Northam Explains How NOVA Will Open More Slowly Than Rest of The State

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood. We’ve got a roundup of today’s Virginia news coming right up.

But First…

Looking to vote in the upcoming May elections? The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is tomorrow at 5 p.m. To find out more, read our guide here.

Five Things You Need to Know Today

1. Virginia’s Coronavirus Cases Reach Over 25,000- With an increase of 989 new cases since Sunday, Virginia now has 25,070 reported coronavirus cases across the commonwealth. There are currently 3,300 people hospitalized and 850 people have died due to the virus. In total, 167,758 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the commonwealth. — Dogwood
   
2. Northam Details How NOVA Reopening Delayed- During a press conference, Gov. Ralph Northam said Northern Virginia will reopen more slowly than the rest of the state. Virginia has a 10% positivity rate for coronavirus tests, but Northern Virginia has a 25% rate, according to Northam. “We’re not flipping the light switch from closed to open,” the governor said. “When the time is right, we will turn a dimmer switch just a notch.” Over the weekend Northern Virginia leaders confirmed they didn’t think the region is ready to reopen. — Dogwood
   
3. Republicans Call for Northam to Halt Release of Man Convicted of Killing Officer in 1979- A group of Republican lawmakers have requested that Gov. Northam stop the release of a man convicted of killing an officer in 1979. Vincent Lamont Martin is scheduled to be released on parole on Monday. Former parole board chair Adrianne Bennett released a lengthy defense of the board’s decision to release the 64-year-old man, saying he has demonstrated himself to be a trusted leader. – WSET
   
4. Fourth Virginia Inmate Dies of COVID-19- The Virginia Department of Corrections has confirmed that a fourth inmate in Virginia has died from COVID-19. The 66-year-old man died in VCU Medical Center on May 7. According to the VaDoC, the man was convicted of multiple counts of homicide, aggravated kidnapping, robbery and sexual intercourse without consent.  He was serving multiple life sentences — NBC 12
   
5. Virginia State Park Kicks Off Virtual Programs – Virginia State Parks will be hosting a week’s worth of virtual programs just in time for springtime. Starting on Monday, park officials say the five virtual programs will be available on the Virginia State Parks Facebook page at noon. All the “virtual visits” will also be available on the Virginia State Parks’ YouTube Channel as well. — WRIC