Health and Medicine
Dr Cynthia Morrow-Lt Michael Collens- GM photo
About 30 members of the Virginia Army National Guard are at the Berglund Center today, focused on the logistics of getting people in and out of the mass COVID vaccination clinic going on there, while the Virginia Department of Health puts shots in arms. Dr. Cynthia Morrow with the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts also noted that Medical Reserve Corps volunteers were on hand to help out as well. There’s another mass clinic at the Berglund Center tomorrow. The Virginia Army National Guard has been helping out in the local district with testing and vaccinations since January.
The leader of Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination program says the state is constantly shifting its allocation strategies as some regions move more quickly to later phases than others. This comes as political leaders in northern Virginia say hundreds of thousands of people there are awaiting their vaccines as other parts of the state already to move on to later phases. Doctor Danny Avula is Virginia’s Vaccine Coordinator, and he says they’ve had to constantly tweak allocations beyond just population numbers. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the region continues its steady decline from mid-January. Health systems based in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Southside Virginia collectively report 116 such patients this week, compared to 350 ten weeks ago. But the number of patients under intensive care or on ventilators did rise in the last week. The reason or reasons behind that discrepancy is or are not clear.
MARCH 24 NEWS RELEASE: Here are updated numbers for the Near Southwest Region (which includes Carilion, Centra, LewisGale, Sovah, and Salem VA facilities) as of today:
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients: 116
ICU patients: 32
Ventilator patients: 17
Hospitalized PUIs (patients under investigation awaiting results): 0
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March 17:
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients: 137
ICU patients: 25
Ventilator patients: 15
Hospitalized PUIs (patients under investigation awaiting results): 7
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January 13:
Here are updated numbers for the Near Southwest Region (which includes Carilion, Centra, LewisGale, Sovah, and Salem VA facilities) as of today:
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients: 450
ICU patients: 96
Ventilator patients: 55
Hospitalized PUIs (patients under investigation awaiting results): 30
Governor Northam says he is ready to “slowly ease” COVID-related restrictions as of April 1st – a week from tomorrow. But he will continue to have smaller size limits on high school sports than for college and professional contests, and band and cheerleader members will remain counted as among the spectators. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Under Governor Northam’s latest executive order, spectator numbers at high school sports events will be permitted up to 100 people indoors and 500 outdoors, as long as they remain under 30% of permitted capacity.
Governor Northam says he is ready to “slowly ease” COVID-related restrictions as of April 1st. They include:
Social gatherings will be permitted up to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors.
Entertainment venues will be permitted to operate up to 30% capacity with a limit of up to 500 people indoors — and no limits outdoors within that 30%.
Recreational sports events will be permitted to admit up to 100 spectators indoors and 500 outdoors — but also with that 30% cap.
Graduation and commencement ceremonies face similar 30% capacity limits, up to 500 people indoors and 5,000 outdoors.
Northam did not change current restrictions impacting restaurants and bars.
The governor says the easing of restrictions is direct result of a sharp drop in statewide cases:
Northam says he is also encouraged by declining numbers of COVID-19 patients in hospitalized and on ventilators.
NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that as COVID-19 vaccinations continue to rise in Virginia, certain sports and entertainment venues may begin to operate with additional capacity and indoor and outdoor gathering limits will increase starting Thursday, April 1. He amended Executive Order Seventy-Two with the next steps of the “Forward Virginia” plan to safely and gradually ease public health restrictions while mitigating the spread of the virus. More than two million Virginians, or approximately one in four people, have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Social gatherings: The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase to 50 people for indoor settings and 100 people for outdoor settings. Social gatherings are currently limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
- Entertainment venues: All indoor and outdoor entertainment and public amusement venues must continue to operate at 30 percent capacity. Indoor venues must operate at 30 percent capacity or with a maximum of 500 people, an increase from the current cap of 250 people. Outdoor venues must operate at 30 percent capacity, with no specific cap on the number of attendees. These venues were previously limited to 30 percent capacity or up to 1,000 attendees, whichever was fewer.
- Recreational sporting events: The number of spectators allowed at recreational sporting events will increase from 25 to 100 people per field or 30 percent capacity, whichever is less for indoor settings, and from 250 to 500 people per field or 30 percent capacity, whichever is less for outdoor settings.
- In-person graduation and commencement events: Last week, Governor Northam issued preliminary guidance on safe in-person graduations and commencements, which included a cap of 5,000 people or 30 percent of the venue capacity for outdoor events, whichever is less. Events held indoors may have up to 500 people, or 30 percent of the venue capacity, whichever is less. Attendees must wear masks and follow other guidelines and safety protocols to ensure proper distancing.
Dr. Cynthia Morrow/VDH-VT photo
A lot depends on how much Johnson & Johnson vaccine actually arrives, but Dr. Cynthia Morrow with the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts had some promising news about COVID vaccine eligibility for those in Phase 1C today. Morrow says the Department of Health is still reaching out to 1-A and 1-B “stragglers.” Between tomorrow and Friday between 9am and 4pm a phone hotline in the health district for those 65-plus will schedule vaccination appointments: 540-613-6597
It was one year ago that Virginia, the country and world were starting to adjust to the growing health threat from COVID-19. New restrictions were altering our lives in almost every way, and that was before the numbers started to explode. WFIR’s Evan Jones takes us back one year as he reports in depth:
Dr. Cynthia Morrow/VDH-VT photo
The move to Phase 1C and COVID vaccinations for more of those under 65 could come sooner than expected – maybe by mid April says Dr. Cynthia Morrow with the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts. Morrow also said today if the Health Department starts having major problems filling Phase 1B mass clinics – like those at the Berglund Center – that may also move up the time for a move from 1B to 1C.
Rep. Bob Good
It was one year ago this week that federal and state governments implemented widespread restrictions in response to what was then a little-understood COVID-19. 5th District Congressman Bob Good is among the many critics, mainly Republicans, who say governments have done far more harm than good since then in response. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones: