The original item was published from December 1, 2020 3:55 PM to May 19, 2022 11:13 AM
This morning the Virginia Department of Health reported 240,063 total confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 4,093 total deaths related to the virus in the Commonwealth.
The seven-day positivity rate, PCR only, for the Commonwealth is 8.0%.
Norfolk is credited with 6,566 total cases and 91 deaths with a 7.6% seven-day positivity rate, PCR only.
According to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, 1,757 residents in Virginia are currently hospitalized due to the virus. Over 24,300 confirmed COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized and discharged.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know this year might have looked, and felt, different from year's past, but this too shall pass. We can all get through this together.
As a reminder, Governor Ralph Northam’s new COVID-19 restrictions enacted last month are still in effect.
The new restrictions include:
- All public and private in-person gatherings must be limited to 25 individuals. This includes outdoor and indoor settings.
- All Virginians aged five and over are required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces.
- Essential retail such as grocery stores and pharmacies will now have an enforceable penalty through the Virginia Department of Health. It will be a class 1 misdemeanor.
- Alcohol sales must stop at 10 pm, and bars and restaurants must close by midnight.
For more information on this, view this week's Incident Action Plan.
Vaccine questions. With a COVID-19 vaccination on the horizon, the Virginia Department of Health has created a webpage dedicated to answering the most frequently asked questions surrounding the vaccine. Questions such as, How will I know the vaccine is safe and effective, or Will I need more than one dose of the COVID vaccine? Check out their website for answers to these questions and other questions alike.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has also published a COVID-19 Fact Sheet on their website, which will help ease concerns around the vaccine. One fact they released is that the COVID-19 vaccine will not give you COVID-19. The website says that “None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States use the live virus that causes COVID-19. There are several different types of vaccines in development. However, the goal for each of them is to teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19." For more information on this, visit their website.
Don’t forget it's Flu season. The CDC and VDH both recommend receiving a seasonal flu vaccination. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the city will not have on-site flu shot clinics this year for city employees. We encourage all employees to get a flu shot this season from their primary care physician or any participating pharmacy. Click here to find flu vaccine locations.
Are you ready to give the gift of life? There are plenty of opportunities for you to give blood this month. Be an American Red Cross Hero by donating blood to help save lives. Click here to view all blood donation opportunities for December in Norfolk. If you don’t live in Norfolk, don’t worry, you can search by city and find blood drives near you.
Yesterday's weather almost felt like summer, with temps in the upper 70s. But late last night, a cold front moved in, and we will be back to more seasonable temperatures this week. Tonight will be cold as temps drop to the upper 20s to low 30s. Wednesday, we will see lots of sunshine, but temps will only hover around the 50-degree mark. It will get a little warmer on Thursday, mid-50s, and then Friday and Saturday temps are expected to be in the lower to mid-60s. Heads-up, though, there is a potential for rain in our area for Friday night and into Saturday.
Be safe and have a great week, everyone.
Daniel
Daniel Hudson, Deputy EM Coordinator
Norfolk Emergency Preparedness & Response
EOC-Plans@norfolk.gov