough to cover the expected need, “now that we have identified and contracted with a stable supply chain, we hope and expect to execute additional contracts with them,” Moran said
Meanwhile, the state is continuing to identify additional suppliers — and, a key task, to assess their ability to really meet Virginia’s needs. The state is shopping across the United States and overseas. It is also looking at the possibility that manufacturers here could shift gears and start producing some items, he said.
“Not the end but the beginning,” he added.
It’s not an easy challenge.
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9:37 a.m.: Art community gets creative during pandemic
Businesses in Hampton Roads have had to adapt to the new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the same goes for the arts.
The art community has used its creativity to show resilience in these turbulent times by continuing to promote all forms of art.
Maggie Kerrigan, Virginia Beach Art Center board president, said the art center had to create a brand-new business model in the span of several days. Their goal was to continue to support local artists while providing uplifting artwork to the community.
“We are hoping that art will bridge the gap and create a comforting place for everyone,” she said.
Museums, galleries and theaters have gone virtual and are offering exhibitions, videos, art education and creative ideas to inspire art.
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9:35 a.m.: What will school look like on the Peninsula after spring break? It depends.
Spring break for Peninsula public schools runs through Friday. But this is unlike all the spring breaks before.
Since Gov. Ralph Northam closed all schools in the state March 13, divisions have used a mix of virtual learning and take-home packets to keep instruction going. But there’s still a quarter of the school year left, with graduation requirements to meet and topics to cover.
The state has issued some some guidelines for schools on how to approach learning during the closure, but the questions remain about high school credits and graduation requirements – and the state department of education can’t unilaterally waive all of the rules governing those.
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9:31 a.m.: Newport News airport officials fear coronavirus stimulus bill could lead airlines to pull out and consolidate in Norfolk
The Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is sounding the alarm.
The economic chaos sown by the new coronavirus — and the recent federal stimulus law designed to alleviate that chaos — could lead to the end of commercial air service at the airport, some officials fear.
On the surface, the stimulus bill, signed into law by President Trump almost two weeks ago, requires airlines to promise to keep flying out of markets they already serve to be eligible for billions of dollars in bailout money.
But in an order Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation interpreted that to mean that airlines serving Hampton Roads need to fly out of only one of the region’s two commercial airports in order to comply.
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9:15 a.m.: Confirmed coronavirus cases in Virginia surpass 3,600
Over the past 24 hours, the Virginia Department of Health reported 312 more Virginians have confirmed cases of the cornoavirus.
The state’s total is now 3,645 cases, as of Wednesday morning. Since the pandemic began, 75 people have died from it. The northern and central regions each have 23 deaths, the eastern region has 19 deaths and the southwest and northwest regions each have five deaths.
There have been 30,645 people tested for the coronavirus in Virginia.
The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported Wednesday that there are now 1,289 hospitalizations related to the coronavirus. Of those, 649 patients have tested positive for the virus and 640 have COVID-19 symptoms serious enough to require hospitalization but are pending final test results.
Virginia Beach has the highest number of cases, 207, followed by James City County with 122 cases. Chesapeake has 99, Norfolk has 77, Newport News has 60, Hampton has 53, Portsmouth has 41, Suffolk has 31, York has 25, Isle of Wight has 23, Williamsburg and Gloucester each have 16, Accomack has 11, Poquouson has four and Northampton has two cases.
Of the 3,645 cases, 1,880 are women and 1,717 are men, while 48 had no reported gender.
The age bracket with the highest number of cases remains the 50-59-year-olds with 730 cases, or 20%. Seventy-seven children under the age of 19 have confirmed cases.
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8:20 a.m.: Virginia Beach City Council votes to suspend meal taxes to reduce takeout bills during coronavirus pandemic
Starting in May, anyone ordering takeout from a Virginia Beach restaurant will see a 5.5% decrease on the bill.
During its second virtual meeting since the coronavirus pandemic began, the Virginia Beach City Council voted 9-2 on Tuesday evening to suspend the meals tax for May and June in an effort to encourage more people to support local businesses.
While Virginia Beach and many other cities in Hampton Roads have deferred penalties and interest accrual on meals and hospitality taxes to help ease the financial strain caused by the pandemic, Virginia Beach is among the first cities in the region to temporarily waive the city’s meals tax.
“We want to send a clear message that we value our restaurant industry, and we know they are going through the toughest of times right now,” Mayor Bobby Dyer said. “We wanted to do something to show our city is behind them.”
