Northam Partly Rolls Back Va. Mask Mandate

Virginians will still need to wear masks indoors and at large, crowded events outside, but Gov. Ralph Northam amended his executive order Thursday to allow fully vaccinated people — meaning those who received their final COVID-19 vaccine dose at least two weeks earlier — to remove their masks outdoors in small gatherings, following new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

“The CDC’s recommendations underscore what we have said all along — vaccinations are the way we will put this pandemic behind us and get back to normal life,” Northam said in a statement. “Our increasing vaccination rate and decreasing number of new COVID-19 cases has made it possible to ease mitigation measures in a thoughtful and measured manner. I encourage all Virginians who have not yet received the vaccine to make an appointment today.”

Northam’s mask mandate — first affecting all Virginians ages 10 and older, and then lowered to age 5 — was put in place in late May 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19, following the CDC’s recommendation.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE