Excerpts of Email from Delegate Chris Hurst on March 23, 2020
Private Sector Guidance: Below are some resources that private sector businesses can use to establish greater communication with state government.
- Register on the state Private Sector Portal to be added to the distribution list to receive future correspondence on the Commonwealth’s actions: https://bit.ly/VaPrivateSector
- Please email private.sector@vdem.virginia.gov with emergency response questions. Clinical questions about Coronavirus can be directed to 877-ASK-VDH3.
- The state has published a survey to gather information from the private sector on issues they are experiencing and offers of assistance to Virginia (donation, in-kind contribution, discounted). The survey can be accessed at https://arcg.is/1amrze.
Supporting our Workforce: “Frequently asked Questions for Workers Regarding COVID-19” document can be found here.
The Virginia Department of Health has lots of important guidance for any questions you may have regarding the following situations:
- What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with confirmed COVID-19?
- What to do if you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19?
- What to do if you traveled to an area with widespread, ongoing community spread of COVID-19?
- What to do if you traveled to an area with sustained community level-spread, internationally or domestically, of COVID-19?
- How can I prepare for COVID-19?
The Center for Disease Control also has updated, accurate information for the spread and information on the federal level of what they are working with.
The single most important thing you can do to help yourself, your family, and your community is to practice social distancing. If you can stay home, do so. This is not only vital to your own health and the health of your family, but will help flatten the curve of the spread of the disease to our community overall. For more specifics definitions of words you may be hearing, such as “social distancing”, “self-quarantine”, “isolation”, and “shelter in place”, the New York Times has written this helpful article.
Stay safe and healthy, and please contact my office at (540) 739-2553 or DelCHurst@house.virginia.gov if we can be of any help!
Yours in service,
I hope you are coping as well as you can, following the news carefully, and aware of all the precautions you should be taking.
In case you need this, let me provide you below the most current information available from government sources that may be of interest to you.
In the coming days, I’ll send out a list of things you can do to support those in need during this crisis.
Website for all relevant information about Coronavirus/COVID-19 from your national government
Website for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention including ways to protect yourself and to identify symptoms
Website for National Institutes of Health including scientific and research information about the virus
Email updates from NIH about COVID-19 that you can subscribe to
News from Internal Revenue Service extending federal tax filing due date from April 15 to July 15, 2020
Information from Small Business Administration on loans for impacted entrepreneurs, employers and workers
Information from U.S. State Department about Americans traveling to and from foreign destinations
Information about limited service on Metro Rail and Bus system
Website for all relevant information about Coronavirus/COVID-19 from your state government, including Governor Ralph Northam’s press briefings
Website with daily updates from Virginia Department of Health including where the disease is present in the Commonwealth
VDH Guidelines on who, where and how Virginians can be tested for COVID-19
Information for workers needing to apply for state unemployment benefits due to COVID-19
Operating status of Virginia state courts and automatic continuation of court cases until April
Operating status of Department of Motor Vehicles and automatic extension of expiring documents
Request for waiver of standardized school testing for students sought from federal government by Virginia Department of Education
An email from Mark Herring on March 21, 2020
I hope this message finds you safe and healthy. While it is important to self-isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19, this new reality can make for challenging and sometimes dangerous situations. We Virginians must take care of each other and be kind to each other. Below are some resources that can help.
During this difficult time, we must take care of our mental health as well as our physical health. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) offers free, confidential crisis counseling 24/7/365. The hotline is open to everyone, regardless of how you are feeling.
If you are self-isolating or quarantined in a dangerous home situation or with an abuser and you feel unsafe, you are not alone. Please contact the Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance:
- 24/7 hotline: 1-800-838-8238
- Text: 804-793-9999
- Online: https://vadata.org/chat/
If you are in recovery and need support in this time of social distancing, here are some resources:
- AA has online meetings
- In The Rooms does as well
- SMART Recovery has online weekly meetings and 24/7 support on their discussion boards
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s national hotline is 1-800-662-HELP
If you see excessive price increases or pricing for Coronavirus necessities, please report it to my office immediately by using this form.
Update March 31, 2020: ATTORNEY GENERAL HERRING TAKES FURTHER STEPS TO CRACK DOWN ON PRICE GOUGING
The following information can be found on the above linked page. It is copied here for your convenience. Consumers can contact Attorney General Herring’s Consumer Protection Section for information or to file a complaint:
By phone: (800) 552-9963
By email: consumer@oag.state.va.us
Price Gouging Complaint Form – *Preferred method of submitting complaints
General Online Complaint Form
Online Contact Form
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Importantly, we have temporarily suspended evictions in Virginia, as it would be an absolute outrage for Virginians to be evicted from their homes during this emergency. We’ve also ordered a halt on disconnections by regulated utilities for 60 days.
Now is a good time to text your support to healthcare workers and first responders you know. They’re saving lives. You can also thank an educator working to serve kids online in a disruptive time. And why not call or videochat with older friends, relatives, neighbors who may be feeling nervous or lonely? They’ll appreciate it.
For more updates as they happen, follow me on Twitter: @MarkHerringVA.
Thank you for supporting your fellow Virginians in this difficult time.
Mark Herring
The Sober Math Everyone Must Understand about the Pandemic
Meet the 17-Year-Old Behind a Website Tracking Coronavirus Cases That Is Now a Vital Global Resource
Rumble Podcast with Michael Moore
Ep. 56: Living Isn’t Everything, It’s The Only Thing (feat. John M. Barry)
One of the great studies on the history of pandemics is John M. Barry’s 2004 book “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History,” a study of the 1918 flu pandemic. In addition to being a journalist and author, Barry is also a Professor at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Prior to becoming a writer, Barry coached football at the high school and college levels. Using his expertise in both pandemics and football, Barry joins Michael to put the coronavirus pandemic in historical context and to share his game plan of discipline, teamwork, and doing our jumping jacks the right way.
Pandemic Impacts Agencies and Courts Dealing with Pipeline Issues
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is having a decisive impact on the activities of regulatory agencies and courts who have jurisdiction over pipeline issues. Within the last few days, the following has occurred: The DC Circuit Court of Appeals indefinitely suspended in-person oral arguments.
If There’s a Recession, What’s the Impact on Natural Gas?
Growing speculation about a possible economic recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has begun to raise questions about the impact on the natural gas market. A March 9 commentary by Andrew Bradford, CEO of BTU Analytics, notes that declines in natural gas demand in 2020 could decline by as much as 5%,
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