Rise in county COVID-19 stats, guidelines for Phase 2 reopenings explained

County-Town Emergency Management Team officials and Warren County Commonwealths’ Attorney John Bell briefed media on the current county and Lord Fairfax Health District statistics and details of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s Executive Order 65, moving portions of Virginia, including Front Royal, Warren County and our health district into Phase 2 of Coronavirus pandemic business and governmental reopening.

Emergency Management Team Chairman Walt Mabe, center, opens Thursday’s weekly briefing. He was socially distanced flanked by Rick Farrall, left, and Commonwealth’s Attorney John Bell. Royal Examiner Photos/Roger Bianchini – Royal Examiner Video Mark Williams, Audio Mike McCool

Those statistics included 217 COVID-19 cases now in Warren County, a rise as Deputy County Emergency Manager Rick Farrall noted, of 13 from the previous day. The cumulative two-day rise in cases of 51, with 38 new cases being reported on Wednesday. A portion of that rise is related to the result of testing at RSW Regional Jail, which now reports 75 total cases, 67 of which are active, Farrall noted.

A change in the C-CAP food distribution location, from the 15th Street Public Building back to C-CAP’s 316 North Royal Avenue location, was also noted by Farrall who handed a report on the governor’s Executive Order 65 over to Commonwealth’s Attorney Bell.

Bell noted the key number “50” as in 50% capacity and 50 total customers in now re-opened indoor restaurant dining areas. The 6-foot social distancing standard, along with masks will also remain in place. Phase Two guidelines begin this Friday, June 5.

Team Chairman Mabe again urged citizen networking with their neighbors who might need additional assistance, and a general sense of community working together through this trying health threat and economic hardship stemming from medically advised restrictions on public activities during the pandemic, which was forecast to last at least through the summer to some degree.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Bell addresses new guidelines for Phase 2 openings, beginning tomorrow, Friday, June 5, for much of Virginia, if not Northern Virginia.

Near the meeting’s end, those present addressed details of the planned march in honor of George Floyd, who died while being arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota over a week ago. Four now-fired Minneapolis police officers have been charged related to what has been legally defined as Floyd’s “murder” at the hands of those now-disgraced former officers. Local law enforcement is networking with, and is expected to march with, rather than in opposition to, that local demonstration beginning at 6:30 p.m. Social distancing will be in place for that event as well, Bell said.

See the full, approximately 25-minute briefing of valuable information in this exclusive Royal Examiner video: