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7,697 new COVID-19 cases in state last week; Hampton Roads sees high numbers
Virginia saw a gain of 7,697 COVID-19 cases last week, another gradual increase in the weekly number of new cases. According to the Virginia Department of Health’s statistics Monday, July 23, the state has 86,072 total cases, at a 7.5% positivity rate. The number of virus-related deaths is at 2,082, up 51 from last week […]
GSA awards Fredericksburg company $66M contract
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) awarded a $66 million contract to Fredericksburg-based information technology company IST Research LLC to perform large-scale data collection. The funding comes from the GSA’s Phase III SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) contract and will run through June 2025. IST Research will support information collection operations for the federal government. […][...]
Va. unemployment trust fund facing $750M deficit
With jobless claims at a record high, the state trust fund that pays for jobless benefits is expected to rack up a $750 million deficit by the end of the year, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. And Virginia employers already hurting from the pandemic’s economic fallout could face tax increases to replenish the state’s […]
Va. State Fair canceled for first time since WWII
The 2020 State Fair of Virginia has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Virginia Farm Bureau board of directors announced Thursday. The fair has run annually since 1854, and was last canceled during World War II. It was also canceled during the 1918 Spanish influenza and the Civil War, according to the Virginia [&hel[...]
Va. sees 5K spike in initial jobless claims last week
Since January, more than 1 million Virginians have filed initial jobless claims, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. More than 37,000 Virginians filed initial jobless claims last week — an increase of more than 5,000 claims from the previous week, according to a VEC statement released Thursday. “The jump in initial unemployment claims in Virginia […]
Playing it safe
The Virginia Tourism Corp.’s DMO WanderLove Recovery Grant Program will award $866,000 in grants to 90 destination marketing organizations that were heavily impacted by the pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday. Each recipient will receive a maximum grant of $10,000, which can be used for efforts including partici[...]
Va. hotel revenues decline while U.S. has worst quarter on record
Hotel revenues remained low but steady in Virginia last week, compared with the same week last year, according to new data from STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group providing market data on the U.S. hospitality industry, which STR reported just marked its worst quarter yet. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. hotel industry reported […]
Number of COVID-19 cases continues upward climb in Virginia
COVID-19 cases continued to increase statewide last week at a higher rate than the previous week, with 6,733 more people testing positive since July 13. Over the past month, the weekly rate has climbed from 3,724 the last week of June to 5,540 new cases between July 6 and 13, according to the Virginia Department […]
General Assembly special session set for Aug. 18
Gov. Ralph Northam set the General Assembly’s special session for Aug. 18 in a proclamation Friday. Lawmakers will adopt the biennial budget based on the revised revenue forecast, and they also plan to discuss policing measures in light of ongoing protests against police brutality. A finalized agenda has not yet been issued, but the House […]
1M+ Virginians have filed jobless claims since January
Since January, more than 1 million Virginians have filed initial jobless claims, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. More than 32,000 Virginians filed initial jobless claims last week, according to a VEC statement released Thursday. The week before last, Virginia had the fourth-highest increase in initial jobless claims in the nation, but that was not […]
K12 Inc. to hire 1,300 online educators during pandemic
Herndon-based online education provider K12 Inc. announced Wednesday it plans to hire more than 1,300 educators for the 2020 through 2021 school year, in light of a massive push to move education online during the pandemic. Across Virginia, schools have been making decisions regarding reopening in the fall, with some already opting for full online […]
Fairfax adds $20M to small business relief fund
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors announced Wednesday it has directed an additional $20 million in funding to its Fairfax Relief Initiative to Support Employers (RISE) relief program — bringing its total funding to $46 million aimed at helping small businesses and nonprofits during the pandemic. The funding comes from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief […]
