It’s been a year since the COVID-19 pandemic upended our lives. And how far we’ve come—this time last year, we thought “flattening the curve” would take two weeks, and the medical advice of the moment was “don’t touch your face.”
A year later, toilet paper is no longer the hottest commodity on the market, but students continue to learn online, working from home is the new normal for many, and attending a large, in-person event is still incomprehensible. Since Governor Ralph Northam’s state of emergency declaration last year, half a million Virginians have contracted the disease and more than 9,500 have died.
In the timeline on the right, we look back at the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic, and how it unfolded in Charlottesville and around the country.—Emily Hamilton
March 10, 2020
- The U.S. records 270 new COVID cases. President Trump says “Stay calm and it will go away.”
- The Virginia Festival of the Book is canceled.
March 11, 2020
- The World Health Organization officially declares COVID-19 a pandemic—a catalyst that set off many subsequent closures.
- UVA moves classes online for the
“foreseeable future.” - Tom Hanks announces that he has COVID-19, making him one of the first public figures to contract the virus.
- The NBA suspends the rest of its season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tests positive.
- Albemarle County Public Schools suspend school-related travel outside the county for students and staff, along with travel inside the county to events with more than 100 people.
March 12, 2020
- Governor Northam declares a state of emergency in Virginia.
- The City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County issue declarations of local emergency soon after Northam’s declaration, allowing the localities to access emergency reserve resources to mitigate the spread of the virus.
- The Charlottesville Ten Miler is canceled, for the first time since it began in the 1970s.
- The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is canceled.
March 13, 2020
- Northam orders Virginia’s K-12 schools to close for at least two weeks.
March 14, 2020
- The first COVID-19-related death in Virginia is recorded. The state registers a total of 45 virus cases.
March 15, 2020
- Northam bans gatherings of more than 100 people in Virginia.
March 16, 2020
- The first UVA employee tests positive for COVID-19, also marking the first case of the virus in the wider Charlottesville area.
March 17, 2020
- Northam gives local law enforcement the power to enforce a new limit of 10 people in restaurants, fitness centers, and theaters.
- UVA cancels Final Exercises for the Class of 2020.
March 23, 2020
- Northam orders Virginia schools to close for the rest of the year, along with certain non-essential businesses.
- Trump downplays the severity of the virus as states begin to dole out their own stay-at-home orders, stating that “Our country wasn’t built to be shut down.”
In brief
Hopeless Hamilton
Charlottesville and Albemarle’s 57th House of Delegates district is, at a low estimate, 85 percent Democrats. But don’t tell that to Philip Andrew Hamilton, Fairfax native and AT&T employee who has announced that he’s running for the district as a Republican. Hamilton is anti-mask and pro-Confederate statue; he invited Richmond pro-Trump agitator Mike Dickinson to speak at his campaign kickoff on Sunday. After Hamilton’s announcement, sitting Delegate Sally Hudson tweeted “The contrast between us could not be more stark.”
Students return to city schools
After an entire year away from the classroom, around 2,100 preschoolers through sixth graders in the city school system started in-person classes on Monday. Students must have their temperatures checked, wear masks, and practice social distancing, among other safety measures. Due to a bus driver shortage and rider limits, many students have no choice but to walk or bike to school, reports The Daily Progress. Parents and local nonprofits have stepped up to help supervise students or provide transportation, but remain concerned about safety. In the coming weeks, the division is expected to hire more drivers and add more routes.
Attack of the NIMBYs
A proposed development that would have brought 370 new apartments to Albemarle County—with 75 percent designated as affordable housing—was deferred by the county planning commission last week. A well-organized group of residents from the nearby affluent Forest Lakes community spoke against the project. They’re in favor of affordable housing, they say—just don’t build it anywhere near them.
Quote of the week:
“We’ll put a mask on the ACC trophy for sure.” –UVA men’s hoops coach Tony Bennett, after winning the conference in a COVID-altered season