Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. requested a national testing facility in a joint request, according to Gov. Ralph Northam. During a Friday coronavirus briefing, he repeated his call for more federal coordination around medical supplies and testing, and said the new request was made during a teleconference with Pres. Donald Trump and other governors.
The Virginia Department of Health also confirmed their noon update of case numbers, and said going forward, that update will be available at 9 a.m. on their coronavirus page.
Largely, the briefing stuck to a familiar message: "Virginians, you need to stay home." The governor and state officials said we are in a critical period to limit the spread of coronavirus and ensure we "flatten the curve."
Reporters were able to call in with questions, including one asking if he'd issue "stay-at-home" orders. The governor said it was a "semantics" questions, raising the question of enforcement. He said he's been saying "stay at home," as have other governors, throughout the crisis.
You can watch the entire briefing here - and stay tuned for full coverage from VPM reporters later today, both online and at 88.9 FM.
