Through the work of the MSV and many other partners and stakeholders, the Amended Executive Order 60 has been approved. 

Importance of the Issue
The Commonwealth of Virginia continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of confirmed cases, hospitalizations, and persons under investigation in Virginia has increased substantially. As testing increases, it is highly likely that these numbers will continue to rise. Hospitals and nursing homes across the Commonwealth are reporting large numbers of patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms, which is putting significant stress on these facilities, as they were already dealing with a more severe seasonal influenza than usual. Healthcare providers are experiencing critical shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies. In some cases, they are being required to reuse PPE where possible and appropriate. Healthcare providers are not able to resupply quickly these critical resources due to severe supply chain disruptions. In addition, staffing levels at hospitals are often strained by the inability to transfer patients with COVID-19 to other sites of care such as assisted living facilities, hospice facilities, and nursing homes because of the need to contain the spread of the virus. The effects of COVID-19 create these difficulties and present less than optimal conditions to deliver the healthcare indicated by conventional standards of care.

With the possibility that a vaccine may soon be available, Virginia must prepare for its safe and efficient use, distribution, and storage…

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By now, we all know the COVID-19 safety rules: Stay home whenever possible, maintain social distance and wear a mask in public. These simple rules are an important way to help us stay safe and keep our families healthy. Another equally important way to protect personal health is to continue to get necessary medical care. Unfortunately, many people have delayed needed medical care out of fear that a doctor’s office or hospital visit might expose them to COVID-19. Indeed, research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that through June 30, more than 4 in 10 U.S. adults delayed or avoided care due to COVID-19 fears.

The data tells a similar story in the commonwealth. Virginia hospital data show that patient volumes were down 11% during the first half of 2020 and emergency department visits were down a startling 38%. This includes sharp declines in patients seeking emergency care for a stroke or a heart attack, potentially fatal conditions that require immediate attention. In September, Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy asked Virginians if they’ve delayed care during COVID-19 and found that 14% of parents said they have delayed vaccinations for their children and that 39% of adults have put off care this year.

While safety concerns are understandable, people should know that delaying needed medical treatment is much riskier than visiting a doctor’s office or hospital in Virginia…

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On December 2, 2020, at the historic residence of the first US President, George Washington, in Mount Vernon, Virginia, a unique concert will take place – combining space technologies with the timeless beauty of Frédéric Chopin’s music.

After the success of the American premiere of Adam Ustynowicz’s film “Chopin. The Space Concert” at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, viewers of Washington D.C and Virginia will watch the new version of the film, intended for a young audience. The outstanding Polish-American pianist Tomasz Robak will play eight Chopin’s masterpieces, illustrated with the most beautiful photos of our planet taken from the panoramic dome of the International Space Station.

The dome was installed in 2010 by the crew of the STS-130 Endeavour. The expedition commander was Colonel pilot George D. Zamka – NASA astronaut with Polish roots. The astronaut and the Polish film director decided to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Frédéric Chopin’s birth on board of the ISS by playing ten of his most beautiful pieces, recorded by the world-class pianist Karol Radziwonowicz with the accompaniment of the Sinfonia Viva Orchestra. The crews of Endeavour and the Space Station (including Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi and Russian cosmonauts) agreed that it is Chopin’s romantic music that most fully reflects their emotions during the space expedition: a feeling of awe and wonder with a hint of longing for a lost paradise.

Outstanding guests who will come to Mount Vernon and viewers who will watch the concert online will watch the premiere screening of the new 30-minute version of the film intended for schools. The concert opens with Prelude in A major with the message of George D. Zamka – “You are the future!” – addressed to young people all over the world.

The place of the event is of exceptional importance in the history of Polish-American relations. It was here that President Washington hosted in 1798 Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz – Tadeusz Kościuszko’s adjutant and friend. After returning to Poland, Ursyn Niemcewicz devoted time and funds to educating gifted youth. His greatest “discovery” was a brilliant young pianist and composer, who at the age of 8 delighted the Warsaw audience – Frédéric Chopin.

The creators of the concert want to inspire young people to learn science combined with art through the beauty of the images of the Earth and the sounds of Chopin’s music. The concert in Mount Vernon will initiate a joint Polish-American educational program developing talents and expanding the limits of the imagination of children and youth. The organizers would also like to recall the contribution of Poles and Americans of Polish origin to the development of astronautics and space research. It is worth mentioning that the lunar rover used by the Apollo 15, Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 crews was the work of professor Mieczysław Bekker – a graduate of the Warsaw University of Technology. The rocket fuel of the lunar lander was created by Werner Kirchner, an excellent chemist and fighter pilot from Polish squadrons fighting in England during the WWII.

Organized by:

The project is led by the support from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

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