HEALTH
Representatives test positive for COVID-19 after sheltering with maskless Republicans during Capitol riot
The leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus said Tuesday that she has tested positive for COVID-19, and blamed Republicans who refused to wear masks in a secure room where lawmakers were kept during the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol last week. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, (D-Wash.), said those Republicans “mocked colleagues and staff” who offered […]
Virginia pushes back estimate for vaccinating all residents for COVID-19
Every Virginian vaccinated by early to mid-summer? Many experts say it’s no longer likely. Gov. Ralph Northam has also readjusted earlier — and more optimistic — estimates from late November, when he spoke to NPR about the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plans. “Phase three will be the general population and hopefully by, you know, early to […]
Regulators want to extend Virginia’s expiring pandemic workplace safety rules
Virginia was the first state in the country to mandate emergency workplace precautions against COVID-19 this summer. Now, with the temporary rules set to expire, state officials are weighing whether to make them permanent. The state’s Safety and Health Codes Board is scheduled to take up the issue during a meeting Tuesday, though officials are […]
Virginia includes prisoners in next stage of vaccine rollout
Public health officials in Virginia plan to begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to inmates in state prisons and local jails when they begin the next phase of their rollout plan, according to a schedule released this week. “I’m hoping it’s in days, not months,” said Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran. “We’re anxious for these to […]
‘Use it or you lose it’: Northam says Virginia must speed up rollout of COVID-19 vaccine
Gov. Ralph Northam acknowledged Wednesday that Virginia needs to speed up the pace of its COVID-19 vaccinations, announcing a “you use it or you lose it policy” prodding health care providers to administer the shots to more residents. “I want you to empty those freezers and get shots in arms,” he said. “When you have […]
‘Very frustrating’: Some health systems vaccinate stay-at-home workers as providers struggle to get doses
Third and fourth-year medical students at Virginia Commonwealth University came back from winter break expecting to resume clinical rounds, a key part of their curriculum that allows students to take a hands-on role in patient care. Instead, at a Jan. 1 meeting, faculty from the medical school’s Office of Student Affairs — along with Dr. […]
Virginia’s naturopathic doctors are continuing a 15-year fight for licensure
For the past 15 years, Virginia’s naturopathic doctors have been on a quest for licensure by the state’s Department of Health Professions — a step that’s been taken by 23 other states and would allow them to diagnose and treat patients like many other medical providers. That goal has brought the debate around the field […]
Northam’s budget would guarantee transgender health services for Medicaid enrollees
Tucked away in the 750-page revised budget Gov. Ralph Northam presented last month is a single line that his administration says would guarantee that transgender enrollees in Virginia’s expanded Medicaid program have access to gender-affirming care. “This is an important equity issue and a critical part of making our commonwealth welcoming and inclusive of all,” […]
Happy New Year: three ways you can contribute to a better 2021 and beyond
The tendency is to just dismiss 2020 by saying it sucked (it did) and bidding it good riddance. We’d like to toss it out like last night’s fish dinner and move on. It’s not that easy. Yes, 2020 was brutal and painful. We’re going to grieve what we lost, and the anguish won’t vanish in […]
Virginia state senator dies of COVID-19 complications
Virginia State Sen. A. Benton “Ben” Chafin Jr., R-Russell, has died of COVID-19, the Senate Republican leadership announced Friday evening. “Tonight, as the Senate of Virginia comes to grips with this tremendous and untimely loss caused by COVID-19, our sympathy and prayers are with Ben’s wife, Lora Lee, their children and grandchildren, and Ben’s mother […]
In Virginia, slow vaccine rollout frustrates health care providers
Earlier this month, Virginia received 285,725 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, shipping them to hospitals and local health departments over the past two weeks. But less than a quarter of those vaccines — 54,295 — have actually been administered as of Wednesday, according to data from the state Department of Health. Though some of that has […]
Lawmakers want fees waived if stimulus is paid via debit cards
If Americans are going to receive the latest coronavirus stimulus payment through a government-provided debit card, they should not have to pay fees, U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Leesburg, and other lawmakers said in a letter to the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service. Congress has approved new stimulus payments of up to $600 per individual. Wexton […]