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State’s Rebuild VA program allocated $100M to Va. small businesses

The state has awarded $100 million in grants to 2,500 Virginia businesses and nonprofits through its Rebuild VA economic recovery fund, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday. All available funds have now been fully committed, the governor said in a news release.

Approximately $50 million went to women, minority and veteran-owned businesses, and 997 small businesses and nonprofit organizations in low-income and economically disadvantaged areas received funding. To date, Rebuild VA has received 15,700 applications, and the average grant award was $35,636.

In late October, Northam announced an expansion of Rebuild VA, which was launched in August with $70 million in federal CARES Act funds. The state, which allocated an additional $30 million to the program in October, lifted the previous $10,000 cap to $100,000, and eligible applicants expanded to include summer camps and other businesses that were previously excluded. The state Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity administers the Rebuild VA program

Along with the announcement, Northam called for Congress to pass another COVID-19 economic relief package to assist businesses and individuals before the end of the year. For months, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have been deadlocked over how much funding to commit to pandemic relief, as unemployment benefits run out for about 12 million people and evictions loom as a federal moratorium expires by the end of the year. This week, congressional talks toward a $916 billion relief bill proposed by the White House that included a one-time $600 direct payment but no federal unemployment supplement hit a wall.

“Rebuild VA has been a critical lifeline for thousands of small businesses and nonprofits that are grappling with the ongoing public health crisis and the resulting economic fallout,” Northam said in a statement. “Federal support was vital to establishing this program and mitigating the impacts of the pandemic on our economy, but we continue to face tremendous challenges with the virus surging across our country. Now, Congress must come together and quickly pass a bipartisan relief package that includes additional support for struggling families and businesses.”

Northam is set to give an update on Virginia’s COVID-19 pandemic Thursday. He said in an interview with CNBC a few days ago that further restrictions are on the table as rates of the coronavirus continue to rise. According to the Virginia Department of Health dashboard, the state recorded 4,398 new COVID cases on Tuesday, and the current seven-day positivity rate is 10.9%, a significant increase over the past two weeks.

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Caesars delivers $15 million payment to city of Danville

Danville city officials accepted a $15 million initial payment from Caesars Entertainment Inc. on Wednesday, the first installment of $20 million the company pledged to pay the city after receiving approval from city voters to build a $400 million casino and resort in Danville‘s Schoolfield area by 2023.

Las Vegas-based Caesars promised an up-front payment to the city of $15 million, $5.9 million of which will be spent on building a new police station in the former Dan River Inc. executive building, according to news reports. Other expenditures will likely be approved on a case-by-case basis by Danville City Council, which has been seeking public input on the best use for the remaining $9 million.

Caesars also has pledged to pay $5 million to purchase the Schoolfield site from the Danville Industrial Development Authority by Dec. 31, attorney Steven Gould said.

According to a December 2019 study by the state’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), the Danville casino is expected to generate at least $190 million in direct revenue and $51 million in tax revenue each year by 2025. Caesars has said the project will bring 1,300 jobs to the city.

Voters in Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth approved allowing casinos to be built in their localities by two-thirds majorities or higher during the November elections, giving the projects a green light to proceed. Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed legislation allowing five economically challenged cities — including Richmond, which plans to take up the issue in 2021 — to open one casino per locality, pending approval from local voters. According to state law, developers must invest at least $300 million in each project, and city councilors must approve each project and the casinos’ operators. The Virginia Lottery Board will oversee regulation of the state’s casinos.

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Amazon now a top 10 employer in three NoVa counties

Amazon.com Inc. became one of the top 10 employers in three Northern Virginia counties in 2020, according to fiscal year financial reports in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun.

In Fairfax, the e-tail giant ranks seventh among top principal employers, making up 1.17% of all county employees, which number between 5,000 and 9,999. In Loudoun, Amazon employs between 1,000 and 5,000 people and ranks No. 8 in the county’s top 10 principal employers, up from ninth in 2011. Amazon ranks eighth in Arlington as well, employing about 1,000 people as of the second quarter of 2020.

The company plans to employ approximately 25,000 in Arlington by 2030 at its HQ2 East Coast headquarters, which began construction this year. By next year, HQ2 is expected to have about 1,500 employees.

