Health and Medicine
The Northam Administration has issued a statewide indoor mask mandate for all Virginia K -12 schools. The health department order comes after some school systems had chosen not to require face coverings, and it follows what has been shifting guidance on the subject from Richmond in the last month that has frustrated many parents and school officials.
Republican legislative leaders call the mandate “a triumph of bureaucracy over common sense.” House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert says local school divisions are best equipped to make such decisions — and good luck keeping masks on young children.
State Senate Republicans including leader Tommy Norment have also issued a stinging rebuke to the Health Department and Governor Northam’s mask mandate order for schools today, saying in a joint statement that, quote, “Northam’s announcement … makes it clear that he was not telling the truth in his attempt to impose a mask mandate last Thursday when he falsely claimed ‘the legislature made me do it.’ Now … he has imposed yet another mandate, usurping local authority without any opportunity for public input.”
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration issued a universal mask mandate for K-12 schools Thursday.
The move came after a handful of school districts in recent days decided to buck the governor’s interpretation of a state law and opt not to require face coverings, against the current recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tension over the politically divisive issue has exploded at one school board meeting after other in the past week.
“This is a way to ensure uniformity in schools across Virginia,” Northam spokesperson Alena Yarmosky said.
The mandate came in the form of a public health order from the state health commissioner, Dr. Norman Oliver.
The governor’s administration has offered shifting guidance on the subject in the past month, frustrating some school officials and parents, as conditions worsened due to the surging delta variant of the coronavirus.
After a previous public health order that required masking in schools even after the statewide mandate was lifted came to an end in July, Northam opted not to issue a new one. He said school divisions would have the ability to implement local policies “based on community level conditions and public health recommendations.”
At the time, the CDC was not recommending indoor masking, but the agency changed its guidance in late July, recommending it for all teachers, staff, students and visitors at schools nationwide, regardless of vaccination status.
At a news conference a week ago, Northam highlighted a law passed by the General Assembly earlier in the year mandating in-person instruction, saying it also requires school districts to follow mitigation strategies from the CDC “to the maximum extent practicable.”
His comments prompted some school districts that had not intended to require masks to reverse course. But some districts, mostly in rural areas, decided in recent days not to require masks.
Among them is mostly rural Patrick County, where the school board voted Monday to recommend but not mandate mask-wearing, against the advice of its attorney and insurance agent, the Martinsville Bulletin reported.
Hanover County, outside of Richmond, also opted against a mask mandate, according to local news outlets.
And school board meetings even in districts that ultimately have adopted mask mandate have turned contentious.
In Virginia Beach, dozens of people spoke at a meeting that went into the early morning hours of Wednesday before the school board ultimately voted to require masks, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Some speakers cursed the board, made offensive gestures at them and accused them of child abuse, according to the newspaper.
It was not immediately clear how districts without a mask mandate would respond to the latest directive.
The annual golf tournament, “Swing it to End it”, to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association is back this Sunday in Salem. WFIR Intern Reporter, Caroline Moore, has the story.
see the link below for more information about the golf tournament on Sunday:
Photo: Virginia Tech
Saying first “its been a long haul,” the director for the New River Health District also said today its official – the more transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 has arrived in the NRV. Dr. Noelle Bisell again stressed that incidences of “breakthrough infection” for those already vaccinated is extremely low. She urged the hesitant to seek out the information they need and then get their shots – also pointing out that many health care workers are frustrated and burned out from the rising COVID caseloads again.
(from Carilion Clinic) Carilion experts continue to monitor the level of COVID-19 spread in the immediate community surrounding each hospital. With the increase in community spread, Carilion is updating hospital visitation restrictions to the yellow level for some facilities as early as today, August 6. Previously, all hospitals were operating at green level, which is the least restrictive. When transitioning from green level to yellow level, the primary change is allowing one visitor per day for adults during an inpatient or Emergency Room stay (previously, they were allowed two in most cases). Other restrictions remain to keep staff, patients and visitors safe.
Starting Friday, August 6, Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital will move to yellow level visitation status. Beginning Tuesday, August 10, all Carilion hospitals will move to yellow level visitation status.
The move to yellow level marks the first transition back to a more restrictive visitation policy since earlier this summer. Anyone who is sick may not visit patients in Carilion facilities. All visitors are required to wear a mask or face covering while in a facility. Shared spaces such as waiting areas and cafeterias remain closed.
“This was a tough decision to make, but our top priority remains the safety of our patients, staff and visitors,” said Charlotte Tyson, vice president of Hospital Operations. “We cannot stress enough the importance of our community doing their part by getting their COVID-19 vaccine and masking when indoors to help stop the spread of this deadly virus.” Carilion officials will continue to monitor the situation. Visitation guidelines for each of our facilities are assessed weekly to indicate if it is safe to allow visitation
The Roanoke County School Board has reversed course and now WILL require all K-12 students and staff to be masked if attending school in person starting on August 12. The vote at a special work session today was 3-2; the state law Governor Northam referred to yesterday in his COVID update was the overriding factor. School Board chairman Jason Moretz is up for reelection in November; he said getting kids back into schools – even if masked – was paramount, citing learning loss over the past two years. Roanoke County may explore additional virtual learning options for parents who choose not to send their children to school because they must be masked.
Dharma Pharmaceuticals’ “Rise-Salem” retail location
Medical marijuana company Dharma Pharmaceuticals operates in the health region covering our part of Virginia. Details on how they got started and what the industry is like currently thanks to red-tape from WFIR’s Ian Price – who has this in-depth report:
Effective September 1 most state workers will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and be able to prove it – or submit to testing every week. That was the word from Governor Ralph Northam today – who also appeared to throw down the gauntlet in saying that public school students and staff should be masked this fall – based on a new state law tied to CDC advisories. Those school divisions that do NOT abide by the mandatory mask advisory should, quote, “have a frank discussion with their legal counsel,” says Northam.