04/24/2020
Wintergreen Owners: COVID-19 Update 7
To minimize emails to owners, these weekly updates include public safety updates as well as WPOA general updates.
From Executive Director Roberts:
Reminder - The WPOA offices remain closed to walk-in traffic. Please send an email or call WPOA for assistance. If we are unable to address your needs remotely, we will identify a time to meet in person.
WPOA employees continue training with Fire/Rescue personnel so WPOA can help during this difficult time. Thanks again to our volunteer drivers who give up their time to serve others.
The Ravens Roost Overlook deck renovation is ongoing. This project should be completed in early May.
The Tuckahoe Clubhouse, Rodes Farm Tennis Courts and all playgrounds in our community will remain closed through the month of April and likely the first few weeks of May. Opening these facilities back up in May will depend on the status of COVID 19 in our area, Executive Orders issued by Governor Northam, CDC, VDOH, etc. We will provide updates each week about the status of these facilities.
On Wednesday April 22, Adams Construction began a pavement overlay on the lower section of Black Walnut Drive. Today was rained out and tomorrow looks iffy. Once complete, Adams will overlay Stoney Creek East. Weather permitting, they should finish in the valley and move to the mountain the middle part of next week. Owners who live or travel through these construction areas should be prepared for temporary lane closures, flaggers, and short delays.
Mountain residents should expect paving disruptions as early as Wednesday of next week. Roads receiving an asphalt overlay include: Wintergreen Drive starting at Fortunes Ridge and ending near Ruff Run, Devils K**b Loop and Blackrock Circle.
Once the asphalt overlays are complete, road striping and adding shoulder stone will follow.
WPOA plans to remain open and serving the community through this crisis. We will try our best to keep you informed and adjust our operations as needed.
Thanks again for your understanding and support of what we do.
From Chief Sheets:
The number of confirmed Virginia cases has risen from 7100 last week to over 11,400 today. 16% of Virginians testing positive have been hospitalized and 4% have died. (386) We have at least seven cases within Nelson County. The known case at Wintergreen is no longer considered an active case. Their quarantine period has ended.
Although there aren’t many cases near Wintergreen, please don’t let your guard down. Nearly 50,000 Americans have lost their lives to COVID in just 90 days. That’s more than the number of Americans who die in car crashes in an entire year. In theory, if a person never left their home and never had anything delivered to their home it would be impossible to catch the disease. Of course, that’s relatively impossible, but we can make choices which minimize our risks, and we should.
We just received our first sizable order of PPE. The order was placed with a private vendor approximately a month ago. We remain hopeful that a governmental supply chain will soon be available so we can avoid paying a premium for these products. We’ve never had to pay for large quantities of isolation supplies before. As you can imagine, it’s a real budget buster.
Volunteers from the Mountain Homesteaders and the Wintergreen Valley Association distributed approximately 300 masks last Friday to Wintergreen residents. The drive-through set up was supposed to last 2 hours. The masks were gone in 15 minutes. I understand our army of mask makers are busy filling orders and have manufactured in total nearly 600 masks. That’s special!
Over the coming days there will likely be a fair amount of talk about Virginia reaching the “top of the curve.” Please remember that our “stay at home” order isn’t set to expire until June 10. The next 6 weeks will seem incredibly long. The goal is to avoid a relapse.
Last week I asked that you not avoid the EMS system if you’re sick. I’d like to emphasize that again. It’s very important. The hospitals are doing a great job keeping their facilities safe. It’s never safe to have a heart attack at home.
If you have a special need, please give us a call. There’s a really good chance you won’t be the first person to ask us for help with whatever your need may be. If we can’t help, we will find someone who can. There are several volunteers within the community ready to assist you.
A great website to keep you up to date can be found at www.virginia.gov/coronavirus/
Stay safe.
