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| Northam speaks at a briefing on COVID Dec. 10. |
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Dec. 10 announced new rules aimed at combatting a surge in COVID 19 cases, including a curfew and stepped-up enforcement.
COVID cases are now at the highest level ever since the pandemic started last winter. Statewide, there are now 4,000 new cases a day. That is way up from the previous surge in May where there were an average of 1,200 new cases a day.
Statewide, there were 54 additional deaths on Dec. 10, and the percent of positive cases has doubled in the past month, reaching an 11 percent positivity rate.
COVID cases are also soaring in Fairfax County, reaching an all-time of 728 new cases on Dec. 8. There have been nine deaths and 104 new hospitalizations in the county since the beginning of December.
Northam modified the state’s stay-at-home order directing everyone to stay home between midnight and 5 a.m., unless they need to go to work.
All social gatherings now must be limited to 10 individuals, down from the current cap of 25. That includes parties, celebrations, or other social events, regardless of whether they occur indoors or outdoors.
The new rules also require every restaurant employee, including those working in the kitchen, to wear a mask.
The new order takes effect at midnight Dec. 14. It will expire Jan. 31, unless it needs to be extended.
The governor is not changing other rules on restaurants, as the existing rules already result in limited capacity. No alcohol sales are allowed after 10 p.m. Bars are already closed.
According to Northam, compliance rates among restaurants and other businesses is about 90 percent, but there have been complaints about restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores not following the rules on masks.
Enforcement is handled by the state’s ABC office and Health Department. So far, about 181 enforcement letters have been issued.
In one example, a restaurant in Petersburg was shut down and charged with a warrant class 1 misdemeanor when inspectors found it exceeded the occupancy limit, people were at the bar, and there was no social distancing and no masks. At least three restaurants in Richmond and several in Hampton Roads lost their licenses.
The new restrictions don’t affect education; school districts set their own rules on when to open schools for in-person learning.
Northam, however, is setting limits on spectators at recreational sports – a maximum of 25 at indoor sports events and two guests per player for outdoor games.
The governor encourages faith communities to set an example during the holidays by requiring masks indoors and holding outside or online services as an alternative. “This year we need to think about what is the most important thing – the worship or the building?”
In one piece of good news, Northam said Virginia can start vaccinating people by this weekend if the federal Food and Drug Administration approves the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 10. The Health Department already has a vaccination plan in place.
Northam read a message from Greg Crowder, the mayor of Hillsville in southwest Virginia, who contracted COVID after bragging about “how I hadn’t let this virus change my life.” Now Crowder says, “I could never imagine how much my muscles could hurt, I can barely walk, I can’t get comfortable, and I can’t sleep more than 30 minutes at a time.”
Northam also shared a video from Emily, a healthcare worker at a COVID ICU at Valley Health in southwest Virginia, who spoke about the toll the virus is taking on her community.
COVID is spreading as people are getting tired of staying home, she said. She has seen many patients who went to a ballgame or birthday party and are now suffering in the hospital unable to breathe. She has held the hand of dying patients because their family couldn’t be there.
“This is real,” she said. “If you could just stay home, we could stop this.”