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Correctional facilities are Virginia’s landlocked cruise ships
By Drs. Scott Heysell and Rebecca Dillingham In February, the Diamond Princess cruise ship, quarantined in the port of Yokahama, Japan, harbored the largest cluster of people with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-COV-2), outside of mainland China. As the global pandemic has spread, COVID-19 outbreaks have been associated with more than […]
Inequality, race and COVID-19
By Kendyl Crawford and the Rev. Dr. Faith Harris Does COVID-19 have the potential to change everything for our world? It is hard to tell at this stage of the pandemic. What has changed for most of us is Gov. Ralph Northam’s Executive Order 55 (Temporary Stay at Home Order Due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)). […]
Debacle over captain’s firing is a window into military mismanagement
The United States was introduced this week to a reality that many in the military community have known about for decades. Yes, Thomas B. Modly, the acting Navy secretary, resigned Tuesday over the firing of Capt. Brett Crozier of the USS Theodore Roosevelt and comments he made about Crozier’s character. But Modly had been following […]
The CDC now recommends wearing a mask in some cases: A doctor explains why and when to wear one
By Dr. Thomas Perls, Boston University The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its policy and is now advising everyone, whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19, to cover their face with a mask or cloth covering whenever social distancing is difficult to maintain. To be clear, the CDC is not saying you should […]
COVID-19 is changing the health care landscape
By Dr. Clifford L. Deal We are living in the greatest public health crisis in the last hundred years. COVID-19 has quickly taken hold of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health announced 1,706 confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout Virginia as of Thursday. We expect the number of cases and deaths to increase. The challenges faced by […]
Tips for weathering COVID-19 financial fears
By John Whitfield As thousands of Virginians now face financial insecurity due to COVID-19 and the economic turndown, here are some legal suggestions if you’re struggling or are concerned about what happens next. I’ve spent the last 39 years as a legal aid lawyer providing free legal assistance (at Blue Ridge Legal Services, the legal […]
Investment in local open space, greenways and trails is critical
By Christopher G. Miller In these emotionally and physically trying days of COVID-19 quarantines and social distancing, many people are increasingly turning to iconic parks, trails and green spaces for solace, exercise and restorative access to nature. And that’s great news. But our current situation is showing us, loudly and clearly, that we need more […]
A win for undocumented immigrants is a win for all
By Tram Nguyen Every person in Virginia deserves to live in their community free from fear. The exclusion of undocumented Virginians from being able to drive has been a crippling barrier to that principle. But the state legislature has now passed a bill that will allow driving for many immigrant residents through driver privilege cards […]
It’s dangerous to stigmatize Asians, especially during a public health crisis
By the Virginia Asian Advisory Board In an already anti-immigrant environment, Asians, particularly the Chinese, are reportedly facing increasing acts of racism, xenophobia and stigmatization as a result of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Asian students have reported being victims of name calling, harassment and even violence. Asians, and even products made in China, are ridiculed or […]
What happens next for the economy?
By Michael Gilbert John Maynard Keynes, the famous economist who argued for fiscal stimulus during the Great Depression, said “in the long-run we’re all dead.” Perhaps an appropriate equivalent is, if we fail to act, “in the short-run we’re all dead too.” No matter how we choose to handle COVID-19, there are economic ramifications, some […]
Pharmaceutical industry ‘is working around the clock’ on COVID-19
By Dr. Michael Ybarra As an emergency physician, I’m watching each day as COVID-19, a disease caused by a novel coronavirus, continues to impact patients and our entire country. Ensuring that individuals who become sick seek care and take proper steps with their health care professionals to limit spread of the disease is key. And […]
‘Virginia is for Lovers’ just became just a little more real for immigrants
By Luis Angel Aguilar As an immigrant growing up undocumented in Virginia, my love for my community was challenged by a slew of anti-immigrant policies on a local and state level that treated me and the powerful undocumented immigrants in my life as subhuman. Although immigrants made enormous contributions to the commonwealth both economically and […]