Virginia Residents Required To Wear Face Masks In Public Indoor Places

Virginia residents will be required to wear face masks whenever they are in public indoor places, Governor Ralph Northam announced Tuesday.

The new order, which will take effect Friday (May 29), will require Virginians to wear face coverings when they are in restaurants, personal care and grooming businesses, local and state government services, on public transportation or anywhere “people gather in groups inside.”

Anyone under the age of 10, people who have difficulty in breathing, those who are eating and drinking in restaurants and exercising are exempted from the new rule.

“I am taking this step because science increasingly shows us that the virus spreads less easily when everyone is wearing face coverings,” said Fox News, citing Northam's statement during his press conference.

The governor added that masks do not have to be medical grade. Instead, residents can use household items such as bandanas as cover when they visit businesses and establishments who are resuming their operations after the nation eased its stay-at-home order and pushed through with the reopening.

“I'm not looking for people to get in trouble by not wearing a mask. But I am looking for people to please do the right thing. I'm asking people to respect one another,” said Northam, through Patch.

Northam's new mandate also coincided with Executive Order No. 61, or the state's phase one easing of certain restrictions due to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Under this, employees working in “customer-facing areas” must wear face coverings over their nose and mouth at all times.

This too confirms with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's push to wear face coverings in public areas where physical distancing is hard to maintain. This will prevent those who may not know they have COVID-19 from spreading, Patch added.

Clark Mercer, Northam's chief of staff, pointed out that the Virginia Department of Health will take charge of ensuring that the governor's face covering mandate is observed by residents, just like who they “inspect restaurants.”

“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,” said Mercer.