RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Department of Health said Monday there are 51 confirmed coronavirus cases in the commonwealth and the Peninsula Health District has the highest number of cases in the state.

Several closures have already been announced as the commonwealth — and country — works to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The Virginia State Capitol and the Pocahontas Building, the state government building, will be closed until the end of March, a person briefed on the matter said Monday.

The uptick in cases comes after Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told Fox News that the United States is “at a critical inflection point” and that “when you look at the projections, there’s every chance that we could be Italy.”

Gov. Ralph Northam banned gatherings of more than 100 people over the weekend and ordered all Virginia schools to be closed for at least two weeks on Friday.

Sentara announced three COVID-19 drive-thru screening locations in Virginia — Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Williamsburg — that will begin to see people starting Monday at 1 p.m.


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