COVID-19 in Virginia: LIVE updates for Wednesday, April 1

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: 1,484 (+234 from Tuesday)
People Hospitalized: 208 (+43 from Tuesday)
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: 34 (+7 from Tuesday)
People Tested: 15,344 (+1,948 from Tuesday)

City/County-by-County Breakdown of Cases

Accomack: 7 (+1)
Albemarle: 21
Alleghany: 1
Alexandria: 32 (+2)
Arlington: 119 (+15)
Amelia: 2
Amherst: 5 (+2)
Augusta: 1 (new)
Bedford: 3 (+1)
Bristol: 1
Botetourt: 6 (+1)
Brunswick: 1
Buckingham: 2
Campbell: 2 (+1)
Carroll: 1
Charles City: 2 (+1)
Charlottesville: 16 (+2)
Chesapeake: 31 (+8)
Chesterfield: 59 (+16)
Clarke: 1
Covington: 1 (new)
Culpeper: 5 (+2)
Danville: 4
Emporia: *2 (from local health department)
Fairfax: 288 (+44)
Fairfax City: 1
Fauquier: 7
Fluvanna: 3
Franklin City: 1
Franklin County: 5
Frederick: 15 (+3)
Fredericksburg: 1
Galax: 1
Gloucester: 8 (+1)
Goochland: 7
Greene: 1
Greenesville: 3
Halifax: 1
Hanover: 6
Hampton: 14 (+1)
Harrisonburg: 10 (+4)
Henrico: 78 (+16)
Henry: 2 (+1)
Hopewell: 4
Isle of Wight: 5 (+1)
James City: 95 (+6)
Lancaster: 1
King George: 4
King and Queen: 1
King William: 1
Lee: 2
Louisa: 11 (+2)
Loudoun: 105 (+ 18)
Lynchburg: 7 (+2)
Madison: 3
Manassas City: 9 (+1)
Manassas Park: 1
Mathews: 2
Mecklenburg: 4
Montgomery: 1
Nelson: 2
New Kent: 1
Newport News: 29 (+6)
Norfolk: 33 (+6)
Northampton: 1
Northumberland: 3
Nottoway: 1
Orange: 4 (+2)
Page: 1
Petersburg: 4 (+2)
Pittsylvania: 1
Poquoson: 3 (+1
Portsmouth: 13 (+1)
Powhatan: 3 (-1)
Prince Edward: 2
Prince George: 8 (+1)
Prince William: 106(+12)
Radford: 1
Richmond City: 33 (+7)
Roanoke City: 6
Roanoke County: 4 (+1)
Rockbridge: 2
Rockingham: 9 (+4)
Shenandoah: 8 (+1)
Smyth: 2 (+1)
Spotsylvania: 8 (+1)
Southampton: 1
Stafford: 28 (+4)
Suffolk: 6 (+2)
Surry: 1
Sussex: 1 (new)
Tazewell: 2
Virginia Beach: 88 (+23)
Warren: 3
Washington: 2
Waynesboro: 2
Winchester: 5 (+2)
Williamsburg: 9 (+1)
Wythe: 2 (+1)
York: 16 (+2)

*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

Experts: Virginia's COVID-19 peak may not hit until early June

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise across the Commonwealth, experts say that Virginia's COVID-19 peak may not hit until early June.

"Our case count as of just a few hours ago, was 67 cases here in the City of Richmond, 105 cases in Henrico County," Richmond and Henrico Health District Director, Dr. Danny Avula said on Wednesday afternoon. More here.

VCU virus doc: 'We’re in the early phases, almost just beginning in Virginia'

Dr. Gonzalo Bearman is the Infectious Disease Chair at VCU Health Center and an expert in the fight against COVID-19. Jake Burns interviewed Dr. Bearman on Wednesday, April 1. Click here for a lightly-edited transcript of their conversation.

Army Corps of Engineers evaluates 41 possible 'alternative care sites' in Virginia

Gov. Ralph Northam said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified multiple "alternative care sites" that will be created to care for people with COVID-19 in Virginia.

