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Mayor: Richmond may not join Phase One reopening unless state provides more support
Update, May 14 at 6:15 p.m.: Gov. Ralph Northam announced that the city of Richmond and Accomack County will delay Phase One of the reopening plan by two weeks, joining localities in Northern Virginia. Earlier: Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has said that the city may not join Gov. Ralph Northam’s Phase One reopening plan on Friday […]
What does ‘reopening’ actually mean?
Updated May 14, 6:15 p.m. With most of Virginia preparing to enter the first phase of Gov. Ralph Northam’s “Forward Virginia” plan on Friday, there’s still a fair number of questions about what exactly Phase One of “reopening the state” means for business owners, employees and consumers. Here’s what you should know: Reopening in Phase […]
Northern Va. reopening delayed until May 29
In a new executive order, Gov. Ralph Northam allows localities in Northern Virginia to delay reopening nonessential businesses until Friday, May 29, two weeks after the rest of the state enters Phase One of the governor’s “Forward Virginia” plan. The counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, as well as the cities of Alexandria, […]
Northam: NoVa will not enter Phase One on Friday
Update, May 12: In a new executive order, Northern Virginia localities will delay Phase One by two weeks, allowing businesses to reopen on a limited basis May 29, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. The rest of the state will enter Phase One on Friday as planned, the governor said in a statement. Earlier: Northern Virginia will […]
Northam: Virginia to reopen “slowly and deliberately”
Scheduled to go into effect on May 15, the first phase of Gov. Ralph Northam’s Forward Virginia plan for reopening businesses won’t look that much different to daily life now in Virginia, with a handful of exceptions. These include allowing retail stores and houses of worship to open at 50% capacity and restaurants to offer […]
Reopening: Too early, or not soon enough?
UPDATED MAY 8 Gov. Ralph Northam is likely to loosen restrictions next Friday on “nonessential” businesses, allowing gyms, spas, theaters, dine-in restaurants and other enterprises to reopen after more than seven weeks, but feelings are mixed about the wisdom of this decision, given that Virginia saw a 36% increase in confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases […]
FEMA sending three decontamination systems to Virginia
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved sending Virginia three decontamination systems that can collectively sterilize up to 240,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) per day for reuse, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Saturday. The Battelle Critical Care Decontamination Systems, which will be operational within the next week, will be stationed at the Marching [&hellip[...]
Northam looks ahead to reopening Virginia
UPDATED, SATURDAY APRIL 25: Gov. Ralph Northam’s office and Virginia Department of Health told the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Saturday that Phase One of Northam’s “Forward Virginia” blueprint for easing statewide COVID-19 restrictions will not last two years. The newspaper had reported Friday that Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said he believed the phase cou[...]
Governor signs clean energy legislation
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Sunday that he has signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act into law, requiring state electricity providers to become 100% carbon free by 2050. The legislation sets a 2045 carbon-free deadline for Virginia power operations for Dominion Energy Inc. and a 2050 deadline for Appalachian Power. It also requires virtually all […]
Northam signs laws expanding election access
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed laws this weekend repealing Virginia’s voter ID law, making Election Day a state holiday and expanding access to early voting. After July 1, voters will not be required to show a photo ID in order to vote. The new laws also repeal the controversial Lee-Jackson Day state holiday in January, […]
Northam signs LGBTQ protections into law
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Saturday that he has signed the Virginia Values Act into law, making Virginia the first Southern state to pass sweeping anti-discrimination laws protecting the LGBTQ community. The act, which passed the Democratic-majority General Assembly in February and goes into effect July 1, prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, public spaces and credit […]
Battling coronavirus, Northam seeks faster release of prisoners
In light of the threat that coronavirus could pose to prison inmates, Gov. Ralph Northam has asked the state Department of Corrections to begin planning for the release of nonviolent prisoners with less than a year of time left to serve, the governor said during his Friday coronavirus news conference. When the General Assembly reconvenes […]
