Health and Medicine
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Three more residents diagnosed with COVID-19 have died at a Virginia long-term care facility, the center disclosed on Sunday, bringing the death toll from one of the nation’s worst coronavirus clusters to 20.
The administrator of Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in suburban Richmond have announced three additional deaths since Friday.
More than 90 Canterbury residents have tested positive and are receiving treatment at the hospital or at the center, according to administrator Jeremiah Davis. Another 35 residents have tested negative, while 25 health care workers at the center also have tested positive.
Data from the Virginia Department of Health showed more than 2,600 positive COVID-19 cases statewide and at least 51 deaths as of Sunday morning. There are well over 400 hospitalizations.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, and the vast majority survive. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause pneumonia or death.
Government offices in Montgomery County are now closed for two weeks to both workers and citizens because two employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
The decision to shut down the entire Montgomery County government center in Christiansburg came shortly after Friday’s announcement that the entire 68-person Department of Social Services was under quarantine for a week because a worker had tested positive, The Roanoke Times reported. News of a second government worker testing positive came late Friday, county spokeswoman Jennifer Harris said Saturday.
Montgomery County Public Safety and other government functions located outside of the government center will continue to operate, Harris said. Water and sewer services, trash pickup and some animal will continue. But others inside the center — the local voter registrar, treasurer and commissioner of the revenue among them — will be shut down.
The number of confirmed Roanoke Valley COVID-19 cases increased slightly in the last 24 hours, and the statewide total now tops 2,600. The Virginia Department of Health reports 2,637 cases across the state, an increase of 230 in one day. The VDH reports 51 deaths, which is one less than the number reported Saturday; a department spokesperson says “This is due to a change in the code for reporting deaths due to COVID-19. One of the previously reported deaths that occurred in a patient is not attributed to COVID-19.” The death total remains about 2% of confirmed cases.
In the Roanoke region, there are 15 reported COVID cases in Botetourt County, 10 in Roanoke City, 10 in Franklin County, 6 in Montgomery County, 5 in Roanoke County 4 in Bedford County, and 1 in Salem.
Representatives from three Roanoke Valley health systems are joining with a half dozen television and radio outlets for a 60-minute program aimed at helping flatten the COVID-19 curve. It includes doctors from Carilion, LewisGale and the Salem VA Medical Center.
NEWS RELEASE: Roanoke, Va. (April 2, 2020) – In a historic first, healthcare and broadcast entities across western Virginia are teaming up under a shared goal: flattening the COVID-19 curve.
On Monday, April 6 at 7 p.m., clinicians from the Virginia Department of Health, Carilion Clinic, LewisGale Medical Center and the Salem VA Medical Center are partnering to host a panel discussion on COVID-19, “Coronavirus: A Community Conversation.”
Panelists will answer questions from the public, which will be collected and submitted by participating broadcasters. Topics will include:
- A situational brief for the region and health systems
- What people need to do
- How community members can plan and help
The hour-long event will be aired live on all four regional television network affiliates (WDBJ, WFXR, WSET and WSLS) and three regional radio stations (WFIR, WLNI and WVTF). Partners will also provide digital access through their online streaming services.
“As local community servants and first informers, we are very proud to be teaming up with community health care experts for this unprecedented hour-long broadcast,” said Douglas F. Easter, executive director for the Virginia Association of Broadcasters. “The broadcasters of Virginia want you to know that we are here for you and we will continue to work as hard as we can for our local communities in these unprecedented times of need. We can all work together to beat this terrible disease.”
To adhere to social distancing guidelines, participating broadcasters are strategically pooling resources to minimize the number of production staff required to be on site for the actual event. All broadcasters are collaborating in virtual planning meetings with the healthcare systems to ensure smooth production.
This scale of collaboration is unprecedented. In a time of such uncertainty, it takes an entire community to flatten the COVID-19 curve. In western Virginia, healthcare and broadcast partners are bridging the gap to ensure that residents have accurate and reliable information to combat COVID-19.
The public is invited to submit questions to any of the participating media outlets and tune in to the live event on Monday, April 6 at 7 p.m.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Virginia state government is offering $2.5 million to localities so they can provide shelter to 1,500 homeless people so the spread of the new coronavirus can be curtailed. It’s an idea that Virginia’s largest city has been carrying out recently, with some success.
Gov. Ralph Northam announced the emergency funding, which can be used for hotel vouchers, food, cleaning supplies and other items to people lacking housing.
“People experiencing homelessness are more likely to have chronic health conditions that go untreated, and are among the populations most vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19,” Northam’s office said in a statement Friday.
Health officials who toured the city’s center for homeless residents recommended the population be cut in half to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, the newspaper said.
Virginia’s health department said on Saturday that the number of confirmed cases in the state now exceed 2,400, a jump of almost 400 compared to Friday. There are 52 confirmed deaths, compared to 46 on Friday. Nearly 400 people are hospitalized.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause pneumonia or death.
