NEWSLETTER
APRIL 17, 2020
Neighbors in the 42nd District,
On Thursday, April 23, I will be hosting a Tele-Town Hall with Senators George Barker and Dave Marsden to provide legislative updates and answer questions on our state’s response to COVID-19. You can join the conversation with the following information: Dial-in (605) 472-5239 | Access Code 811044 | Submit questions here.
Below are updates from Governor Northam and state agencies. As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Best, Kathy
https://www.kathyfordelegate.com/coronavirus-resources
Updates from Governor Northam
Federal Support for Virginia
Governor Northam reported today that Virginia has received $1.6 billion from the CARES Act, which recently passed Congress. These federal stimulus funds will be used for Virginia’s COVID-19 response and support our local governments.
Healthcare Updates
Accommodations for First Responders
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved Virginia’s request for federal funding to provide hotel accommodations for essential personnel working to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Testing Criteria
The Governor has announced that Virginia is expanding its testing criteria for the state public lab to include people who will be admitted into congregate settings like long term care facilities and other individuals. This is an important step to ensure COVID-19 is not brought into these facilities. Governor Northam’s team is working with all partners, including our university hospital systems, to ensure that everyone in nursing homes can be tested in the event of a breakout as resources allow. The updated criteria is here.
Executive Order (EO) 57 - Expanding Healthcare Workforce
In order to ensure we have the healthcare workforce we need to respond to COVID-19, Governor Northam has issued EO 57. A summary of the new EO is below; you can find the full text here:
Healthcare practitioners with licenses in good standing from other states shall be considered active in Virginia and these practitioners will be able to practice the equivalent services in Virginia that their out-of-state license authorizes.
Clinical psychologists, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and clinical social workers with an active license issued by another state can now apply for a temporary license to practice in Virginia. These temporary licenses would expire 90 days after the state of emergency ends.
Healthcare practitioners with active licenses from others states currently providing care to Virginians can do so through telehealth services. If a healthcare practitioner is not already providing services to Virginia residents, they must follow the steps noted above.
Healthcare practitioners may use any non-public facing communication method that is available to communicate with patients. This applies to all healthcare services, not only those regarding the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.
Licensed nurse practitioners, with the exception of certified nurse anesthetists, with more than two years of medical experience can now practice medicine in the practice category they are certified and licensed in without needing an agreement with a licensed physician.
Medical interns, residents, and fellows with active temporary training licenses issued by the Virginia Board of Medicine can practice in hospitals, including clinics and alternate care facilities operated by hospitals, without the supervision of licensed physicians at all times. The levels of supervision required shall be established by the training programs and hospitals.
Senior fourth year medical students can now practice in a hospital, including a clinic or alternate care facility operated by a hospital without tutorial supervision from a licensed physician in the hospital. The levels of supervision required, outside of the tutorial supervision, shall be established by the institution the student attends and the hospital where the practice will occur.
Virginians who have completed an accredited respiratory care program may now practice respiratory therapy for 90 days after completion or the program or until the individual passes or fails the National Board of Respiratory Care licensure examination, whichever occurs first.
Support for Workers
The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced that the online portal for the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program will go live tonight, April 17. As I have previously shared, the VEC will contact individuals who previously applied for regular unemployment insurance and were denied but are now eligible for PUA.
Alternatives to Jail
In order to protect people in congregate settings, Governor Northam continues to advise commonwealth attorneys and local public safety agencies to pursue alternatives to incarceration in certain circumstances.
For my previous updates about how Virginia is addressing COVID-19 and related resources, see https://www.kathyfordelegate.com/coronavirus-resources.