The Lieutenant Governor of Virginia says an illness caused her to be absent from the Senate. Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears released a statement yesterday saying an unexpected foodborne illness caused her absence. Earle-Sears can potentially cast tie-breaking votes on bills heard during Senate floor sessions, like she did last week during a vote on the Right to Contraception Act.
Flu rates in Virginia are continuing on an upward trajectory. The CDC released their Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report, and it shows Virginia continues to trend upward. Flu rates remain in the very high category. The Virginia Department of Health says the rise in cases is mostly due to decreased vaccination rates. They say younger school-age children are the category where vaccinations have declined the most. The flu has been the cause of death in one child and a teen in Virginia this year.