Come Home to Norfolk

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This morning the Virginia Department of Health reports 654,929 total confirmed, and probable cases of COVID-19 and 10,706 total deaths related to the virus in the Commonwealth.

The seven-day positivity rate, PCR only, for the Commonwealth is 5.4%.

Norfolk is credited with 17,215 total cases and 252 deaths with an 7.6% seven-day positivity rate, PCR only.

According to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, 974 residents in Virginia are currently hospitalized due to the virus. Over 54,265 confirmed COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized and discharged.

VDH reports that 5,911,691 people in Virginia have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. Over 2,445765 people have been fully vaccinated.

The Commonwealth has received 5,931,905 doses of vaccine and are administering just over 74,310 doses a day.

To date in Norfolk, 110,540 people have received the vaccine and 43,731 people are fully vaccinated.

For daily vaccine summaries and totals, visit the VDH dashboard.

FEMA Military Circle Mall Clinic: All Hampton Roads residents over the age of 16 may get their free COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine at the FEMA-supported Community Vaccination Center located at Military Circle Mall through Saturday, May 1.

Second doses will be administered through May 22. 

Residents can register for an appointment ahead of the time online at norfolk.gov/covid19vaccine or come to the center and get registered onsite.

Same day appointments are available based on availability. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Johnson and Johnson Vaccine: On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted their recommended pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following the recommendation of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that the vaccine should be cleared for use by all adults.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has followed that guidance and instructed providers across the Commonwealth that they are free to resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine immediately. Read the full release here. 

For more information on this, view this week's Incident Action Plan.

Updated COVID Restrictions: On April 22, Governor Ralph Northam announced that sports and entertainment venues in Virginia may begin to operate with expanded capacity, and social gathering limits will increase beginning Saturday, May 15th. The announcement comes as vaccinations continue to rise in the Commonwealth, and more than half of all adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Governor Northam made the announcement in a new video message.  

The Commonwealth will continue to mandate mask-wearing and social distancing, even as commercial restrictions are further eased. Key changes in the Sixth Amended Executive Order Seventy-Two will go into effect in about three weeks and include:

• Social gatherings: The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase to 100 people for indoor settings and 250 people for outdoor settings. Social gatherings are currently limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. 
• Entertainment venues: Indoor entertainment and public amusement venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity or 1,000 people, up from 30 percent capacity or 500 people. Outdoor venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity—up from 30 percent—with no specific cap on the number of attendees. 

• Recreational sporting events: The number of spectators allowed at indoor recreational sporting events will increase from 100 to 250 spectators or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less. Outdoor recreational sporting events will increase from 500 to 1,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less. 
• Alcohol sales: Restaurants may return to selling alcohol after midnight, and dining room closures will no longer be required between midnight and 5:00 a.m.

The full text of Sixth Amended Executive Order Seventy-Two and Order of Public Health Emergency Nine is available here. Updated guidelines for specific sectors can be found here. 

Earlier this week Governor Northam made minor changes to the existing mitigation measures, including increased accommodations for cross-country events, school-based fine arts performances, and expanded access to bar seating in restaurants with strict social distancing. These changes are reflected in the current Fifth Amended Executive Order Seventy-Two available here.  

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 in Norfolk.  If you don’t live in Norfolk, don’t worry, you can search by city and find blood drives near you.

Be safe and have a great week, everyone. 

Daniel 

Daniel Hudson, Deputy EM Coordinator

Norfolk Emergency Preparedness & Response

EOC-Plans@norfolk.gov