COVID-19 in Virginia: LIVE updates for Friday, April 3

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: 2,012 (+306 from Thursday)
People Hospitalized: 312 (+66 from Thursday)
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: 46 (+5 from Thursday)
People Tested: 19,005 (+1,416 from Thursday)

CITY/COUNTY-BY-COUNTY BREAKDOWN OF CASES

Accomack: 8 (-2)
Albemarle: 26 (+3)
Alleghany: 2
Alexandria: 56 (+23)
Arlington: 135 (+7)
Amelia: 5 (+1)
Amherst: 6
Augusta: 4 (+2)
Bedford: 3
Bristol: 1
Botetourt: 8
Brunswick: 1
Buckingham: 3 (+1)
Buena Vista City: 1 (new)
Campbell: 2
Caroline: 1 (new)
Carroll: 1
Charles City: 4
Charlottesville: 17
Chesapeake: 50 (+11)
Chesterfield: 89 (+16)
Clarke: 2 (+1)
Covington: 1
Culpeper: 7 (+1)
Cumberland: 1
Danville: 9 (+2)
Emporia: 1
Fairfax: 372 (+44)
Fauquier: 9 (+1)
Fluvanna: 5 (+1)
Franklin City: 3 (+2)
Franklin County: 9 (+3)
Frederick: 20 (+4)
Fredericksburg: 4 (+2)
Galax: 1
Gloucester: 8
Goochland: 8 (-1)
Greene: 1
Greenesville: 4
Halifax: 1
Hanover: 12 (+4)
Hampton: 29 (+13)
Harrisonburg: 22 (+7)
Henrico: 112 (+25)
Henry: 3 (+1)
Hopewell: 7 (+2)
Isle of Wight: 11 (+3)
James City: 104 (+7)
King George: 6 (+2)
King and Queen: 1
King William: 1
Lancaster: 1
Lexington: 2 (new)
Lee: 2
Louisa: 12
Loudoun: 130 (+ 9)
Lynchburg: 9
Madison: 2 (-1)
Manassas City: 13 (+1)
Manassas Park: 2 (+1)
Mathews: 2
Mecklenburg: 7 (+2)
Montgomery: 1
Nelson: 2
New Kent: 6 (+3)
Newport News: 37 (+4)
Norfolk: 43 (+6)
Northampton: 2 (-1)
Northumberland: 3
Nottoway: 1
Orange: 4
Page: 2
Petersburg: 8 (+4)
Pittsylvania: 1
Poquoson: 3
Portsmouth: 17 (+1)
Powhatan: 4 (+1)
Prince Edward: 2
Prince George: 10 (+2)
Prince William: 131 (+14)
Pulaski: 1 (new)
Radford: 1
Richmond City: 76 (+24)
Roanoke City: 9
Roanoke County: 4
Rockbridge: 2
Rockingham: 11
Salem: 1
Shenandoah: 10 (+1)
Smyth: 2
Spotsylvania: 11 (+2)
Southampton: 4 (+2)
Stafford: 29 (+2)
Suffolk: 10 (+4)
Surry: 3 (+2)
Sussex: 2 (+1)
Tazewell: 2
Virginia Beach: 128 (+17)
Warren: 4 (+1)
Washington: 3 (+1)
Waynesboro: 3 (+1)
Westmoreland: 1 (new)
Winchester: 9 (+4)
Wise: 1 (new)
Williamsburg: 9
Wythe: 2
York: 17

Officials said a case for Richmond County was added in error, according to Richmond County's Department of Emergency Services, so we have removed it from the list.

*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.

NEWS CONFERENCES

Gov. Ralph Northam's 2 p.m. COVID-19 briefing
President Donald Trumps's coronavirus task force briefing

COVID-19 LOCAL HEADLINES

Gov. Northam encourages Virginians to wear masks in public to protect themselves

The Centers for Disease Control on Friday recommended the voluntary use of non-surgical masks in public as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread.

However, Virginia has a law on the books preventing the wearing of masks due to criminal activity.

"We know that during times such as these, people are going to need to protect themselves, whether they have symptoms or not. No law enforcement will bother anybody because they have a covering on their face, I can assure you of that,” said Governor Ralph Northam at his COVID-19 briefing Friday. More here.

Richmond Convention Center to serve as Central Virginia 'alternative care site'

-- Gov. Ralph Northam said the Richmond Convention Center, Hampton Roads Convention and the Dulles Expo Center will serve as COVID-19 "alternative care sites" in Virginia based on recommendations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. More here.

