Health and Medicine
NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Virginia’s collaborative efforts to release low-level offenders from local and regional jails in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are working, and the administration’s guidelines have been effective in decreasing the jail population.
“We are facing an unprecedented public health emergency, which has required us to work collaboratively to develop unique solutions,” said Governor Northam. “Criminal justice stakeholders across the Commonwealth are using the tools available to them to decrease our jail population and address this crisis responsibly, humanely, and deliberatively. This is exactly the type of cooperation we need, and I commend our public safety officials and urge them to continue these important efforts.”
On March 19, Governor Northam issued guidance to local criminal justice officials, calling for them to consider proactive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring public safety. The Northam administration issued a joint statement with local public safety agencies, including the Virginia Sheriffs Association (VSA), the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys (VACA), the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (IDC), and the Virginia Association of Regional Jails (VARJ).
Governor Northam recommended the following:
- Allowing sentence modifications that can reduce populations within the jails, as outlined in § 19.2-303 of the Code of Virginia.
- Diverting offenders from being admitted into jails prior to trial, including the use of summonses by law enforcement in lieu of arrest pursuant to § 19.2-74 of the Code of Virginia, and use of local pretrial programs as available and with consideration to local capacity.
- Considering ways to decrease the number of low-risk offenders being held without bail in jails.
- Utilizing alternative solutions to incarceration such as home electronic monitoring, pursuant to § 53.1-131.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran sent a letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, Donald Lemons, on March 25 requesting his assistance in encouraging all magistrates and other judicial officers determining bail to consider the health and safety of those that appear before them and the residents and employees in local and regional jails.
Since late February, the number of new commitments to local and regional jails has decreased from approximately 10,000 during a two-week period to just over 4,000. On April 7, the jail population in the Commonwealth was 24,000, which is a 17 percent decrease from March 1. Virginia has also seen a 67 percent decline in the number of new commitments for misdemeanors across the Commonwealth.
“Governor Northam called on local officials to work together to safely reduce our jail population, and this early and aggressive effort is clearly working,” said Secretary Moran. “Localities are taking these recommendations seriously, and I expect them to continue making decisions with the public safety of their communities in mind.”
In addition to working with local partners to address local and regional jails, Governor Northam proposed a budget amendment allowing the Director of the Department of Corrections to release individuals with less than a year left to serve in their sentences for the duration of the state of emergency. The legislature is set to reconvene on April 22 to consider the Governor’s amendments to legislation, which includes the budget. If the amendment is adopted, it will be effective immediately.
13 more deaths in Virginia have been attributed to the coronavirus statewide according to numbers released this morning, bringing the statewide number to 208.The total number of cases has reached more than 68 hundred. Officials report in a 24 hour span an additional 718 people have been listed as hospitalized for reasons attributed to COVID-19.
Gov. Ralph Northam
Governor Northam has extended his order keeping many Virginia businesses closed for another two weeks. It was set to expire a week from tomorrow, and it now remains in effect until May 8th. The order applies to entertainment, recreation, and personal care businesses — and to all gatherings of more than 10. A separate stay-at-home order remains in effect until June 10th.
Executive Order 53 covers the following:
*Recreational and entertainment businesses, like bowling alleys and theaters must remain closed.
*Non-essential retail stores are allowed to remain open so long as they can limit patrons to 10 at most, maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet and follow CDC guidelines on sanitation.
*Restaurants and food service establishments may remain open for carry-out, curbside pickup, or delivery, but not in-house dining.*Hair salons, barbers, massage therapists and similar non-essential services unable to carry out social distancing are required to remain closed.
According to the Virginia Department of Health there have been 41 COVID-19 related deaths statewide over a 24 hour span bringing the total to 195. That is about 2.8% of the 6,500 confirmed cases across Virginia. Health officials say the actual number is likely to be much higher, so the actual mortality rate is likely somewhat lower. The department is also reporting more than 300 new cases and 1048 people have been in — or are still in — the hospital for reasons attributed to COVID-19.
Those numbers from the VDH represent past and present hospitalizations, while new data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association shows more than 700 COVID-19 patients in Virginia have been discharged from hospitals. The association determined that the state has close to 6 thousand hospital beds available with 25 percent of its ventilators in use.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia health officials reported Wednesday that the death toll in the state from the coronavirus has jumped to 195, an increase of 41 deaths from the 154 reported Tuesday.
The Virginia Department of Health reported that 6,500 people in the state have tested positive for COVID-19 out of a total of 44,169 people tested.
