Governor Northam's COVID-19 Briefing - 9/1/2020
FORWARD VIRGINIA PLAN: Phase Three – Begins Wednesday, July 1
- No changes in restrictions before Labor Day.
- Restrictions are all staying in place to avoid surges similar to those seen around July 4th and Memorial Day.
- If numbers continue to trend in the right direction after Labor Day, Eastern Virginia will be able to move fully into Phase 3 with the rest of Virginia.
HOSPITALS, PPE AND TESTING
- Virginia is averaging 15,000 to 20,000 PCR tests per day, statewide.
- Statewide percent positivity is just below 7%, at 6.9%.
- Regional Data (using 7-day moving average):
- Northern Virginia: 270 new cases per day.
- Percent positivity rate of 6%.
- Central Virginia: 170 new cases per day (including the City of Richmond).
- Percent positivity rate of 7%, decreased in the past few weeks.
- Northwest Virginia: 170 cases per day
- Percent positivity rate of 5%, currently trending upward.
- Southwest Virginia: increase in new cases from 80 new cases per day to 220 per day.
- Eastern Virginia: 270 new cases per day, decreasing since July.
- Percent positivity rate is down from 12% in mid-July to just under 9%.
- The Virginia state lab began conducting anti-body testing last week.
- There has been a decrease in attendance at public testing events.
- Governor Northam encourages any and all Virginians who believe that they need to be tested, for any reason, to attend community testing events.
- Northern Virginia: 270 new cases per day.
COVID-WISE APP
- Over 460,000 Virginians have downloaded the app since its debut 4 weeks ago.
- Yesterday, 51 people received notification that they had possibly been exposed to COVID-19.
- Governor Northam encourages anyone who has not yet downloaded the app, to do so.
SCHOOL RE-OPENINGS
- Despite the new federal classification of teachers as critical infrastructure workers, Governor Northam encourages any teacher who believes that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 to get tested, and stay home until they receive a negative result.
- All colleges and Universities have submitted and received approval for their COVID-19 response plans as they begin to re-open for on campus instruction this fall.
- As colleges in other states have seen large spikes in positive cases soon after re-opening, Governor Northam says that he remains prepared to quickly respond to increased percent positivity on Virginia's college campuses.
COVID-19 CASES, STATISTICS AND MODELING
- Total cases: 121,615
- Total deaths: 2,612
- Total tests: 1,593,368
OTHER TOPICS
- The validity of drivers licenses and vehicle registrations set to expire by October 31 has been extended for an additional 60 days, due to decreased capacity at DMV offices.
- The fact that many poll workers are elderly and therefore at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, means that there is currently a shortage of people to work the polls during upcoming elections.
- Governor Northam encourages anyone who can do so safely, to volunteer at the polls during upcoming elections.
- The Census deadline is September 30.
- Census forms can be filled out safely online, by phone, or by mail.