Virginia Hospitals Receive Experimental COVID-19 Drug

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

But First…

With the coronavirus pandemic still occurring across the commonwealth, absentee voting is being encouraged now more than ever. We’ve debunked three common misconceptions about voting by mail that’ll be sure to help you this upcoming election cycle. — Dogwood

Five Things You Need to Know

1. Virginia Coronavirus Cases Increase by 3%- There are currently 32,908 reported cases of coronavirus in Virginia, an increase of 763 cases or 3% since yesterday. Currently, there are 3,979 people who’ve been hospitalized and 1,074 people who have died due to the virus. So far, 210,965 people have been tested for COVID-19 statewide. —  Dogwood
   
   
2. Virginia Hospitals Receive Experimental COVID-19 Drug- The Virginia Department of the Health released the names of hospitals set to receive remdesivir- the only drug proven, at least moderately, to help treat severe cases of COVID-19.  Fifty-five hospitals, including VCU Health, Bon Secours and UVA Health, received shipments. Only hospitalized patients are currently eligible to receive the drug.  — NBC 12
   
   
3. Virginia Accused of Bungling Coronavirus Statistics- Virginia, along with other states, has been accused of bungling coronavirus infection statistics, leaving the impression that things are better than they actually are. Virginia officials say they’re combining the results of viral tests with antibody tests, which creates a high testing total but doesn’t paint an accurate picture of the virus’s spread. —  WRIC
   
   
4. State Investigating Increased Number of COVID-19 Work Complaints- The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program has fielded thousands of calls and emails from workers who don’t feel safe at work. 8News has reviewed multiple closed cases, revealing complaints from fast food workers, grocery store clerks, hospital employees and office staff. The commonwealth is currently investigating these complaints. — WAVY
   
   
5. SNAP Recipients Can Soon Place Online Orders- Virginia recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will soon be able to purchase food online, thanks to a federal pilot program expansion that includes the commonwealth. The program is already operational in 18 states and will be expanded to 13 additional states. This will make it easier for those who use food stamp benefits to buy groceries online. — WRIC