Good morning, RVA! It's 42 °F, and highs will climb back up in the 60s. Tonight / tomorrow the rain comes and you'll likely be stuck inside, so (safely) spend a little time outside today.
Water cooler
As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports 254 positive cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth, and six people in Virginia have died as a result of the virus. VDH reports 28 cases in and around Richmond (Chesterfield: 9, Henrico: 11, and Richmond: 8).
Yesterday the Governor closed schools through the end of the academic year and levied new restrictions on businesses. Ned Oliver at the Virginia Mercury has the details and you can read the Governor's press release and Executive Order here. I'll get to schools in a bit, but now there's a whole list of businesses considered non-essential that must close by tomorrow, including: Theatres, museums, gyms, salons, barber shops, tattoo shops, bowling alleys, arcades, zoos, and escape rooms. Restaurants, however, may remain open but only to offer delivery and/or takeout. Conversely, now there's a whole list of businesses that are considered essential and may remain open, including: Grocery stores, dollar stores, labs, cell phone retailers, automotive repair facilities, home improvement stores, liquor stores, gas stations, banks, office supply stores, and laundromats. If your store isn't on the list you've got to "limit all in-person shopping to no more than 10 patrons per establishment, adhere to social distancing recommendations, sanitize common surfaces, and apply relevant workplace guidance from state and federal authorities." I think this allows bike shops, another essential retail business, to stay open. The Governor also upped his recommendation against gatherings of more than 10 people to an official ban, beginning tomorrow. Then, at 7:30 PM last night, the Chief Executives of Virginia, D.C., and Maryland (of which the governor is one) issued a joint statement asking the federal government to provide additional support to the region because the region is home to the...federal government. Perhaps this was in response to Trump's bananas comments that run counter to his own public health officials about ending social distancing and restarting the country's economy in a couple of weeks.
You should read RPS Superintendent Kamras's response to the Governor closing schools for the rest of the school year. To quote a bit, "These are truly unprecedented times. While every family is facing new challenges, I am most concerned about those within our community who already struggle with the injustices that come with poverty, institutionalized racism, and/or immigration status. This extended closure will only amplify these injustices. At RPS, we will move heaven and earth to support these – and all – families in our community. And we will make sure our employees continue to get paid, have full benefits, and receive the support they need to navigate these very difficult times. I want to reiterate what I said to our students in my first closure message: RPS may be officially closed, but we are always open to support you in any way we can. If you need anything at all – anything – please email me at
Yesterday afternoon, the City announced that they've had an employee test positive for COVID-19. This pushed City Council to cancel their regularly scheduled meeting, saying "In taking a leadership role on behalf of Richmond residents and with the upmost caution and responsibility with regard to the Governor’s statewide ban on gatherings of more than 10 persons and today’s announcement by the Mayor of a city employee testing positive for COVID-19, Richmond City Council has canceled its Formal Meeting scheduled for tonight. This meeting will not take place and proposed legislation on the docket will be rescheduled for a future date." As I said yesterday, I'm interested in (and now starting to get nervous about) how local governments can continue to meet and pass important legislation during This Most Unusual Time. Council even had a plan in place to adhere to the 10-person gathering ban and social distancing requirements! But still they canceled! Unfortunately, now I'm not sure how the legislation (ORD. 2020-092) to extend the deadlines (originally March 31st) for tax exemptions gets passed. Maybe they'll revisit their plan of attack and call a special meeting next week?
Martin Wegbreit from Central Virginia Legal Aid Society has a column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about how the Virginia Supreme Court decree around stopping evictions hasn't yet had the intended effect. At least in Richmond, as of yesterday, it sounds like courts are starting to get the message. How are folks supposed to #stayhome if they're getting kicked out of their homes!
Let me quote this tweet from Matthew Yglesias in full: "So that people can have places to go outside while maintaining distance, cities should look at opportunists to close streets to vehicle traffic so there’s more space for joggers, random walks, and kids running in circles to blow off steam." Local transportation expert Mariia Zimmerman suggests Monument Avenue—both in the City and County—and I agree.
@RTDBrainTrust has put together their now-annual RVA Journalist Tournament, and the Round of 64 is now open for voting: First side of the bracket here, second side of the bracket here. There are some really fascinating matchups, but the marquee head-to-head in this first round has to be the RTD's Mark Robinson vs. Michael Paul Williams. Absolutely brutal. We've got no more sports, so let this totally-for-fun, good-natured thing temporarily fill the sports-shaped hole in your life.
This morning's longread
Naked and Very, Very Afraid
What's it like to be on Naked and Afraid? Terrible? Awesome? Awesomely terrible?
All the cameras staring. I took off my bra. Deep breath. Stepped out of my underwear. Here I was, naked. “Great!” said Rachel. “Now put it all back on, and we’ll film from a different angle.” I only took off my clothes twice. That was something Rachel had warned me, that the first day was “television.” I’d follow the script, if not by words then by action: two people remove their clothes, walk to a landmark, meet each other, and offer whatever joke or earnest greeting they’ve rehearsed. They find burlap bags, which disguise their microphone transmitters, and a map, which always looks like it was made with Kid Pix. They locate a water source, head toward it—and the rest of the challenge is up to them. No script, no guidelines, no plan. Rachel showed me the map: patches of yellow, dotted with garish clip art of lions and crocodiles. I laughed. As long as I was naked, I might as well make friends with the crew. “OK,” I said. “We all know these maps are ridiculous, right?” “I made the map,” said Rachel. “It’s really good,” I said.
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