Northam said engineers have evaluated 41 potential sites for alternative hospital beds across the Commonwealth.More here.

Pence visits Louisa: ‘You’re the people who are making the difference’

One day after he promised to do so, Vice President Mike Pence visited a food distribution center in Louisa County.

“Thank you for doing a great job, for keeping food on the table for the American people,” Pence said to a gathering of employees at Walmart Distribution Center in Gordonsville. “We know you’re on the front lines, and the fact that you’re showing up every day, you’re rolling your sleeves up and you’re doing the work, says an awful lot about each and every one of you.” More here.

COVID-19 in Virginia: 145 patients in ICUs; 108 on ventilators

Health officials gave an update on the number of Virginians hospitalized because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said during a news briefing Wednesday that 305 people remain hospitalized with COVID-19-related illnesses in Virginia. 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 encourages Virginians to request absentee ballots

As COVID-19 continues to spread across Virginia, Gov. Northam is encouraging Virginians to vote absentee in case future elections are affected.

"I consider elections to be a fundamental democratic event and voting to be an essential right," Northam said at a press conference on Wednesday, "We are continuing to work through the best option for how to hold these elections in this time of social distancing and public health concerns." More here.

Virginia couple stuck on cruise ship off Florida coast: 'I’m very upset'

A Tappahannock couple are onboard a cruise ship off the coast of Florida waiting for word from officials whether they can disembark and return home.

Emily and David Brazell boarded the Zaandam cruise ship on March 7 for a 20-day excursion in South America. More here.

Third Richmond resident dies from COVID-19 complications

A third City of Richmond resident has died from complications related to COVID-19.

The patient was a woman in her 90s with underlying health issues, according to Dr. Danny Avula, director of the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. More here.

Kroger employee in Henrico tests positive for COVID-19

A Kroger employee in Henrico County has tested positive for COVID-19. More here.

Virginia Amazon worker tests positive for COVID- 19

rea Amazon employees received a voicemail Tuesday night informing them an employee at the Amazon RIC 5 location tested positive for COVID-19

Company officials said the employee who tested positive was last at the site Sunday, March 22. More here.

First COVID-19 cases reported in these Virginia localities Wednesday

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

Hanover County closes playgrounds, shelters

Hanover County Parks and Recreation has closed parks, athletic fields, and picnic shelters until further notice to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The moves comes days after Virginia Governor issued a stay-at-home executive order to enforce the importance of non-essential travel. More here.

VDOT temporarily suspends cash exchange at Powhite Parkway Extension toll

VDOT will temporarily suspend cash-exchange toll collection on the Powhite Parkway Extension, effective Wednesday, April 1. 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.

Widow mourns Richmond Greyhound instructor who died from COVID-19

Myrtle Wright said that when she dropped her husband Paul off at Saint Mary's Hospital, she never thought that it would be the last time she'd see him alive.

Paul Wright was Greyhound Bus Lines' manager of driver development. He would often travel to New Jersey when there was a new recruit class of drivers.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.

Bon Secours temporarily furloughs workers not directly working on COVID-19 response

Bon Secours Mercy Health announced Tuesday that they plan to temporarily furlough or redeploy associates who are not directly working on the COVID-19 response. 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.

Richmond tennis courts, playgrounds closed; James River access restricted

Tennis Courts and playgrounds in Richmond will be closed until June 10, and activities at the James River are restricted. More here.

'Stay-at-home' order in Virginia. Now what?

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued a stay-at-home order Monday in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The order is in effect until June 10. Following the order's announcement, Governor Northam and members of his cabinet answered questions about what this means for Virginians and their day-to-day lives. More here.

Virginia Governor Northam issues stay-at-home order

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued a stay-at-home order Monday. The order would still allow for people to leave their homes for certain essential activities like shopping for food and seeking medical treatment.

"Please stay home as much as possible," Governor Northam urged Virginians. "This is a community-wide effort and I thank you for complying. This is a time of sacrifice. We need everyone to take this seriously and act responsibly." 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 US and Worldwide Stats