Newport News lifts state of emergency; slightly more than half the city has been vaccinated

The Newport News City Council voted Tuesday night to end the local state of emergency that was declared in March 2020 in response to the pandemic.

The city’s declaration was first announced March 12, 2020 — the same day Gov. Ralph Northam declared the state of emergency for the state and five days after health officials reported the first coronavirus case in Hampton Roads. The city’s declaration was set to expire Aug. 23, but the city council decided to vote to terminate it now following the expiration of the state order at the end of June.

“What triggered the city is that the state has terminated their state of emergency — it doesn’t have any implications financially or operationally now,” said Newport News Fire Chief Jeff Johnson. “It really didn’t have a continuing impact so we decided rather than just let it sit there when the state doesn’t have one, it made sense for us to terminate ours.”

In the early stages of the pandemic, the local declaration helped provide personal protective equipment for firefighters, police, city employees and the public. During the mask shortage, the city installed a mask cleaning system. Funds accessible to the city because of its emergency declaration allowed the city to perform deep cleanings on its closed buildings and to install clear partitions in areas that city employees have a lot of in-person contact with citizens.

“While there were still strict financial guidelines on expenditures, with an emergency order, it allowed the city to be a little more nimble to order a bulk supply for personal protective equipment for employees and things that could be provided to the public,” Johnson said.

The city’s emergency declaration also established procedures to safely conduct city meetings and business including allowing the city council to meet virtually without requiring a quorum of members to be physically present in a single location.

Even before it voted to lift the emergency declaration the city council had already resumed in-person meetings. Chairs at the city council work sessions are spaced six feet apart and there are clear partitions separating the council members.

Even though many of the restrictions from the pandemic are being lifted, Mayor McKinley Price encouraged people to still get vaccinated.

“If you look at the statistics, 99% of the people who die now are not vaccinated people,” Price said. “That in itself should be enough for you to think about it about this very seriously.”

As of July 7, an estimated 57% of people living on the Peninsula were vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to Johnson. About 52% of Newport News residents are vaccinated, with 95% of people 65 and older vaccinated. About 52% of people in Hampton, 70% in James City County, 53% in Williamsburg and 62% in York County have been inoculated.

The state closed the vaccination clinic it was running at the former Sherwood Shopping Center in Newport News, but the city is still offering pop-up clinics and has focused its efforts on vaccinating those who are homebound.

The city ran a clinic last week at Warwick High School, and about 270 students were vaccinated. It plans to offer another clinic for students in August.

Jessica Nolte, 757-912-1675, jnolte@dailypress.com

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