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The Virginia Department of Health has launched a new dashboard to give the public a better glimpse into how the pandemic is affecting different parts of the state. The COVID-19 website now has daily updates for how each region of the state is doing, a weekly update on something called “transmission extent” and metrics offered by the federal Centers for Disease Control to guide decisions about school reopening. Dr. Laura Forlano is
“The composite picture, or the description, or the picture that’s created when one considers all of this information together with local context is intended to help inform local and state decisions about how to respond to the pandemic,” said Dr. Laura Forlano, the Deputy Health Commissioner for Population Health. “For example, a high level of transmission necessitates increases in case investigation, or contact tracing, or more testing or more focused testing in certain populations.”
Forlano said the data can also be used to help guide decisions for when more stringent limits might be placed on gatherings. For instance, UVA has now limited that number to five while in-person classes continue, and both Albemarle and Charlottesville have ordinances in placethat are more stringent than other parts of Virginia.
Forlano said there were some ways the dashboard should not be used.
“It should not be used to take one indicator alone to make a very complex decision,” Forlano said. “It should not be used to compare concretely with other localities in absence of more detailed information or local context.”
One of the measures is Region Metrics. The Thomas Jefferson Health District is in the Northwest Region, where cases have been decreasing for 14 days and percent positivity has been declining for 23 days. However, the number of cases among health care workers has been increasing for nine days, with 5.9 percent of active cases.
Weekly transmission extent is another measure and was last calculated on September 26. The Northwest Region is considered “at moderate community transmission.” That’s the middle category among five ranging from “At minimal” to “at substantial.”
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The University of Virginia updated its COVID-19 tracker Monday afternoon, adding 81 new cases from the weekend. For Friday, they reported 41 new cases, the exact same amount reported on Thursday. For Saturday UVA reported 23 cases and 17 for Sunday. The number of quarantine rooms in use is at 30 percent and the number of isolation rooms at nine percent. The latter is for students and staff who tested positive. There are currently 240 active cases, 229 of which are students.
The Virginia Department of Health today reported another 923 cases. The seven-day average for positive tests dropped to 4.6 percent, down from 5.5 percent a week ago. The Thomas Jefferson Health District reports another 24 cases, with nine from Albemarle and eleven from Charlottesville.
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Some Charlottesville residents who request mail-in ballots from the registrar received materials that did not include the actual ballot. According to a press release, a clerical error lead to “a small number” of the 8,968 ballot requests being sent out prematurely.
“Ballots were mailed in three batches,” reads the statement. “The second-half of the smallest third batch was inadvertently labeled “ready” before Envelope A, containing the ballot, was inserted. This issue has affected a small number of voters in Johnson, Buford, Venable and Alumni Hall precincts.”
Those who did not receive the ballot are asked to call the registrar at 434-970-3250.
So far, Charlottesville had 2,060 people vote in person as of close of business Monday. As of yesterday morning, Albemarle had 4,501 people vote in person and mailed out 18,356 ballots.
“We’re getting a really good turnout at the county office building and we’re getting very good marks from the voters as to the way we are doing it, keeping it efficient and keeping it safe,” said Jim Heilman, secretary of the Albemarle Electoral Board. He gave an update last night to the Pantops Community Advisory Committee. “The first six days we had this, we average 766 people a day.”
The deadline to apply to vote by mail is October 23. The last day to register to vote is October 13.
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Charlottesville City Schools will not return to in-person instruction until at least November 9. Last week, news emerged about a scenario that had contemplated returning kindergarten through 3rd grade students to school in mid-October. However, school spokeswoman Beth Cheuk sent an email to families with an update.
“The committee met again this week, and again, they discussed topics such as data, instructional models, timelines, and more -- but they did not generate any specific recommendations,” Cheuk said. She recommended people visit the committee’s website for up to date information. The School Board meets on October 1. Meanwhile, the Virginia Department of Education continues to leave decisions up to localities.
“We remain committed in our recommendations that the decisions to alter K-12 programming including decisions about in-person instruction, school closures or hybrid learning be handled at the most local level possible,” said Holly Coy, assistant superintendent for policy, equity and communications.”
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Today in meetings, the Charlottesville City Council will hold a six-hour work session on the city’s Strategic Plan, which is a policy document intended to guide city staff in their operations. This meeting was to have taken place two weeks ago, but was delayed following the resignation of City Manager Tarron Richardson. There will be two more six-hour work sessions in late October, but Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker said at the September 21 meeting that they may need to make further changes in the future.
“Since we’re going through a leadership change, we may have to reconvene after the new city manager is hired and have this discussion as a team,” Walker said.
The facilitator for the event is Selena Cozart of the Institute of Engagement and Negotiation at the University of Virginia. The meeting begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. (meeting info)
The Albemarle Economic Development Authority meets at 4 p.m. It is the first meeting for one new member appointed following the resignations of three others this summer.
On the agenda is a third update of a performance agreement between the EDA and the developer of the Woolen Mills as well as an update on the Albemarle Business Campus. The latter goes before the Albemarle Board of Supervisors on October 7. (meeting info) (Zoom link)
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One correction, during yesterday’s story on the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, some incorrect numbers were given. The actual number of acres in riparian buffers protected is 2,944 and the amount of stream bank restoration is 261. District Director Anne Coates said they will surpass 3,000 and 300 respectively in the near future.
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