Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - Just 24 hours after Mayor Levar Stoney announced a vaccine mandate for Richmond City employees, Governor Ralph Northam announced one for state employees. The mandate, for employees in the executive branch, goes into effect September 1. Unvaccinated employees will face additional weekly testing.
Northam did not, however, issue a mask mandate of his own for schools, some of which get started locally later this month. Northam says state law, passed this session, requires masks, because it tells districts to follow the Centers for Disease Control. However, the CDC is only urging mask use in schools. Northam is urgining those not requiring masks to talk to legal counsel. Locally, Henrico and Powhatan have made them optional.
The mandates and mask discussion also comes as the State Health Department reports the death of a school-aged child in the Eastern Region of Virginia from Covid-19 complications