The lodging so far has cost about $50,000 at two hotels, said Andy Friedman, the city’s Housing and Neighborhood Preservation Department director. The costs had been expected to be covered by city emergency funds, but now state and federal money will pay for them, Friedman said.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Anxiety among family members of inmates in Virginia prisons skyrocketed this week, after the state Department of Corrections announced that four inmates, four staff members and a nurse tested positive for the coronavirus.
Families and inmate advocates fear this could be just the beginning of a massive outbreak in prisons across the state. They’re particularly worried about women’s prisons, including two that already have confirmed cases and another that houses inmates with serious health issues but has a history of providing inadequate medical care.
“None of those ladies signed up for a death penalty,” she said.
Virginia’s top public safety official has said law enforcement across the state is doing all it can to respond to the pandemic. But inmate advocates are calling on Gov. Ralph Northam to step up efforts to reduce the inmate population at Virginia’s 41 state prisons, 72 local and regional jails, and nine juvenile facilities. Combined, the facilities house more than 60,000 people.
“When you look at the conditions people are being housed in — literally on top of each other in bunk beds, multiple people in a room, sometimes dozens sharing a single toilet and shower — to think that you will be able to prevent the spread through that population, that’s just not going to happen,” said Shannon Ellis, an attorney in the Legal Aid Justice Center’s Civil Rights and Racial Justice program.
The center has asked Northam to use his executive clemency powers to grant pardons to high-risk inmates and those who are close to their release dates. Advocates are also asking the Parole Board to expedite the early release of certain inmates.
Fears of an outbreak are heightened at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, where some of the state’s most seriously ill female inmates are housed. A federal judge last year issued an injunction against DOC officials, saying the department didn’t live up to eight of 22 standards established under a 2016 settlement in a lawsuit that alleged pervasive deficiencies in medical care.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause pneumonia or death.
Inmates’ families say the Department of Corrections has not responded quickly enough to the emerging threat. Although the department halted inmate visitation quickly, other preventative steps took weeks to put in place.
DOC spokeswoman Lisa Kinney said corrections officers have been going through a written and verbal virus screening for several weeks, but acknowledged that doing daily temperature checks and wearing face masks did not become mandatory for DOC employees until this week.
Kinney said the DOC is giving each inmate two bars of soap per week so they can wash their hands frequently.
DOC also said inmates who live in dormitory-style housing have been instructed to sleep head-to-toe to increase breathable space between them. To promote social distancing, the department is also working on a plan to allow inmates to temporarily keep their medications instead of waiting in the usual pill line.
Jeremy Wiley, whose mother is incarcerated the Virginia Correctional Center for Women, said he is worried because his mother has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“It’s almost her time to get out — she has about another six months — so we’re hoping it doesn’t spread through the prison,” he said.
allow inmates to temporarily keep their medications instead of waiting in the usual pill line.
Jeremy Wiley, whose mother is incarcerated the Virginia Correctional Center for Women, said he is worried because his mother has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“It’s almost her time to get out — she has about another six months — so we’re hoping it doesn’t spread through the prison,” he said.
SATURDAY UPDATE: The number of confirmed Roanoke Valley COVID-19 cases continues to climb, and the statewide total now tops 2,400. The Virginia Department of Health reports 2,407 cases across the state, an increase of almost 400 in one day. The VDH reports 52 deaths, which is about 2% of confirmed cases.
In the Roanoke region, there are 14 reported COVID cases in Botetourt County, 10 in Roanoke City, 10 in Franklin County, 5 in Roanoke County and 4 in Bedford County,
Governor Northam says Virginia is providing $2.5 million in emergency funding to help shelter the state’s homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor’s office says it will provide temporary housing for about 1,500 Virginians.
NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced an initial $2.5 million in emergency funding to shelter Virginia’s statewide homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic. This emergency support will provide temporary housing for the approximately 1,500 Virginians who are currently unsheltered or rely on shelters that require them to leave every day. The funding will also provide housing for individuals in shelters that may need to be quarantined, or where social distancing is not feasible.
“As we battle this unprecedented public health crisis, we must make sure no one is left behind,” said Governor Northam. “I have issued a statewide Stay at Home order, but we know there are many Virginians with no home to stay in. With this funding, we will ensure people experiencing homelessness have access to immediate housing options and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Funding will be used for hotel and motel vouchers, case management, food, cleaning supplies, and medical transportation.
Yokohama is temporarily suspending tire production at its Salem plant, effective Sunday. The company says it is the result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, and the shutdown is expected to last for two weeks. Yokohama’s news release says the entire facility will undergo sterilization and decontamination measures while production is idled.
NEWS RELEASE: SANTA ANA, CA – (Apr. 3, 2020) – Due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yokohama Corporation of North America (YCNA) announced today it is temporarily suspending production at its plant in Salem, Virginia. The controlled shutdown at Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia (YTMV) goes into effect on April 5 and is expected to last for two weeks.
YTMV produces passenger and light truck tires and is committed to the health and safety of plant employees, as well as the community. Several preventative measures to help stem the spread of COVID-19 are in effect at all company facilities.
Yokohama’s supply position remains strong with no forecasted disruptions in the company’s ability to serve customers.
To ensure the health and safety of all personnel upon their return, the YTMV facility will undergo sterilization and decontamination measures while production is idled.