COVID-19 in Virginia: LIVE updates for Friday, April 17

RICHMOND, Va. -- In an effort to provide accurate, easy-to-read information on the on-going COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our community, WTVR.com will update this post with the day's local coronavirus headlines and statistics.

COVID-19 IN VIRGINIA (Scroll to bottom for U.S. stats)

Positive Tests: 7,491 (+602 from Thursday)
People Hospitalized: 1,221 (+107 from Thursday)
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: 231 (+23 from Thursday)
People Tested: 48,997 (+2,553 from Thursday)

CITY/COUNTY-BY-COUNTY BREAKDOWN OF CASES

Accomack: 28 (+9)
Albemarle: 56 (+2)
Alleghany: 4
Alexandria: 321 (+46)
Appomattox: 7
Arlington: 485 (+32)
Amelia: 13
Amherst: 10
Augusta: 19

Bedford: 17 (+1)
Bristol: 1
Botetourt: 23
Brunswick: 10
Buchanan: 12
Buckingham: 24 (+1)
Buena Vista City: 5 (+1)

Campbell: 9
Caroline: 11
Carroll: 3
Charles City: 10 (+1)
Charlotte: 8
Charlottesville: 40 (+2)
Chesapeake: 147 (+4)
Chesterfield: 291 (+24)
Clarke: 6
Colonial Heights: 19 (+1)
Covington: 1
Craig: 2
Culpeper: 32 (+3)
Cumberland: 8 (+1)

Danville: 22
Dinwiddie: 7

Emporia: 7
Essex: 2

Fairfax: 1,476 (+101)
Fairfax City: 2 (new)
Fauquier: 35 (+3)
Floyd: 1
Fluvanna: 64
Franklin City: 9
Franklin County: 15
Frederick: 76 (+4)
Fredericksburg: 15

Galax: 1
Giles: 4
Gloucester: 20
Goochland: 52 (+11)
Greene: 7 (+2)
Greensville: 18 (+2)

Halifax: 7
Hanover: 70 (+9)
Hampton: 78 (+1)
Harrisonburg: 214 (+95)
Henrico: 532 (+35)
Henry: 10 (+2)
Hopewell: 14

Isle of Wight: 69 (+6)

James City: 138 (+3)

King George: 18
King and Queen: 2
King William: 2

Lancaster: 1
Lexington: 3
Lee: 7 (+1)
Louisa: 33 (+3)
Loudoun: 385 (+7)
Lunenburg: 3
Lynchburg: 38 (+4)

Madison: 8
Manassas City: 72 (+10)
Manassas Park: 21 (+5)
Mathews: 3
Mecklenburg: 62 (+1)
Middlesex: 3
Montgomery: 40 (+6)

Nelson: 5
New Kent: 17 (+1)
Newport News: 100 (+3)
Norfolk: 108 (+3)
Northampton: 5 (+1)
Northumberland: 5
Nottoway: 5

Orange: 19 (+1)

Page: 10 (+3)
Petersburg: 21 (+2)
Pittsylvania: 6 (+1)
Poquoson: 6
Portsmouth: 63 (+1)
Powhatan: 7 (+2)
Prince Edward: 17 (+2)
Prince George: 28 (+2)
Prince William: 644 (+62)
Pulaski: 8 (+3)

Radford: 1
Rappahannock: 1
Richmond City: 201 (+13)
Richmond County: 8 (+1)
Roanoke City: 24
Roanoke County: 20 (+1)
Rockbridge: 3
Rockingham: 83 (+14)
Russell: 2

Salem: 6 (+2)
Scott: 3
Shenandoah: 33 (+5)
Smyth: 11
Spotsylvania: 69 (+7)
Southampton: 7 (+1)
Stafford: 128 (+8)
Staunton: 4 (+2)
Suffolk: 70 (+5)
Surry: 3
Sussex: 11 (+2)

Tazewell: 4

Virginia Beach: 265 (+7)

Warren: 22 (+1)
Washington: 28 (+1)
Waynesboro: 7 (+1)
Westmoreland: 9
Winchester: 22 (+1)
Williamsburg: 19
Wise: 17 (-1)
Wythe: 8 (+1)

York: 38 (+1)

*NOTE: This data is provided from the Virginia Department of Health daily at 9 a.m. Officials said their cutoff for data is 5 p.m. the previous day. So your local health department may have issued an alert about a case before it is added to the statewide tally released the following day.

NEW CONFERENCES

Gov. Ralph Northam's 2 p.m. COVID-19 briefing
Richmond, Henricolive health director gives update on COVID-19 cases (5:30 p.m.)
President Donald Trumps's coronavirus task force briefing (slated for 6 p.m.)

