Roughly nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the coronavirusâ fervor is reaching new peaks.
Last week, Virginia recorded 4,398 new cases, marking the commonwealthâs highest daily increase yet. Nearly two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday, hospitalizations also surpassed 2,000 in a single day for the first time.
The disconcerting public health data come amid an unacceptable unemployment backlog. Despite months of economic aid and employer/employee adjustments, almost 70,000 Virginians still were waiting for assistance as of earlier this week. With the pandemic still in full force, to reach economic recovery, Virginia must reposition its approaches here at home.
The commonwealth has been fortunate. Statewide unemployment rates consistently have stayed below the national level. But the data is clear: Outside of construction (+2.1%) and essential retail jobs like grocery stores and pharmacies (+3.3%), major employment sectors across Virginia have experienced a year of
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