Governor Ralph Northam has issued a statewide “Stay at Home Order” for all Virginia counties. According to the VA Dept of Health 78% of all cases in the state are found in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater – representing only 17 of the 133 counties in the state.
In fact, 783 of the 1020 total cases as of March 30 reside in these 17 counties. Leaving the balance of 297 cases spread out over 126 counties for an average of 2.3 cases per county.
There are 8.6 million residents in Virginia.
The executive order takes effect immediately and according to the Governor will remain in place until June 10, 2020, unless amended or rescinded by a further executive order.
The order directs all Virginians to stay home except in extremely limited circumstances. Individuals may leave their residence for allowable travel, including to seek medical attention, work, care for family or household members, obtain goods and services like groceries, prescriptions, and others as outlined in Executive Order Fifty-Three, and engage in outdoor activity with strict social distancing requirements.
The executive order also directs all Virginia institutions of higher education to stop in-person classes and instruction. Private campgrounds must close for short-term stays, and beaches will be closed statewide except for fishing and exercise.
“We are in a public health crisis, and we need everyone to take this seriously and act responsibly,” said Governor Northam. “Our message to Virginians is clear: stay home. We know this virus spreads primarily through human-to-human contact, and that’s why it’s so important that people follow this order and practice social distancing. I’m deeply grateful to everyone for their cooperation during this unprecedented and difficult time.”
The full text of Executive Order Fifty-Five can be found here.
Last week, Governor Northam issued Executive Order Fifty-Three closing certain non-essential businesses, prohibiting public gatherings of more than 10 people, and directing all K-12 schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year. A Frequently Asked Questions guide about Executive Order Fifty-Three can be found here.
Case and county data provided by the Virginia Department of Health: (http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/)
For more state and federal information about COVID-19, visit virginia.gov/coronavirus or CDC.gov/coronavirus.