Northam Announces Face Mask Policy, NoVA Reopening To Be Allowed
VIRGINIA — Many people will have to wear face coverings starting Friday, May 29, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday. Masks do not need to be medical grade and can include homemade items or bandanas, he said as he announced reopening measures for northern Virginia.
The requirement will apply to anyone age 10 and older when they are indoors at brick-and-mortar retail, personal care and grooming businesses, places where people congregate, food and beverage businesses, on public transportation, and at state or local government services. The requirement will not apply to eating and drinking at restaurants and exercising. Anyone with a health condition that prevents them from wearing a face mask will not have to wear one.
"I’m not looking for people to get in trouble by not wearing a mask," said Northam at a Tuesday news conference. "But I am looking for people to please do the right thing. I’m asking people to respect one another."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends face coverings in public areas where physical distancing is hard to maintain. While physical distancing continues to be recommended, the CDC says face coverings can help those who may not know they have the virus from spreading it to others.
Northam says the order will help protect workers interacting with customers as reopening continues. His executive order on phase one reopening requires employees in most settings to wear face masks to protect customers.
Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey supports a face mask mandate, especially when phase one of reopening happens.
"Personally I believe that face coverings should be mandated anywhere you’ve got groups of people gathering outside or in particularly inside grocery stores, pharmacies, anywhere people go and gather," said Garvey.
Northam says the face mask requirement is not a criminal matter and will not be enforced by law enforcement.
"VDH, the Virginia Department of Health, just like they inspect restaurants now and have enforceability around restaurants, they would have the ability," said Clark Mercer, the governor's chief of staff. "This is for grossly negligent actors. We’re not talking about someone who forgets to wear a mask, you obviously have warning and someone will remember to wear one the next time."
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The governor's administration is working to provide masks to targeted at-risk communities. He encouraged anyone with the ability to provide masks to at-risk groups to find ways to do so.
"I know that even these steps are going to be difficult for some of our most vulnerable populations," said Northam. "Throughout this pandemic we’ve seen community groups step up to help out, and I hope that can be the case here."
The governor addressed his visit to the Virginia Beach oceanfront on Saturday without wearing a face mask. Northam said he intended to speak with the media, Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer, first responders and beach ambassadors from a distance. He acknowledged he was not prepared when posing for pictures with people without wearing a mask.
"I take full responsibility for that," said Northam. "People held me accountable, and I appreciate that. In the future when I'm out in the public, I will be better prepared."
Virginia Beach reopened for recreation ahead of Memorial Day weekend after the city prepared a safety plan. Northam said visitors were practicing social distancing and were not crowding. He called Virginia Beach a model for other U.S. beaches on safe reopening.
Beaches in other Virginia localities remain closed to all but exercise and fishing. State officials are working with other beachfront localities such as Norfolk and Hampton on reopening plans.
What's Next For Reopening
While the rest of the state moved into phase one of reopening over a week ago, Northern Virginia, the city of Richmond and Accomack County remain under "phase zero" restrictions with a stay-at-home order. Northam indicated he will allow Northern Virginia to start phase one of reopening on Friday, May 29.
Officials from the three areas have been in touch with the state about reopening. On Sunday, Northern Virginia leaders and health directors notified state officials that the region is meeting four of six reopening metrics. Local health directors say the region has a 14-day downward trend of positive tests and hospitalizations, increased testing, and sufficient hospital and intensive care capacity. The health directors believe PPE supplies in hospitals are sufficient but do not believe criteria is met for non-hospital settings. They also expressed concern about contact tracing; a statewide effort to hire contact tracing staff is underway.
Northam said Accomack County officials expressed support for reopening started Friday. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney asked for a modified phase one reopening. Northam expects to have an announcement Wednesday on reopening the three areas.
The governor has not announced a decision for the start of phase two reopening rest of the state; phase one will continue until at least May 29. On the metrics, percent positivity of tests are trending down, hospitalizations are trending slightly down, hospital capacity remains sufficient and testing is increasing.
"The incubation period of this virus is lengthy enough that we really just don’t have the data, we don’t have the trends that we’re conformable with, both from our health commission and their epidemiologists as well as my watching the numbers in Virginia," said Northam. "We will be in phase one through this Friday, we will look at evidence as we move closer and then determine if we can move into phase two."
Patch editors Gillian Smith and Michael O'Connell contributed to this report.
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This article originally appeared on the Greater Alexandria Patch
