Author: James A. Bacon
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Shortage of Personal Protection Equipment Looming
by James C. Sherlock Virginia physicians and health professionals in the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 virus are suffering from a lack of protective clothing and equipment that could put them at risk and hinder the treatment of sick patients. In Virginia, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources oversees the sharing…
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COVID-19 Update: March 20
The latest count reported by the Virginia Department of Health at noon: 114 confirmed cases of the coronavirus — up 20 from the day before. The number of new cases is increasing each day. Is that evidence that the viral spread is gong exponential? Are Virginia’s social-distancing measures working? On the other hand, consider this. Due…
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Dems Win Big on Renewable Energy, But Issues Remain
by Jane Twitmyer In the 2019 election, Virginia voters finally figured out the one weird trick that allows any jurisdiction to pass good climate and clean-energy legislation, according to Dave Roberts at VOX. “They put Democrats in charge.” Virginia is the first southern state in the U.S. to set a goal of sourcing 100% of…
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Who’s Worse, Price Gougers or Hoarders?
by James A. Bacon My wife and I were slow to stock up on CoronApocalypse survival supplies — hand sanitizers, masks, rubber gloves… toilet paper. Big mistake. Now we’re running low on toilet paper, and we’re getting nervous. The shelves are empty of paper-supply products at every store we’ve visited. Except paper napkins. You can…
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COVID-19 Emergency Actions for Consideration
by James C. Sherlock I was asked yesterday by Christian Braunlich, president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy in Alexandria, to prepare a list of recommended state actions to cope with the emergency. I produced the attached list. The recommendations are offered here as requested with no attempt to prioritize. No attempt has…
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Suburbia Is Swell
by Kerry Dougherty There are at least two groups of babbling fools that have been mercifully silent during this emerging pandemic: anti-vaxxers and the so-called New Urbanists. No one wants to hear from the nuts who refuse to vaccinate their kids right now. The world is praying for a COVID-19 vaccine and these crazies don’t…
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Ranking Metros at Risk for COVID-19 Job Losses
Virginia’s metropolitan areas are somewhat less exposed than other metros to the risk of job losses stemming from the COVID-19 epidemic, according to a new report by the Brookings Institution. The Hampton Roads metro, home to substantial travel-and-tourism businesses in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg, is the most vulnerable with 16.5% of jobs in what Brookings…
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COVID-19 Update: March 19
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Virginia continued its upward trajectory, increasing to 94, according to data just published by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). That represents an increase of 17 cases from the day before, which in turn had represented an increase of 10 from the previous day. Does the “increase in…
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Employment Snapshot: Virginia Accommodations & Food Services
As we explore the economic impact of the COVID-19 virus (and a hike in the minimum wage), it’s worth taking a look at the number of Virginia workers potentially affected. These numbers come from a 2018 Virginia Employment Commission report on Virginia’s Accommodation & Food Services sector, the state’s fourth largest industry. Average weekly wages…
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Worst Possible Time for a Minimum Wage Hike
by James A. Bacon As Virginia businesses contend with event cancellations, widespread self-isolation, and other fallout from the COVID-19 epidemic, Governor Ralph Northam has a critical decision to make: Does he sign minimum wage legislation into law or not? Even as the epidemic began spreading in the United States earlier this month, the General Assembly…
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Virginia Lags in COVID-19 Policy Actions
by James C. Sherlock The Kaiser Family Foundation today reported state COVID-19 policy actions through March 17. Virginia is one of only 18 of 50 states and the District of Columbia to have taken none of the listed policy actions other than an emergency declaration. The actions not taken include: Waive cost sharing for COVIC-19…
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COVID-19 Update: March 18
The latest data from the Virginia Department of Health: Ten more confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the cumulative total to 77. Another 250 people were tested.
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Mass Transit Reacts to COVID-19 Menace
by James A. Bacon Another data point in the ongoing debate over cars versus mass transit… The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has asked riders to stay home and not to travel, as the agency prepared to cut service Wednesday, reports the Washington Times. Ridership has already fallen 70%. Metro, which operates buses and commuter…
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Which Localities Are at Most Respiratory Risk?
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, meaning it attacks the lungs. According to public health authorities, patients most at risk of severe illness or death from contracting the virus are those who have preexisting respiratory conditions. The American Lung Association publishes estimates, compiled from multiple data sources dating to 2017 and 2018, of the prevalence and…
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State Finally Focusing on Potential Hospital Bed Shortage
James A. Bacon Finally, there is evidence that Virginia public health authorities are wrestling with a critical issue I raised a week ago: Does Virginia have enough hospital beds to handle the COVID-19 epidemic. And, if not, what is being done about it? We got a few answers yesterday when Physician-in-Chief Ralph Northam and other…