Virginia has now administered over 641,000 #COVID19 vaccine doses and our usage rate is better than 29 other states.
While we have made substantial progress in just the last week, there is more work to do. Yesterday I announced several actions to further accelerate vaccinations:
1️⃣ We are working with hospitals to put an additional 40,000 shots in arms by the end of the week—this is on top of the 175,000 doses that were already scheduled to be administered this week.
This will not impact the ability to get Virginians their second doses on time.
2️⃣ @VDHgov has issued clear and consistent guidance to local health districts on how to allocate doses for people who are currently eligible.
This includes making sure older Virginians and frontline essential workers are equally prioritized, while also maintaining flexibility.
3️⃣ We are increasing data transparency with a new #COVID19 vaccination dashboard that has additional information about distribution and usage by health district, facility type, and first and second doses.
4️⃣ We are streamlining registration by creating a central, statewide system. We expect to launch this platform soon—and I am directing @VDHgov to speed up their work.
We are also working to increase the size of our #COVID19 call center.
5️⃣ We are extending the current mitigation measures through the end of February. This is no time to let down our guard, especially as we ramp up vaccinations.
We've been living with this virus for nearly a year—I know everyone is frustrated and out of patience.
We will continue using every resource we have, including working closely with the new administration, to get the vaccine to every Virginian who wants it by the end of summer.
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During these challenging times, kindness, and calmness must prevail. So many things are different, in all parts of our lives right now.
We are social people, and we are meant to be together. The separation and the absence remind us of what has been lost. #VASOTC
More than 5,000 Virginians have died from #COVID19, including Senator Ben Chafin, from Russell County in Southwest Virginia. He was my friend, and I miss him.
I ask you to join me in a moment of silence to honor Ben, and everyone who has lost their lives to #COVID19. #VASOTC
Today I'm highlighting several of my priorities for the upcoming special session of the General Assembly, which is set to begin next Tuesday, August 18th.
Virginians are hurting right now—and the Commonwealth is stepping up.
First, we must do everything possible to keep Virginians in their homes.
That's why I'm proposing $88 million in state funding to increase affordable housing and combat evictions, on top of the $55+ million we're spending in rent and mortgage assistance through CARES Act money.
I'm also proposing a pause on evictions until at least April 30, 2021, tied to the requirement that landlords and tenants work together on a payment plan and seek out financial assistance, including through @VADHCD's statewide Rent and Mortgage Relief Program.
COVIDWISE uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology to determine if you’ve been in close contact with someone who tests positive for #COVID19, and sends you an alert.
Knowing your exposure history means you can get tested and self-isolate—before you start to experience symptoms.
This app protects your privacy—it doesn’t rely on location data or GPS tracking, and it doesn't collect, store, or share your personal information.
And if you test positive with #COVID19, you have the option of whether or not to anonymously share your result through the app.
Our #ForwardVirginia blueprint will help guide the Commonwealth on when and how to begin easing public health restrictions safely.
Virginia has taken aggressive action to flatten the #COVID19 curve—and it’s working.
But our daily case numbers are still rising, as you can see from the blue line on this chart.
We all are bearing a lot, and it is making a real difference.
While cases initially doubled every 3 days, it is now taking about 9 days––3 times longer––for confirmed cases to double in Virginia. That means our growth rate has slowed and the curve is flattening.
Just a few weeks ago, we passed one of the most forward-looking budgets in Virginia's history that included new investments in important priorities like our environment, early childhood education, and free community college for Virginians pursuing careers in high-demand fields.
But the #COVID19 pandemic has brought once-in-a-generation challenges to our health, our economy, and our livelihoods—and we know the state budget cannot move forward as written.
Together with General Assembly leaders, we came up with a bipartisan plan for a budgetary timeout.
It works like this: pause all new spending—but leave it in place and set it aside—then update the budget once the financial picture is clearer and our economy is moving again.