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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said the earliest the state would consider entering Phase II in its reopening process would be this Friday, June 5, but in the Southside, COVID-19 positive numbers still continue to rise.

As of Tuesday morning, June 2, Mecklenburg County reported 218 cases of the virus and 22 deaths. The majority of these cases are stemming from outbreaks at long-term health care facilities.

In Charlotte County, which is part of the Piedmont Health District, the numbers have continued to rise as well, but not to the degree that neighboring Mecklenburg is seeing.

On Tuesday, The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reported 25 positive cases of COVID-19 in Charlotte County with no deaths.

Halifax County’s caseload was at 30 on Tuesday.

Statewide there are 46,239 cases of COVID-19 as reported by the VDH with a statewide death toll now at 1,407.

The Virginia Hospitals and Healthcare Association reported that more than 6,000 people with the virus had been released from the hospital. The VDH does not report recoveries.

Piedmont Health District Dr. Robert Nash said, “It appears as though Virginia still has increasing case numbers on a daily and weekly basis,” he said. “Therefore, we should not be considering relaxing any mitigation measures at this point.”