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8:05 a.m.: Confusion and controversy reign over food trucks in Virginia Beach residential neighborhoods
Angela Kirby pulled up on Lancelot Drive on April 3 to find someone she didn’t expect waiting for her: a zoning inspector.
Kirby had been invited by housebound locals to bring her food truck, Pittsburgh’s Best, to the Avalon Terrace neighborhood of Virginia Beach to sling her Italian sausage and ham BBQ sandwiches to residents who didn’t want to leave their neighborhood for food during the coronavirus pandemic.
But instead, says Kirby, she was told she could get a citation if she opened her food truck windows.
This was news to her, says Kirby.
“We had food pre-ordered, but we couldn’t open,” she said.
Kirby, who is also Vice President of the Hampton Roads Food Truck Association, was able to eventually get her food truck open after calling city officials. But first, she says, there was a more than hour-long standoff, with a crowd of would-be customers standing on the sidewalks.
Food truck regulation has become the subject of confusion and controversy in Virginia Beach, after a city announcement addressing the presence of food trucks in residential neighborhoods.
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7:28 a.m.: Riverside Health System changes visitor policies
Riverside Health System has updated visitor policies at its hospitals. A no-visitor policy has been implemented for inpatients at all Riverside hospitals. One visitor can accompany patients in the mother, baby and intensive care unites. No visitors are allowed in emergency departments.
No one may accompany patients or outpatients into a Riverside facility for any procedures or surgeries. Family members and caregivers will be asked to wait in their vehicles. Those who give rides to patients who need assistance entering a Riverside building are encouraged to call ahead to make arrangements.
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7:05 a.m.: New nonprofit formed to offer hope to small businesses — and fill the gap
As small businesses anxiously await the federal aid meant to help keep their livelihoods afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, a new nonprofit organization has been launched to assist in the interim.
Pete Snyder, chief executive officer of Disruptor Capital, and his wife, Burson Snyder, established Virginia 30 Day Fund to help businesses meet payroll, maintain healthcare coverage for employees and avoid layoffs in these uncertain times.
Snyder said in a news release that they want to save as many jobs as possible and provide people with hope.
“As a small business owner and a serial entrepreneur, I’ve never seen a scarier time for both business owners and employees who are struggling today through no fault of their own,” Pete Snyder said.
The fund, seeded by the Snyders with an initial $100,000 of capital, will offer up to $3,000 to each qualified small business.
To qualify, small Virginia-owned, operated and based businesses are required to have three to 30 employees and to have been in business for at least a year.
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7 a.m.: Opening of Mexican fast-casual restaurant delayed by the coronavirus
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic have delayed the first Hampton Roads location of a fast-casual Mexican restaurant from opening.
The first California Tortilla had been scheduled to open this spring in Chesapeake’s Greenbrier neighborhood, but those plans have been put on hold, said franchisee Maulik Patel. Patel said federal and state social distancing orders made him postpone opening.
“We don’t want people to gather too much,” he said.
Patel said he would open the restaurant when federal and state authorities signaled social distancing could end. The planned restaurant is at 1220 Greenbrier Parkway, at the intersection with Volvo Parkway.
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Chesapeake sheriff wants to use temporary building to house inmates in Hampton Roads with coronavirus
A temporary building at the Chesapeake city jail could be used to house inmates in the region who test positive for coronavirus.
Chesapeake Sheriff Jim O’Sullivan has asked the state Board of Corrections for permission to use the building, which is vacant, to isolate sick inmates from the general population.
No Chesapeake inmates have tested positive for the illness, but O’Sullivan said he wants to be prepared. The jail has only two “negative pressure” cells, used to sequester inmates with infectious diseases. The temporary building would provide more space for more people.
O’Sullivan said other cities could send inmates there if they enter into a “memorandum of understanding” with the sheriff’s office. He said he’s open to taking in state prisoners, too, if there’s a need.
“This is a time when we need to combine our resources,” O’Sullivan said. “We need to reach out and help each other.”
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Velocity urgent care centers offer drive-up testing for coronavirus
A chain of urgent care clinics in Hampton Roads is now offering drive-up screening for the coronavirus.
Velocity Urgent Care has designated two sites, one in Virginia Beach and another in Newport News, for the service. All 14 of its locations in Eastern and Northern Virginia are also administering tests inside the offices.
Beginning Wednesday, the Velocity drive-ups could be the only such operations in the region where people can get tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, from their cars. Sentara Healthcare suspended its drive-thrus, which sprung up at different locations around the region beginning in March, and is instead focusing on providing in-house testing to patients at its hospitals.