Northam orders hiring freeze, agency heads to look for cuts

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is instituting a hiring freeze of state employees and is telling agency heads to look for ways to cut budgets in response to the coronavirus. More here.

Virginia budget proposal could drastically reduce emergency room funding

At a time when emergency room doctors are putting their lives on hold, and often their own health at risk, Virginia’s Governor must consider a budget amendment that could penalize them for seeing patients they aren’t allowed to turn away. More here.

First COVID-19 cases reported in these Virginia localities as cases top 2,000 Friday

Six localities are reporting their first cases of COVID-19, according to Virginia Department of Health (VDH) data released Friday. More here.

Nursing home reports 17th death; resident and staff COVID-19 cases climb to 116

Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, the site of the largest COVID-19 cluster in Henrico County, reported its 17th COVID-19 related death Friday.

"It is with heavy hearts that Canterbury reports the death of one COVID-19 positive patient over the last 24-hour period. In total, the virus has claimed the lives of 17 patients" a spokesperson for the center wrote in an email. More here.

County officials: COVID-19 outbreak at Henrico nursing home could have been avoided

Henrico County Administrator John Vilthoulkas said the number of cases at Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center could have been avoided early on and claims the care center rejected the county's help when they initially reached out at the beginning of the outbreak.

Sixteen residents have died and 92 have tested positive for the virus as of Thursday evening. More here.

Small business owners face 'nightmare' situation

Concerns from small business owners are growing as the government prepares to launch a $359 billion loan program meant to help small businesses in need of financial assistance due to COVID-19. More here.

Some Virginians meet roadblocks while filing for unemployment: 'Trying to file was horrendous'

Some Virginians filing for unemployment are struggling to navigate the system as claims spiked to record numbers across the country.

Unemployment claims soared to 6.6 million in the United States for the week ending March 28, the Department of Labor said in a press release on Thursday.

In Virginia, claims were up 67,287 more than the 46,277 claims filed the previous week. More here.

Gov. Northam offers advice to Virginians struggling to pay rent

Gov. Northam on Wednesday urged Virginians struggling to make rent and mortgage payments to apply for unemployment, and reminded residents that rent evictions have been suspended.

"For those who have federal mortgage loans through the Virginia Housing Department Authority, we are deferring loan payments for up to three months if they need it," Northam said at a press conference on Wednesday. More here.

Northam: Don't make me close state parks because of 'irresponsible people

With another weekend approaching, Gov. Ralph Northam urged Virginians not to gather in large groups in the state’s parks, wildlife preserves, and other public lands or he may decide to close them down.

“Do not gather in groups. We will be watching this weekend,” said Northam. “I do not want to have to close these lands to public visitation because of a few irresponsible people.” More here.

Northam announces emergency funds to shelter homeless during COVID-19 pandemic

Governor Ralph Northam announced Friday a $2.5 million emergency fund to shelter Virginia’s homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we battle this unprecedented public health crisis, we must make sure no one is left behind,” Northam said. “I have issued a statewide Stay at Home order, but we know there are many Virginians with no home to stay in. With this funding, we will ensure people experiencing homelessness have access to immediate housing options and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.” More here.

How you can help food pantry struggling to keep up with demand

The Colonial Heights Food Pantry has been dedicated to feeding families for more than a decade, but now organizers say they're struggling to keep up with the increased demand in light of the coronavirus pandemic. More here.

What Virginia is doing to protect inmates from COVID-19

Governor Northam is encouraging criminal justice officials to explore proactive measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring public safety. More here.

Essential employees concerned about lack of protection from COVID-19 at work

As everyone stocks up on cleaning supplies during the COVID-19 crisis, Olivia Blevins keeps her own stash in her trunk.

She hears Governor Northam when he says "stay home," but she cannot do that because she's a nurse who goes into people's homes to provide care.More here.

Redskins rescind Richmond's revenue

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced on Thursday that the city and the Washington Redskins reached an agreement that will eliminate the money Richmond pays the team for its training camp expenses. More here.

Parking lots to James River parks to close on weekends

Parking lots at multiple James River access points in Richmond will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. More here.

Richmond denim designers sew thousands of protective masks for VCU hospital

A Richmond shop known for creating finely crafted denims is switching gears to produce thousands of masks to a Richmond hospital fighting COVID-19.

Shockoe Atelier owner Anthony Lupesco said that over the course of five days, the shop's team has sewn 2,000 masks to donate to VCU Medical Center. More here.

BetterMed Urgent Care providing curbside COVID-19 testing in Richmond area

BetterMed Urgent Care is providing curbside COVID-19 testing and examinations at several locations in the Richmond area. 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