Aside from the $2.5 billion HQ2, Amazon employs 18,500 Virginians at its growing network of workplaces — 10 fulfillment and sortation centers and delivery stations across the state, data centers in Loudoun and Fairfax, and operations facilities in the works in Hampton Roads.

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FDA authorizes sale of Altria’s IQOS 3 device

The third generation of Altria Group Inc.‘s IQOS tobacco heating system device has been authorized for sale in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Henrico County-based company announced Monday.

After receiving an application from Philip Morris International, the FDA ruled that IQOS 3 can be sold to adults in the U.S. market. IQOS, which was launched in the United States last year through an exclusive license with Philip Morris USA and Altria, uses tobacco-filled Marlboro HeatSticks that are heated but not burned. It is available in Richmond and the Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, markets. The FDA review says that IQOS 3 has a similar design to its predecessors and that its nicotine exposure, abuse liability, use patterns and user populations are virtually the same as the two previous versions.

Altria markets IQOS as a way for adult smokers to transition from combustible cigarettes to noncombustible smoking devices. HeatSticks are required by law to come in menthol and tobacco flavors only so as not to be attractive to underage users. The IQOS 3 device offers longer battery life, faster recharging and magnetic closure, according to Altria.

In July, the FDA ruled that the IQOS 2.4 system was allowed to be marketed as a “modified risk” product, a safer alternative to cigarettes. Philip Morris will have to file a second application with the FDA seeking authorization of a reduced exposure claim for IQOS 3, which it plans to do, according to the company.

A longtime Fortune 500 company listed among the S&P 500, Altria is the parent company of Richmond-based tobacco products manufacturer Philip Morris USA, best known for its Marlboro cigarettes brand.

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The Martin Agency wins Adweek’s U.S. agency of the year

Richmond-based advertising firm The Martin Agency was named Adweek’s 2020 U.S. agency of the year, the publication announced Monday.

The firm won the Old Navy ad account in February, adding the clothing retailer to a roster of clients that includes GEICO, UPS, Ritz, Oreo and Buffalo Wild Wings. In 2020, Martin posted $22 million or 30% net growth in new and organic revenue, the only U.S.-based finalist to report double-digit growth this year, Adweek says. The agency last won the honor in 2009.

Art by Noah Scalin. Image courtesy The Martin Agency

In an interview with Adweek, Martin Agency CEO Kristen Cavallo attributed the agency’s success to “strategy and hard work,” while also noting that high-level position changes have diversified the company’s leadership, which is now comprised of 50% women and 25% people of color. “We are a living, breathing case study of what happens when you change the ratio of leadership at the top,” Cavallo said.

Adweek named top companies in four categories: Breakthrough, Global, International and U.S.

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Va. COVID-19 rate now exceeds 10%

Virginia’s coronavirus rates continue to rise, with 21,035 new cases and 146 deaths in the past week, according to the Virginia Department of Health’s Dec. 7 update. As of Dec. 3, the state’s seven-day positivity rate was at 10.8%, a jump of more than 3% over the previous week.

In parts of Southwest Virginia, positivity rates have surpassed 20%, and Ballad Health, which runs most health care facilities in the region, has indefinitely suspended all elective surgery starting this week. Across the state, most health districts are reporting rates above 10%, including areas that haven’t seen surges since early spring and summer, such as Fairfax County and the Eastern Shore.

As of Monday, the state has recorded 258,870 total COVID-19 cases and 4,208 deaths. The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association reports that 1,885 people are currently hospitalized with COVID, and 75% of ICU beds are currently in use among virus and non-COVID patients. The state has averaged 3,005 new cases a day over the past week, with 35.3 cases per 100,000, according to VDH.

Nationally, the country recorded 173,457 new cases and 1,111 deaths on Sunday, as the U.S. approaches 15 million total COVID-19 cases since February. Over the past week, the national average has been 196,826 cases per day, with numbers climbing since Thanksgiving.

In light of higher virus rates, Gov. Ralph Northam warned Virginians last week to avoid unnecessary travel and social gatherings, as well as reminding them to wear masks and washing hands consistently, but he did not enact new restrictions. Before Thanksgiving, Northam issued an executive order limiting gatherings to 25 people and requiring masks in public, indoor spaces for everyone aged 5 and older.

On Monday, VDH announced that it would prioritize certain segments of the population for contact tracing because of high levels of community transmission, including people diagnosed with COVID in the past six days and their households, people living or working in congregate living facilities, people involved in known clusters or outbreaks, and people at increased risk of severe illness.

