Carilion Clinic confirmed a patient has tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday, marking the first confirmed case for southwest Virginia.

Carilion said the positive case is an elderly patient from the Alleghany Health District.

The patient was admitted to Roanoke Memorial Hospital Monday, March 16, showing symptoms similar to COVID-19, and was tested.

The patient was placed in an isolation unit and test results came back Thursday, Carilion said.

The patient is in serious condition.

The

reported 94 cases of

across the commonwealth as of Thursday afternoon, including two deaths.

This latest case at Carilion will bring that number up to 95 positive cases.

Another new case confirmed Thursday was that of a child under the age of ten in Gloucester County.

The

has confirmed three additional positive cases in the Charlottesville area, making a total of four positive cases there.

Governor Ralph Northam held a

afternoon to update the commonwealth on the

outbreak.

"We are only as healthy as the people we come in contact with," Northam said.

The Governor is encouraging social-distancing and the state is taking action to follow that guidance in places like its state prisons. That includes things like the suspension of in-person visitations and transfers from local and regional jails.

The Commonwealth also recognizes the financial impact on the economy, citizens and the state budget. To help ease some of the stress, the state is extending the due date for tax sales returns, and corporate and individual income taxes as well.

The sales tax returns were originally due March 20, but that date has been extended to April 20. The commonwealth expects that extension to create a $145 million impact on the state.

Corporate and individual income taxes still must be filed by May 1 but the due date for payments will be extended to June 1. Interest will accrue for those who wait to make those tax payments until the new deadline; however, once the General Assembly is back in session that could change.

Following a

by Northam March 18, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved an Economic Injury Disaster Loan declaration for Virginia. Small businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout the Commonwealth affected by the COVID-19 public health crisis can now apply for low-interest federal disaster loans of up to $2 million from the SBA to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other expenses. To submit a loan application through the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan program,

.

Businesses impacted by COVID-19 can also request to defer the payment of state sales tax due March 20, 2020, for 30 days. When granted, businesses will be able to file no later than April 20, 2020 with a waiver of any penalties.

Northam has directed the Department of Social Services to modify Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy program, which is currently caring for 25,000 children, to increase support and flexibility for enrolled families and providers. These modifications include:

• Expanding eligibility for school-aged children currently designated for part-day care to full-day care.

• Increasing the number of paid absences from 36 to 76 days for both level 1 and level 2 providers.

• Automatically extending eligibility for families due for eligibility redetermination in the near future by 2 months and temporarily suspending the requirement for face-to-face interviews.

The state has also told State Police to suspend enforcement of motor vehicle inspections for the next 60 days.

Access is being increased to health care for Virginia’s 1.5 million Medicaid members and thousands of low-income residents. These actions include:

• Eliminating all co-payments for services covered by Medicaid and Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS), including COVID-19-related treatment as well as other medical care.

• Ensuring current Medicaid members do not inadvertently lose coverage due to lapses in paperwork or a change in circumstances.

• Permitting Medicaid members to obtain a 90-day supply of many routine prescriptions, an increase from the 30-day supply under previous rules.

• Waiving pre-approval requirements for many critical medical services, and enacting automatic extensions for approvals that are already in place.

• Expanding access to telehealth services, including allowing Medicaid reimbursement for providers who use telehealth with patients in the home.