Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that he has directed the state health department to release the names of individual long-term care facilities that have experienced a COVID-19 outbreak.
The state previously had allowed those facilities to remain anonymous to protect patient privacy.
"However, due to the widespread nature of this pandemic, it is now unlikely that releasing facility information would compromise anonymity or discourage facilities from participating in a public health investigation," Northam said in a press release, which included a link to a website listing all of the facilities and the number of cases and deaths.
According to the health department tracker, the state now has 1,602 coronavirus-related deaths — 1,000 of which are linked to long-term care facilities.
The low figures come more than two weeks after Northam mandated face coverings while in indoor public spaces.
