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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Friday, March 12, 2021:
A panel of federal appeals court judges in Richmond heard arguments yesterday in Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax’s defamation suit against CBS. Fairfax accused the network of airing biased interviews with women who accused him of sexual assault.
Many Virginians are still being hospitalized for COVID-19. As of Thursday, theVirginia Hospital and Healthcare Association is reporting 79% of intensive care beds are occupied. About 3,500 inpatient beds are available, while over 1,100 Virginians are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. Of the roughly 2,900 ventilators across the state, 30% are in use.
All of the Democratic members ofVirginia’s Congressional delegation voted to pass the American Rescue Plan, the latest federal coronavirus relief package. Virginia is expected to receive nearly $7 billion in state and local funding from the package. Both Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham expressed gratitude over the bill’s passage. Parham said the aid will improve the city’s vaccine rollout, while Stoney said he hopes the funds will help communities most affected by the public health crisis. Nearly $2 trillion in federal aid will be distributed throughout the country.
Since 2014, Chesterfield County’s Fire and EMS has run the Mobile Integrated Healthcare unit, which helps homebound residents who have medical issues, so they don’t have to call 911. Now, the unit is bringing COVID-19 vaccines to those residents.
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a nationwide extension of waivers to allow school districts to continue offering free meals through Sept. 30. One of the waivers makes it possible for any family member to pick up meals at schools. Previously,children had to accompany their parents or guardians.The program had been set to expire on June 30. Three local school districts, Henrico, Richmond and Chesterfield, have not yet announced if they will continue their meal programs.
- Henrico schools are taking applications for parent volunteers to oversee outdoor school activities. The district’s health committee is considering using these volunteers to supervise students during recess, to give teachers more planning time. The committee is still uncertain on when and how to involve parent volunteers in indoor activities. As of this week, all Henrico students have the choice to study in-person, although virtual classes are also still being offered. Staff data shows that only a small fraction of Henrico teachers are currently working in-person, and most are using a hybrid of face-to-face and virtual instruction.