RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Arlington National Cemetery closed to most visitors on Friday in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but said funerals will continue as scheduled.
The cemetery announced the move in a series of tweets, citing Defense Department directives and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. It said families arriving for funerals will be asked to remain in their cars while queuing up, and that the rest of the cemetery will be open only to family pass holders.
Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency earlier Thursday as Virginia’s number of people testing postive for COVID-19 grew from 9 to 17. He advised all Virginians to avoid large gatherings “for the time being.”
“The situation is fluid, and it is changing rapidly,” Northam said at a press conference with other state officials and top lawmakers.
Public school districts started to announce closures as many public universities announced plans to suspend on-campus instruction and move to remote learning.
Northam said he was canceling all state conferences and large events for the next 30 days and urged local governments and private organizers to follow suit. He also announced new restrictions on travel for state workers.
Dr. Lilian Peake, the state epidemiologist, said there is so far no sign of “community spread” of the virus in Virginia, meaning cases where it’s unclear how the patient acquired it. Peake said the existing cases had either been linked to international travel or contact with another infected person.
The coronavirus has infected around 128,000 people worldwide and killed over 4,700. For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for some, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people who contract it recover within weeks.
The governor’s emergency declaration is an administrative tool that allows for additional flexibility in dealing with the virus.
“Virginians should know that we have longstanding plans in place to deal with pandemics. We have trained for them, and we are ready for this,” Northam said.
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