COVID-19 LOCAL HEADLINES

Dr. Danny Avula: When COVID-19 will peak and stay-at-home might stop
Danny Avula knew he wanted to be a doctor in middle school, but it was not until his third year in medical school that he realized public health was his calling. The idea that where you live, your job, and your income could have a major impact on your health fascinated him. Read more.

Governor extends restrictions on non-essential businesses
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced Wednesday he is extending Executive Order 53, which temporarily closed restaurant dining sections, entertainment/recreational businesses, and non-essential retail businesses that could not practice social distancing. More here.

Northam: $70 million to support child care access for essential workers
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and First Lady Pam Northam announced Wednesday that $70 million of Virginia’s portion of the CARES Act will go towards supporting and improving child care options for essential workers with children under the age of 12. More here.

Northam calling for volunteers to join fight against COVID-19
Governor Ralph Northam is calling for additional medical and non-medical volunteers to join the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) in the fight against COVID-19. More here.

More than 25 residents, staff positive for COVID-19 at Beth Sholom assisted living
As Canterbury Assisted Living in Henrico grapples with hundreds of COVID-19 cases and more than 40 deaths due to the virus, a second assisted living facility in the area announced that more than 25 patients and staff members have been diagnosed with COVID-19. More here.

Virginia reports large daily jump in coronavirus deaths
Virginia health officials reported Wednesday that the death toll in the state from the coronavirus has jumped to 195, an increase of 41 deaths from the 154 reported Tuesday. More here.

752 COVID-19 patients discharged from Virginia hospitals
As the coronavirus continues to spread in Virginia, new information shows how many confirmed COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital. More here.

House speaker working to hold reconvene session remotely
The Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates is making plans to allow next week’s reconvene session to happen remotely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. More here.

Canterbury medical director on deadly COVID-19 outbreak: Publicly-funded nursing home is 'tinder box' for viruses
On the same day Virginia reported its first death from COVID-19, a resident at the Canterbury Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Henrico's West End developed a fever and cough.
"We immediately isolated that patient, and we partnered with the Department of Health to test. That was our first patient test here at the facility," said Dr. Jim Wright, the Medical Director at Canterbury. More here.

Richmond students will get Chromebooks through $4.2 million regional fund
Funds are being released from a collective, $4.2 million pool intended to help groups provide resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. More here.

Mom Coach shares keys to keeping family sane in quarantine
Hannah Keeley is known online as America’s #1 Mom Coach. The mother of seven runs an online academy where she provides help for exhausted parents, many of whom find themselves taking on a dual role of teacher. More here.

Chesterfield neighbors raise thousands for 'heroes'
A Midlothian neighborhood is raising thousands of dollars to not only benefit medical frontliners at Johnston-Willis Hospital, but restaurants too. More here.

Publix dedicates shopping hours for first responders and hospital staff
Publix announced Wednesday that its grocery stores are now offering extended shopping hours dedicated to first responders and hospital staff. More here.

Richmond non-profits create tiny face shield prototype for newborns
A collective of Richmond non-profits have sent hundreds of face shields to first responders fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re also working to protect newborns from the novel coronavirus. More here.

Virginia restaurants now selling mixed drinks, cocktails to-go
Virginia restaurants are allowed to sell mixed drinks and cocktails to-go as of Friday.
Chris Danahy, the owner of the Tavern on Patterson Avenue, said he is serving cocktails in a mason jar that are the equivalent to four margaritas. More here.

Richmond restaurants cope with COVID to stay open
On this week's "Eat It, Virginia!" podcast, Robey and Scott continue to focus on the people keeping their restaurants open amid COVID-19 uncertainty. More here.

We're Open and socially distant: Richmond restaurants navigate COVID-19
As Virginia restaurants either close or adapt to social distancing, Robey and Scott focused this week's Eat It, Virginia podcast on the people who continued to run their restaurants with the hope of providing for both their restaurant families and the communities in which they serve. More here.

Explore Virginia's museums, zoos, and historical sites through these virtual experiences
As Virginians adjusts to social-distancing measures and businesses and institutions close their doors, online learning experiences are growing in importance. And in the Commonwealth, there's no shortage of online, interactive learning experiences. From exploring the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts collections to interacting with animals at the Virginia zoo to an online stroll through Lewis Ginter Botanical gardens, kids and adults alike can explore the state's treasures from the comfort of their own homes. More here.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: COVID-19 HEADLINES (App users, click here for complete list.)

LATEST COVID-19 U.S. AND WORLDWIDE STATS