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Alexandria Office:
301 King St
Alexandria, VA 22314
571.234.8481

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As the number of confirmed cases and fatalities from COVID-19 continue to rise in Virginia and across the country, Governor Ralph Northam announced at his press briefing today that he is ordering all Virginians to

Stay. At. Home.

Governor Northam today issued a statewide Stay at Home order to protect the health and safety of Virginians and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The executive order takes effect immediately and will remain in place until June 10, 2020, unless amended or rescinded by a further executive order.

As the Governor said at the press conference:

Before today, staying at home was a suggestion.

Today, it's an order. 

The executive order allows people to leave their homes to seek essential services including:

• medical attention and picking up a prescription,
• groceries, 
  • ​Don't go to the store for one thing. Wait until you have a list. 
• caring for family and household members,
• banking,
• work, or
• exercise.

The order also limits access to the state’s beaches, barring swimming and sunbathing. Beaches can be used only for fishing and exercising. Private campgrounds for short-term stays are shut down.

While people are still allowed to engage in outdoor activities, the state’s ban on gatherings larger than 10 people remains in effect.

All institutions of higher learning are ordered to stop in-person classes and instruction.

According to the most recent numbers from the Virginia Department of Health, as of this morning, there are now more than 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Virginia, and that number will continue to rise.

Roughly half of confirmed cases in Virginia are in those under the age of 50.

Other Important Updates from the Governor

The federal government has accepted Virginia's application for Title 32 status, which allows the federal government to pay for National Guard activities here in Virginia. The Virginia National Guard was activated on March 12, allowing more personnel to move to a state active duty status. Members have been moving supplies and working other emergency logistics.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Virginia's application for the Household Disaster Food Assistance program. Food banks will now be able to serve folks who had not met certain eligibility criteria before this application was approved. You can go to https://vafoodbanks.org/ for more information on food bank services. 

Lastly, the Governor announced that he is seeking Federal Major Disaster Declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which would allow, among other things, for: legal services, transitional shelter assistance, and unemployment assistance from the federal government. 

The Governor is holding these briefings at 2pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on his Facebook page.

In Case You Missed It:

Watch the Recording of

Mark's (Virtual) Monthly Meetup
with
Special Guest, Dr. Stephen Haering,
Head of the Alexandria Health Department

Yesterday, on Facebook Live at Mark's Monthly Meetup, I was joined by Dr. Stephen Haering, the head of the Alexandria Health Department, to talk about coronavirus.

Dr. Haering answered pressing questions for more than 30 minutes yesterday and offered a wealth of good information and advice for folks.

You can watch our conversation by clicking the image below. 

After my conversation with Dr. Haering, we continued Mark's Monthly Meetup through Facebook Live. The conversation continued to focus on coronavirus but we also talked briefly about the redistricting constitutional amendment and the major successes of the legislative session.

Watch the second part of yesterday's discussion by clicking the image below. 

New Coronavirus Webpage Coming Soon

Soon, most likely tomorrow, I will be publishing a new page on my website MarkforDelegate.com specifically devoted to coronavirus. It will be a one-stop shop with all the links I've provided to resources about coronavirus, and it will include a section for those wondering how they can help.

As I discussed during yesterday's meetup, I love how committed my constituents are to helping out their neighbors and supporting those in need. I will share that new webpage with you as soon as it is ready for prime time.

Stay healthy and strong. 

Thank you again for the honor and privilege of representing you.

Delegate Mark Levine
Serving Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax in Virginia's 45th District