Martinsville-region COVID-19/coronavirus daily update from state, nation and world: Aug. 26 | Local News

August 26, 2020 steven

The second resident of Martinsville in as many days has died of COVID-19. That brings to five the number of residents who have died in the city, and there are now 30 in the West Piedmont Health District. The Virginia Department of Health reported that death in Wednesday morning’s statistical release. VDH showed that there were 34 new cases in the district, with 25 of them in Henry County. Martinsville and Patrick County each had 4 new cases, and the city had a new hospitalization. Franklin County had 1 new case. Meanwhile, the non-health effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to generate discussion and news. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner came to Martinsville on Tuesday to talk about the need for broadband access and more stimulus money in the wake of the pandemic. His comments were followed by news that Henry County will extend its moratorium (following the state) on cutting off utilities, but the city of Martinsville will stick with its announced deadline of Aug. 31. The state announced Monday afternoon that it was extending its moratorium, which has no direct effect on local utilities. Henry County supervisors are spending some of their CARES money — about $500,000 — for hazardous pay supplements for emergency workers who have endured the dangers of the pandemic. And a Martinsville woman was so good at making scented candles, she decided to open her own business during the pandemic. Also Tuesday a new study showed that there have been more than 70,000 new COVID-19 cases in children across the U.S. Child cases increased by 21% between Aug. 6 and Aug. 20, according to an updated joint report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association. More than 440,000 children have been infected in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, the report said. Colleges everywhere continue to deal with hot spots and outbreaks on or near campuses. The Virginia Department of Health reports this morning there have been 115,458 cases and 2,515 deaths statewide — an increase of 21. Some 9,326 people have been hospitalized. Henry County has had 778 cases, with 86 hospitalizations and 14 deaths. Martinsville has had 293 cases, with 45 hospitalizations and 5 deaths. Patrick County has had 209 cases including 44 hospitalizations and 10 deaths. Franklin County has had 204 cases, 8 hospitalizations and 1 death. Danville has reported 550 cases, and Pittsylvania County has had 663. Johns Hopkins University’s real-time map showed 23,930,649 cases worldwide and 820,246 deaths. In the U.S. there are 5,779,707. There have been 178,535 deaths in the U.S. because of COVID-19.