Also, following new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, VDH says that people who were exposed to COVID but do not show symptoms can end quarantine after 10 days without testing, or after day seven following a negative PCR or antigen test performed after day five. Both VDH and the CDC continue to recommend 14 days of quarantine after last exposure as the safest option, however.

Last week brought some positive news, as COVID vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna work their way through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency approval process. VDH announced Friday that the state expects to receive 480,000 vaccine doses by the end of the month, starting with 72,000 doses mid-month from Pfizer, which may see its vaccine approved by the end of the week. The first wave of doses will go to frontline health care providers and residents of long-term care facilities, the two most vulnerable groups in the state. The U.K. announced it will launch a national vaccine drive Tuesday, aiming to vaccinate 20 million people in the next few months. It is the first Western country to start such a campaign.

The following health districts reported positivity rates above 10% as of Dec. 3:

Alleghany (Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig and Roanoke counties and the cities of Covington and Salem) — 10.4%, up from 8.7% as of Nov. 26
Central Shenandoah (Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge and Rockingham counties and the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and Waynesboro) — 14.5%, up from 7.8%
Central Virginia (Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties and Lynchburg) — 15.1%, up from 9.0%
Chesapeake — 11.5%, up from 9.6%
Chickahominy (Charles City, Goochland, Hanover and New Kent counties) — 10.1%, up from 7.4%
Cumberland Plateau (Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell counties) — 24.0%, up from 13.3%
Eastern Shore (Accomack and Northampton counties) — 11.7%, up from 7.3%
Fairfax — 11.5%, up from 7.6%
Hampton — 11.9%, up from 7.4%
Lenowisco (Lee, Scott and Wise counties and the city of Norton) — 22.4%, up from 14.3%
Lord Fairfax (Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah and Warren counties and Winchester) — 11.8%, up from 9.5%
Loudoun — 11.8%, up from 8.1%
Mount Rogers (cities of Bristol and Galax and counties of Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington and Wythe) — 23.2%, up from 17.1%
New River (Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski counties and Radford) — 12.7%, up from 7.3%
Norfolk — 10.1%, up from 7.4%
Piedmont (Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties) — 12.9%, up from 6.6%
Pittsylvania-Danville — 14.3%, up from 10.6%
Prince William — 15.6%, up from 10.9%
Rappahannock (Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties and Fredericksburg) — 11.8%, up from 8.2%
Roanoke — 12.2%, up from 11.0%
Virginia Beach — 10.7%, up from 7.8%
West Piedmont (Franklin, Henry and Patrick counties and the city of Martinsville) — 18.3%, up from 15.1%

Several Virginia universities report COVID-19 rates among students, faculty and staff members, although some universities use different reporting metrics and methods. Most closed for Thanksgiving break and will not resume classes in person until January. Virginia Business will share newly reported data as received, but some universities will not update dashboards regularly until next semester.

Here are the most current university stats:

James Madison University: 1,681 total cases since July 1, with 15 reported last week as of Dec. 6.
Virginia Tech: 1,745 positive tests since Aug. 3, with 19 new cases from Nov. 30-Dec. 6.
University of Virginia: 1,332 positive cases among students and employees reported since Aug. 17. The university recorded 57 new cases from Nov. 25-Dec. 4.
Virginia Commonwealth University: 521 total positive tests, including 451 student cases, as of Dec. 7.
Old Dominion University: 243 positive cases out of 8,502 tests performed as of Dec. 7. From Nov. 29-Dec. 5, there were 36 new positive tests.
George Mason University: 284 positive cases among students and employees between Aug. 17 and Dec. 6, including 73 positive tests in the past two weeks.
Liberty University: 51 positive cases from Nov. 22-Dec. 1 among students and staff, out of a total 996 cases between Aug. 16-Dec. 1.

These are the 10 Virginia localities that have seen the most cases in the state, as of Dec. 7:

Fairfax County: 33,762
Prince William County: 19,498
Virginia Beach: 11,965
Loudoun County: 10,832
Chesterfield County: 10,056
Henrico County: 9,137
Richmond: 7,176
Chesapeake: 7,017
Arlington County: 6,904
Norfolk: 6,894

Globally, there are 67.2 million reported COVID-19 cases and 1,539,559 confirmed deaths as of Dec. 7. The United States, which has the most confirmed cases and deaths worldwide, has seen 14.7 million confirmed cases so far, with 282,436 deaths attributed to the coronavirus since February.

