Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood. We’ve got a roundup of Virginia news coming right up.
But First…
Want to be helpful in conversations of racism and police brutality? Here’s a breakdown of what not to say in terms of racial injustice in America. —Dogwood
Five Things You Need to Know Today
- Northam Announces Phase Two Reopening And Talks Protests- Gov. Ralph Northam announced most of Virginia will enter Phase Two of reopening from the coronavirus shutdown on Friday, but also spent much of his time addressing ongoing protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Northam said most of Virginia could proceed to Phase Two of reopening later this week due to favorable trends in health data. – Dogwood
- Northam Refuses Trump Administration’s Request to Deploy VA National Guard on Protestors- Gov. Ralph Northam denied a request from the Trump Administration to deploy Virginia’s National Guard on protesters in Washington D.C. The Pentagon had requested 3,000 to 5,000 National Guard members to be sent to “dominate” protestors. Across the country, including Virginia, there have been protests against police violence against Americans, particularly towards black people. — Richmond Times-Dispatch
- Confederate Statue Finally Removed in Alexandria- After years of controversy, a statue honoring Confederate soldiers was removed from an intersection in Old Town Alexandria early Tuesday morning. According to reports by ALX, the statue was removed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, a group that has supported white supremacists in the past. The UDC owned the statue and recently had its headquarters set on fire in Richmond. — Dogwood
- Hospital Testing Brings New Info on the Extent of Asymptomatic COVID-19 in VA- Since Virginia hospitals have reopened for non-life-threatening procedures, several hospitals have implemented more COVID-19 testing protocols to prevent further spread of the virus amongst patients and staff, revealing the extent of asymptomatic COVID-19 in Virginia. According to the vice president of the Virginia Nursing Association, 1.6% of mothers in an Arlington hospital tested positive with no symptoms. — NBC 12
- Virginia Coronavirus Cases Rise to Over 46,000- There are currently 46,239 reported coronavirus cases in Virginia. According to the Virginia Department of Health, 4,770 people have been hospitalized and 1,407 people have died due to the virus. So far, 328,889 Virginians have been tested for COVID-19 according to the VDH. — Dogwood
