Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up.
But first…
A 100-year-old Virginia Beach woman celebrated her birthday in quarantine. Callie “Granny” Buck celebrated with a surprise party planned by her loved ones. The party adhered to social distancing guidelines, and involved decorating her front yard with signs and balloons. — WAVY 10
Five things you need to know today …
- Governor Closes Schools For Academic Year, Non-Essential Businesses For One Month- Gov. Ralph Northam announced at a press conference Monday that he has closed all non-essential businesses for 30 days and all schools for the rest of the academic year. Non-essential businesses include entities like barbers, racetracks and gyms. Restaurants are allowed to be open for take-out only. Northam also thanked the Virginians who’re making sacrifices during the virus. “Our priority is to save lives,” Northam said. – Dogwood and FOX 5
- Over 250 Virginians Have Coronavirus, 3 More Deaths Announced in Commonwealth- There are a total of 254 cases of coronavirus in the state of Virginia, with approximately 38 hospitalizations as of March 23. There have been six total deaths, including an 80-year-old Bedford woman who died in the Peninsula Health District. These cases are “presumptive positive,” meaning they’re still pending testing from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the Virginia Department of Health, 3,337 people have been tested. —WRIC
- Virginia Health Officials Say They Have Enough Coronavirus Tests For 1,000 People, But That Might Not Be Enough- Virginia health officials said they have enough materials to test approximately 1,000 people for the novel coronavirus, but experts say that is not nearly enough to do adequate testing in the state. Limited testing is reportedly making residents anxious and medical professionals are frustrated. Doctors and healthcare experts across the state find the state’s limits on testing and state officials’ description of the outbreak to be “aggravating” and “misleading.” – Virginia Mercury
- Virginia is Scheduled to Legalize Casinos…at The Worst Possible Time. For over a year, state legislators have battled for (and against) introducing casinos to Virginia, in part to bring jobs to areas that have a weak economy. Two weeks ago, lawmakers approved legislation to allow developers to build five casino resorts that are poised to provide a large financial boost. But due to the coronavirus outbreak, these plans are likely to come to a serious halt. – WRIC
- Kids Allegedly Coughing on Vegetables For Social Media Attention- The Purcellville Police Department is investigating an incident that involved juveniles allegedly coughing on produce while filming themselves, and then posting the videos to social media. The grocery stores immediately removed the items that were potentially coughed on and has taken measures to protect the health of the store patrons. The police department urges parents to explain to their kids why such behavior is wrong, especially in regards to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. – WRIC