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Va. expects 480,000 COVID vaccine doses by end of December

Virginia expects to receive 480,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna by the end of December through the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed program, the Virginia Department of Health announced Friday, based on new information available.

Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday that the state expected only 70,000 vaccine doses by the end of the year, which would be directed to frontline health care personnel and long-term care facility residents. The announcement Friday still designates health care providers and nursing home residents as the state’s two top-priority groups, but the federal allotment of vaccine dosages will cover the majority of these populations, which VDH estimates at 500,000 total in the state.

“Vaccines will be provided to Virginians in a way that is fair, ethical and transparent,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said in a statement Friday. “We will focus initially on the groups that have been most at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 infections and those whose work puts them at greatest risk of contracting COVID-19 infections. Over time, as more vaccine supply becomes available, more Virginians will be able to get vaccinated, and we can look forward to a time when this pandemic will end.”

According to VDH, the first shipment of vaccines — 72,150 doses — are expected to come from Pfizer, whose vaccine is the furthest along in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process. If approved, those will go solely to health care providers in Virginia who directly care for COVID-19 patients. Subsequent weekly shipments from Pfizer and Moderna will be divided among health care workers and long-term care facility residents in the state through a partnership between the CDC, CVS and Walgreen pharmacies.

The updated information came from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which met Tuesday and voted to formally recommend that health care providers and long-term care patients be prioritized for vaccine distribution. The Virginia Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (VDMAC) and the Virginia Unified Command voted this week to adopt the ACIP recommendations for Virginia.

Pfizer’s vaccine must be kept in ultra-cold storage (-70 degrees Celsius), and VDH says the 72,150 initial doses will go directly to “geographically diverse” health care systems with ultra-cold storage capacity, although the statement Friday did not designate which hospital systems in Virginia have such storage capability and who will receive the first vaccines. A VDH spokesperson said the department has identified health systems with ultra-cold storage throughout the state, which will ensure coverage in every region, although they are not naming specific facilities.

According to recent news reports and announcements, Sentara Healthcare, Riverside Health System and Augusta Health have ultra-cold freezers.

Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca have all announced COVID-19 vaccines in recent weeks with effectiveness of at least 90%; Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines both require refrigerated storage, while AstraZeneca’s does not, which simplifies distribution. Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines have been submitted for FDA emergency approval, and at least Pfizer’s is expected to be approved this month. The CDC and VDH have said that vaccines will not be mandated for anyone, and they will be provided for free.

Northam said Wednesday that it will take at least until early summer to have enough vaccine doses to vaccinate all 8.5 million Virginians. Once health care workers and long-term care residents receive vaccinations, Virginians with medical vulnerabilities and people over the age of 65 will be next in line as more doses become available, Northam said. The state appointed a vaccine advisory workgroup in the summer to prepare for a massive vaccination campaign, which will involve commercial pharmacies, health district employees and the Virginia National Guard, which has assisted with public COVID-19 testing this year.

VDH reported 247,380 total COVID-19 cases Friday, an increase of 2,877 cases in the past 24 hours, and 4,160 total deaths. Virginia is better off than many other states, including neighbors Kentucky and Tennessee, but its seven-day positivity rate hit 9.5% as of Nov. 30, the state’s highest rate since early June.

Although every region of Virginia has seen overall increases in community spread, the worst-hit region is the Southwest. The Mount Rogers and Cumberland Plateau health districts saw rates spike above 20%, followed closely by Lenowisco, which hit 18.7% on Nov. 30. Ballad Health, the Tennessee-based health system that also serves Southwest Virginia, announced this week that it was sending a second refrigerated morgue truck to the Tri-Cities region, which includes Bristol, to deal with an overflow of COVID-19 dead.

Nationwide, more than 100,000 people were hospitalized with the virus on Wednesday alone, and more than 14.3 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID since February, with 278,417 deaths reported as of Friday.

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Richmond launches 2nd grant program for small businesses

The city of Richmond announced a second small business grant program Friday that will provide applicants with grants of $15,000 for COVID-19 pandemic relief. Richmond Recovers II will be funded with $2 million from the city’s CARES Act appropriation.

