On this Day: Virginia sees its first COVID-19 case

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Five years ago on March 7, a U.S. Marine at Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County tested positive for COVID-19, the first confirmed case in Virginia.
At the time, the guidance was simple: wash your hands and avoid touching your face. Mask mandates and other shutdowns hadn’t yet been enacted.
The case, along with Virginia’s second confirmed case, were linked to international travel.
Less than a week later, then-Gov. Ralph Northam announced that all K-12 schools would close for at least two weeks. By the end of March, Northam announced schools would be closed for the remainder of the school year.
On March 14, 2020, the Virginia Department of Health reported the first COVID-19-related death in the commonwealth, with 45 confirmed cases statewide.
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