COVID-19 in Virginia: LIVE updates for Friday, July 24

RICHMOND, Va. -- In an effort to provide accurate, easy-to-read information on the on-going COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our community, WTVR.com will update this post with the day's local coronavirus headlines and statistics.

COVID-19 IN VIRGINIA (Scroll to bottom for U.S. stats)

Positive COVID-19 Cases: 82,364 (+1,127 from Thursday)
People Hospitalized: 7,515 (+78 from Thursday)
COVID-19-Linked Deaths: 2,067 (+13 from Thursday)
Total Tests: 1,086,240 (19,655 from Thursday)
All Health Districts Current 7-Day Positivity Rate Total: 8.0%

Click here for complete city/county-by-county breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Virginia

*NOTE: This data is provided from the Virginia Department of Healthdaily at 10 a.m. Officials said their cutoff for data is 5 p.m. the previous day. So your local health department may have issued an alert about a case before it is added to the statewide tally released the following day. Get the latest charts and updated numbers from VDH here.

COVID-19 LOCAL HEADLINES

Henrico votes for a virtual start to the school year
The Henrico County School Board voted unanimously on Thursday for a virtual return to school for at least nine weeks. Read more.

CDC emphasizes reopening schools in new guidance
After issuing previous guidance that encouraged schools to close in areas with high transmission of the coronavirus, the CDC is now emphasizing that schools reopen this fall. Read more.

Virginia disinfectant company uses fog to kill COVID-19
A Virginia disinfectant company is using a new weapon to fight COVID-19.Read more.

4 new COVID-19 outbreaks reported Friday
Data show 305 (+2 from yesterday's report) outbreaks at long-term care facilities with a total of 7,721 COVID-19 cases and 1,199 deaths. That is up 53 cases and no additional deaths from the previous day's report. Additional outbreaks were also reported in congregate and healthcare facilities. Read more.

148 more COVID-19 patients discharged
Nearly 150 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from Virginia hospitals in the last 24 hours, according to data from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA). Read more.

1.4 million Americans filed unemployment claims last week, a slight uptick from previous weeks
Thursday's report marked the 18th straight week of more than 1 million unemployment claims. In that time span, the Department of Labor has recorded more than 50 million claims for unemployment insurance. Read more.

Richmond health director favors virtual and in-person learning for students
Chesterfield and Richmond's school boards have already decided to go all virtual to start the next school year, and Henrico's superintendent has recommended an all virtual start, but the head of the Richmond and Henrico Health Department said Wednesday he does "think a combination option of in person and virtual makes sense." Read more.

Richmond Public Schools Superintendent promises no layoffs as classes move online
No Richmond Public School employees will be furloughed or laid-off when classes resume online, according to Superintendent Jason Kamras. Read more.

US agrees to purchase 100M doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine candidate for $1.95B
The U.S. will pay drug company Pfizer $1.95 billion to produce and deliver 100 million doses of the company's COVID-19 vaccine candidate should the drug prove effective in human trials. Read more.

Trump: Coronavirus to get worse before getting better
President Donald Trump addressed reporters from the White House briefing room on Tuesday on the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the virus will get worse before it gets better. Read more.

Direct payments, unemployment supplements on the table for stimulus package
With millions of Americans set to lose a weekly $600 unemployment supplement this week, leaders in Washington are discussing another stimulus package that could extend the supplement for the unemployed. The $600 a week program from the federal government was added to state unemployment benefits. Read more.

Virginia and N.C. now on NY quarantine list as COVID-19 spikes
Residents from 31 states must now quarantine for 14 days when arriving in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as dozens of states face rising positive COVID-19 rates. Read more.

Chesterfield Schools go online-only learning for Fall 2020
Chesterfield County Public School students will attend school virtually this fall. School leaders voted 4-1 on the reopening plan in a special school board meeting Monday evening. Read more.

Global death toll for pandemic now above 600,000
As of Saturday night, the United States tops the list with 140,103 deaths. It is followed by 78,772 fatalities in Brazil and 45,358 in the United Kingdom. Read more.

Texas coronavirus cases include more than 80 infants
A health official on the Texas Gulf Coast says 85 infants have tested positive for the coronavirus. Read more.

White House task force report recommends 18 states should roll back reopening
The 359-page document detailed the states as a "red zone" because they had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population last week. Read more.

White House blocking CDC from testifying on schools reopening schools
The White House is blocking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from testifying before a House committee on how to safely reopen schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

Virginia ABC stepping up face mask enforcement: 'No mask, no entry'
If you want to shop inside an ABC store, you need to wear a mask, Virginia ABC announced Friday. Read more.

Doctors warn antibody tests shouldn't be used to determine when to return to work
National lab companies are offering antibody tests as part of their return to work offerings, but doctors are warning these tests shouldn't be used yet to determine whether it's safe for you to be back in an office. Read more.

CDC Director: US could get COVID-19 under control in 1 to 2 months if everyone wears masks
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the United States could get the coronavirus pandemic under control in one to two months if all Americans wear face coverings in public spaces.Read more.

These retailers will start requiring face masks in their stores nationwide
Several of America's largest retailers have announced that they will begin requiring all customers to wear masks or face coverings when entering their stores. Read more.

Affordable housing residents fear eviction due to COVID-19
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney was the moderator for panel series called "Color of COVID," which discussed the impact COVID-19 has had on people of color in affordable housing. Read more.

New England Journal of Medicine reports 'encouraging' findings for COVID-19 vaccine candidate
One of the leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates produced virus antibodies in every patient tested in a trial conducted earlier this year, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. Read more.

Northam: Virginia will ramp up enforcement of COVID-19 regulations
In an effort to address a recent rise of COVID-19 cases in Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam announced the state will increase enforcement of COVID-19 regulations, particularly at Hampton Roads businesses. Read more.

Virginia COVID-19 survivor recalls 'paralyzing' pain, 'feeling of suffocating'
"Incredible physical pain. Just huge amounts of unbelievable blinding, paralyzing back pain. It just hurt a lot," Thomas Bryan said. "And that combined with a really high fever... The feeling of suffocating -- someone standing on your chest not being able to breathe. I think people don’t understand that they are risking being as sick as that." Read more.

COVID case uptick in Virginia prompts warning from the governor: 'I won't hesitate to impose restrictions'
The state of Virginia reported more than 940 positive COVID-19 cases Thursday. That marked the largest single-day jump since June 7. Read more.

Coronavirus impact to Virginia budget not as bad as feared
The coronavirus pandemic’s impact on Virginia’s state budget hasn’t been as bad as previously feared. Read more.

CIAA suspends sports for fall 2020 amid COVID-19 concerns
Officials say the decision was made after a thorough analysis of the pandemic and the reality that several CIAA schools are located in states experiencing dramatic increases in new COVID-19 cases. Read more.

Red Cross urging blood donations, testing for antibodies
The Red Cross is urging Central Virginians to donate blood during the COVID-19 crisis and will test blood, platelet, and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies for a limited time. Read more.

Northam announces phased approach for school reopening
Governor Ralph Northam unveiled a phased reopening approach for preK-12 schools in Virginia.
“We know parents want to know what to expect this summer and in the fall, to be clear, all Virginia schools will open for students next year, but the school experience will look very different,” said Northam at a Tuesday press conference. Read more here.

How to find work during COVID-19 pandemic: 'People are still hiring'
some employers are still hiring during the global health pandemic. Here are some tips for finding works from experts. More here.

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COMPLETE COVERAGE: COVID-19 HEADLINES (App users, click here for a complete list.)

LATEST COVID-19 U.S. AND WORLDWIDE STATS