The total number of cases in Virginia since the coronavirus arrived in the state now stands at 6,500, in increase of 300 new cases from the 6,200 reported Tuesday. That daily increase is lower than the 425 new cases reported Tuesday, which was largely in line with what Virginia has seen over the past week.
The same model shows that lifting those restrictions in mid-June would still result in a significant spike in cases in the summer, peaking in August. Other models show the outbreak will essentially end in June if social distancing measures remain in place through May.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up within weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death. The vast majority of people recover.
Photo: Roanoke Fire-EMS
Area fire departments want to get the word out: do not put a face mask into a microwave in hopes of decontaminating it that way. Officials say for starters, it is not reliable — and it could start a fire. The CDC says masks “should be routinely washed depending on frequency of use”, and “a washing machine should suffice in properly washing a face covering.”
ROANOKE CITY FIRE-EMS NEWS RELEASE: Social media can produce mass misinformation when it comes to the truth, and that is no different during this pandemic. That being said, there has been a message going around stating that you can microwave your cloth mask to disinfect it, which is NOT true. This method is not recommended for proper decontamination and it may also cause a fire. While we have not had an instance here in the valley where we have been called out to, residents may still be doing this at home.
A female inmate at a state prison outside Richmond is the first person incarcerated in a state facility to die from COVID-19. The Department of Corrections reports she was 49 and had underlying health conditions that include asthma and Hepatitis-C.
NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND – This morning, an offender from the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland passed away at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center after battling COVID-19. The 49-year-old offender was admitted to VCU’s medical center on April 4 and tested positive for the novel coronavirus on that date. The offender had underlying health conditions including asthma and Hepatitis-C, and was hospitalized from April 4 until her death. The offender was serving a 9-year sentence for manufacturing methamphetamine, delivery of drugs to prison and larceny. She had an expected release date in mid-2023. For the privacy of her family and the confidentiality of her medical records, the VADOC isn’t releasing the offender’s name.
The VADOC, with about 30,000 incarcerated offenders and 12,000 employees, currently has 44 inmates and 32 staff with active COVID-19. The agency also supervises about 65,000 offenders in the community through probation and parole.
The VADOC is working closely with the Virginia Department of Health during this pandemic and following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for corrections. The agency is operating under a Pandemic Response Manual that follows American Correctional Association guidelines.
Carilion is furloughing some workers — and cutting pay and hours for others — as it deals with the COVID-19 impacts on the health care industry. In a video message to all employees Carilion CEO Nancy Agree says while some employees are working long hours to care for those with the virus, many other departments have seen dramatic slowdowns. Senior executives are taking pay cuts. Carilion is also suspending working on all capitial projects until later this year, including expansion of Roanoke Memorial Hospital. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
NEWS RELEASE: In response to rapidly shifting operational needs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Carilion Clinic is implementing changes to reduce expenses and preserve the long-term financial security of the organization and its employees.
Like peers nationwide, Carilion has shifted its regular operations to best prepare for and respond to COVID-19. The health system last month halted all non-essential services and procedures, leading to a 40 to 70 percent reduction in ambulatory and inpatient volumes.
For the past six weeks, some employees who faced a reduction in hours have taken on new or reimagined roles as screeners or protection safety officers. Others have staffed referral testing sites and call centers. Still others are being trained to take on new roles should they be needed to care for COVID-19 patients. Those efforts will continue, and as needs change, more employees will be reassigned.
Up to now, staff who were unable to be reassigned have had the option of using their paid time off (PTO) or borrow from future PTO up to 80 hours. That arrangement allowed them to continue receiving pay and benefits.
This week, Carilion is making further changes to match the current, reduced workload. Some employees will have their hours temporarily reduced to 32 hours per week. Other employees will be furloughed. The exact number of employees impacted is still being determined.
Furloughed employees may be immediately eligible to receive state unemployment benefits, and Carilion will pay their premiums for medical, dental and vision insurance.
“We’re making these difficult choices now so that we can come through the other side of this pandemic stronger, and ready to address the pent-up medical needs of our community,” said Nancy Howell Agee, president and CEO of Carilion Clinic. “I’m certain that as our community rebounds from this situation, we will need all of our dedicated employees, and my goal is to welcome them back to work as soon as possible and as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Agee and her executive vice presidents are taking a 20 percent pay cut, and all senior vice presidents and vice presidents are taking a 10 percent pay cut for at least the next six weeks.
Other priorities are being reviewed and recalibrated as well:
- All new contracts, renewals and vendor relationships are being reviewed to determine if they can be delayed until the pandemic subsides.
- Capital projects and expenditures, including expansion activities at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, will be paused until later this year.