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As businesses reacted to the coronavirus outbreak in Virginia, many employees found themselves teleworking, wearing special protective gear or even sewing masks for health care workers. Here is a sampling of contributed photos representing the “new normal.” Click on the photos to expand. Subscribe to Virginia Business. Get our daily e-newsletter.
A watershed moment
Only a few months ago, the economies of the historic port city of Norfolk and the greater Hampton Roads region, with which it is inextricably intertwined, were continuing to rebound after emerging from what Old Dominion University’s 2019 State of the Region report has called “the lost decade.” During the period from 2007 t[...]
Digging deep
The Port of Virginia’s aim to become the deepest port on the East Coast continues apace, even during the COVID-19 outbreak. The $350 million project to dredge the Norfolk Harbor started more than two years early in December 2019. Meanwhile, the Virginia International Gateway (VIG) in Portsmouth and the Norfolk International Te[...]
Confronting COVID-19
Maritime shipping accounts for 90% of global trade, supplying us with many of our personal needs. The Port of Virginia is a major driver of the Virginia economy, generating 7.5%, or $39 billion, of Virginia’s gross product, $23 billion in labor income, about 400,000 jobs and $2.1 billion in state and local taxes and fees [&hel[...]
Rising above
Sea-level rise is happening faster than ever in Hampton Roads, experts say, up to an inch every four years. And if that doesn’t sound like a big deal, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science said in a February 2020 report that coastal waters could rise by more than a foot and a half by 2050. […]
U.Va., VCU researchers battle pandemic
While health care workers scrambled to keep up with the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Virginia, researchers in Charlottesville and Richmond were working to solve the pandemic. In March, VCU Health liver specialist and cancer researcher Dr. Arun Sanyal began testing remdesivir, an antiviral medication that is showing promis[...]
Bath County hit hard by resort closures
Communities across the state are hurting from coronavirus-related layoffs and closures, but in Bath County, “it’s devastating,” says state Sen. Creigh Deeds, whose law practice is located on Hot Springs’ Main Street. “Two major employers are closed,” he says, referring to The Omni Homestead Resort and The Greenbrier [...]
Women on board
In early March, 18 women gathered for the first week of a pre-apprenticeship program designed to catapult them into in-demand careers in the ship repair industry. Run by the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, the 12-week, intensive Women in Skilled Careers (WISC) program offers training tracks in welding, marine coating, marine el[...]
Conference hotels
Read more from the cover story package: Unconventional times — Hotels closed, workers furloughed as convention biz dries up Virginia hotels, attractions shut down during pandemic Delay of game — Sports tourism takes a timeout amid coronavirus Subscribe to Virginia Business. Get our daily e-newsletter.
A shining light
Welcome to the 2020 Virginia Maritime Guide! This annual publication is distributed to business readers statewide. It highlights the important contributions made by the maritime, distribution center and logistics industries to the economy of Virginia. It also serves as a valuable resource, including information on the companies [...]
Delay of game
The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed one of Virginia’s growing economic drivers: sports tourism. But even amid mass cancellations and lost revenue, tourism officials hold out hope that, for the sports sector at least, there can be recovery. “Over the years, sports tournaments and competitions have generally been recession-res[...]
Setting the rules of the game
In mid-March, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and two weeks later, on April 3, the Steven Mnuchin-led U.S. Department of Treasury finalized its plan to provide emergency loans to small businesses. This extraordinary action signaled a dramatic break from contemporary politics. The pr[...]
