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State directs nearly $250M to long-term care facilities for COVID-19
Because a majority of COVID-19 outbreaks in Virginia have occurred in long-term care facilities, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that the state will direct nearly $250 million to these facilities for coronavirus response, with most of the funding coming from federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. Northam has also directed the […]
12K+ Virginians refuse to return to work amid pandemic
More than 12,000 Virginians who have filed jobless claims during the pandemic have refused to return to work, the Virginia Employment Commission announced Friday, while there are approximately 400,000 job vacancies posted on the Virginia Workforce Connection website. “While certain circumstances, such as health, child care or other caregiver responsibilities, may warrant continued payments of […][...]
Northam releases Phase Three reopening plan details
Virginia isn’t ready to enter Phase Three of the state’s Forward Virginia reopening plan yet, Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday, but when it happens, it will bring some big changes back to public life — like allowing social gatherings of up to 250 people. “We are not entering Phase Three this week. While state[...]
386K+ remain unemployed in Va. during pandemic
UPDATED 4 P.M. FRIDAY | More than 386,000 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the number of initial jobless claims across the commonwealth continues to decrease. The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced Thursday that 849,486 initial unemployment claims have [...]
Virginia gets new digits
On Wednesday, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) announced that the North American Numbering Plan Administrator has assigned a new area code, 826, to relieve future exhaustion of the 540 area code, which is expected to occur in 2022. Residents and businesses in the affected region will not lose their existing 540 phone numbers under […]
$2.48M in state research grants awarded to tech firms, universities
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that $2.48 million in grant funding from the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) will be dispersed among small technology businesses and universities to be used to commercialize research in sectors including clean energy, cybersecurity, data analytics, life sciences and unmanned systems. “These entrepreneurs and innovators are on the front lines […][...]
GO Virginia Region 3 names program director
Growth and Opportunity for Virginia’s Region 3 Council announced Tuesday it has named former Orange County Administrator Bryan David as program director for the region, which includes the cities of Danville and Martinsville. In his new role, David will lead the operations of the Region 3 GO Virginia Council in collaboratio[...]
Northam declares Juneteenth a state holiday
Joined by superstar musician Pharrell Williams and many black elected officials, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that Juneteenth — marking June 19, 1865, when the last group of enslaved Americans were told they were free — will be an annual state holiday in Virginia starting this Friday, June 19. Addressing the COVID-19 pandemi[...]
$14.66M in GO Virginia funds redirected to COVID-19 recovery initiative
More than $14.66 million of Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) funding for economic development has been redirected to a new Economic Resilience and Recovery Program in response to COVID-19-related economic impacts, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our economy, and we must use every asset […]
Virus cases spike among Latino population in Richmond area
The Richmond region has seen a dramatic increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among Latinos because of workplace spread, health officials reported Friday. Although Hispanics make up only 6.5% of the population in the city of Richmond, they represent 30% of all virus cases and 30% of hospitalized patients there, said Richmond [...]
State extends utility disconnect ban to Aug. 31
The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) announced Friday it has extended the moratorium on service disconnections for electricity, natural gas, water and sewer utilities customers until Aug. 31. The SCC first ordered a 60-day ban on disconnecting utilities in mid-March for customers who have been unable to pay bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It […]
Va. launches platform to connect people to jobs, education
With more than 400,000 Virginians unemployed, the state has launched a platform designed to connect people to educational and work opportunities broken down by region, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. The Virginia Career Works Referral Portal connects people to training, certification, education and employment services to aid in job search and career development. Users can […]
