Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam banned all gatherings that include more than 100 people to contend with the threat of the coronavirus.
In his Sunday afternoon announcement, Northam pointed out that there has been a “cluster” of cases on Virginia’s peninsula and noted the state had its first coronavirus-related death on Saturday.
“We are banning all events over one hundred people statewide,” the Democrat said. “For people on the peninsula, we strongly urge you to avoid public gatherings of any kind. What this really means is that if you are planning an event with several people, you should cancel it, period.
“If you’re planning on going to a restaurant or a church or a bar on the peninsula, I would discourage you from doing so,” Northam continued. “These are critical steps to reduce and slow the spread of this virus. We are not yet at the point of ordering a state-mandated quarantine, but every single person should stay home if they can. This is serious, and everyone needs to take this seriously.”
On the peninsula, gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned. All local government buildings there have been shuttered, although law enforcement, firefighting, and trash collection will still continue.
Virginia was one of the first states in the country to close all K-12 schools as cases of the COVID-19 virus continue to grow rapidly. The commonwealth has had a total of 45 confirmed cases as of Sunday afternoon.
Nationally, there have been more than 3,200 cases and at least 62 deaths. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday that “it’s possible” that thousands or even millions of U.S. citizens could die during the coronavirus pandemic.