Applications can be submitted online starting Monday, Dec. 7 and continuing through Dec. 16, according to the city. The first Richmond Recovers program approved 260 grants totaling $2.79 million, and Richmond has allocated more than $6.3 million to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grants can be used to reimburse the costs of employee wages and benefits, rent and utilities for commercial workspaces, personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, e-commerce expenses and working capital.

According to the city, at least $1.25 million will go to restaurant and retail businesses, and businesses that did not receive assistance in the first Richmond Recovers program or other local, state and federal COVID-19 relief programs will be prioritized.

More information, including which businesses are eligible, is available here.

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Volvo electric trucks to be produced at NRV plant in early 2021

Volvo Trucks North America’s plant in Pulaski County will manufacture its new battery-powered VNR Electric truck model starting early next year, the company announced Thursday.

The largest Volvo truck plant in the world, the Dublin facility currently employs close to 3,000 people and builds heavy-duty trucks of multiple models. The Volvo Class 8 VNR Electric heavy-duty truck, entering the North American market next year, runs on battery electric power and produces zero tailpipe emissions.

“The Volvo VNR Electric marks a significant step forward for electromobility in an industry that we are committed to leading as it undergoes rapid, significant change,” Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve said in a statement. “Volvo Trucks believes and invests in sustainable electromobility. Our deep understanding of the transportation ecosystem — the technology, infrastructure and applications in the trucking industry — have enabled us to deliver a solution that is both advanced yet easy to own and operate.”

The truck will run on 264-kWh lithium-ion batteries, which charge up to 80% within 70 minutes and have an operating range of up to 150 miles, according to Volvo. The single-axle truck has a gross vehicle weight rating of 33,200 pounds, and other configurations carry up to 66,000 and 82,000 pounds.

The electric truck is the outcome of the Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project, a collaboration between Volvo, South Coast Air Quality Management District in California and other organizations and businesses to support electrification of commercial trucking, which would reduce harmful emissions. The project included fleet trials and development of dealership-based service and maintenance of vehicles, as well as best practices for battery-charging infrastructure for heavy-duty trucks.

Earlier this year, the Volvo VNR Electric model was certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, allowing the vehicle to be commercially sold in all 50 states, and the LIGHTS project will continue to collect data in 2021 as trucks are sold. Volvo Trucks North America was awarded $20 million in grants in October to deploy 70 VNR Electric trucks in California as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Targeted Air Shed Grant Program. The vehicles will be delivered to fleet operators next year.

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National Landing BID makes hires, promotions

The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) announced Wednesday a slate of new hires and promotions, including two newly created vice president positions.

Ashley Forrester is the Arlington-based public-private partnership’s new vice president of marketing and communications, and Malaika Scriven is vice president of planning and development, posts recently created. Robert H. Mandle is now deputy executive director; Cassie Bate Hurley was named director of events and strategic partnerships, and Jasmine Gipson was appointed manager of planning and economic development.

Formerly the Crystal City BID, the organization now reflects the new name of the area encompassing Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard, where Amazon.com Inc.‘s $2.5 billion HQ2 East Coast headquarters is currently under construction, as well as other significant developments.

Forrester comes to the BID after serving as corporate director of communications and marketing at Events DC, which oversees conventions and sports at several Washington, D.C., venues, including the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Nationals Park. Scriven, who will join the organization in late December, recently served as the chief of staff at the Washington, D.C., Office of Planning.

Mandle joined the BID in 2007 and most recently served as its chief operating officer, while Hurley was the partnership’s senior events manager. Gipson joined the organization in 2019 as a planning and operations associate.

The BID plans to expand its team further in 2021, according to its statement.

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byline: Kate Andrews

State’s Rebuild VA program allocated $100M to Va. small businesses

Caesars delivers $15 million payment to city of Danville

Amazon now a top 10 employer in three NoVa counties

FDA authorizes sale of Altria’s IQOS 3 device

The Martin Agency wins Adweek’s U.S. agency of the year

Va. COVID-19 rate now exceeds 10%

Va. expects 480,000 COVID vaccine doses by end of December

Richmond launches 2nd grant program for small businesses

Volvo electric trucks to be produced at NRV plant in early 2021

National Landing BID makes hires, promotions