Governor Ralph Northam announced Thursday that all state employees will be required to show proof that they are fully vaccinated or take COVID-19 tests every week. Local governments and private employers are considering similar moves.
“Governor Northam’s action comes as the highly transmissible Delta variant is driving up cases across the Commonwealth and around the country, primarily among unvaccinated people,” Northam’s press release explains.
Northam said, “The only way to end this pandemic is to for everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19.”
“As head of state government, we have a responsibility to lead by example and ensure the safety of our employees and the people they serve. The three vaccines are safe, effective, free, and widely available, and I strongly urge every eligible Virginian to get their shot. The time for waiting is over,” he said.
Also on Thursday, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association published the results of a poll of 800 registered voters from June 3-10 that shows while 69 percent of adult Virginians say they have been vaccinated, 87 percent of those who still haven’t been vaccinated say they don’t plan to get the vaccine.
In a Thursday press conference, Northam announced that although school divisions will have five-days-a-week in-person classes, people in schools need to be masked. “We expect [schools] to follow the law,” he said.
He referred to SB 1303, a law passed in 2021 that forces schools to have in-person classes. He said the law requires schools to follow CDC mitigation strategies.
“The CDC guidance is that people in schools need to be wearing masks,” Northam said.
The Virginia Star asked several candidates and politicians how policymakers should balance public health concerns with individual freedoms.
“One-size-fits-all vaccine and mask mandates from Richmond will only serve to further divide and harm our Commonwealth,” GOP candidate for House District 12 Jason Ballard said in a statement.
“Government should be making decisions at the most local level possible. That applies to every issue including healthcare. Local leaders, parents, and families are best suited to know their individual risk,” Ballard said.
He said he’s running to protect freedoms that have been taken away by politicians. Ballard said, “Our freedoms are not a game, and in Richmond I will ensure government doesn’t mandate health decisions for children, families, or private organizations.”
Staff for the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor Winsome Sears sent guidelines for COVID-19 policy.
“We do not support vaccine passports, but encourage everyone who can get the vaccine to get it,” the guidelines state. “We do not support mask mandates in schools; parents should have the decision over whether their children wear masks. We are confident Virginians are capable of making safe and smart decisions for themselves. We cannot go back to shutdowns and lockdowns, we must move forward in a safe way!”
Sears’ guidelines conclude, “Science is on our side. Get vaccinated. If you choose not to, please take responsibility: wear a mask, remain safe.”
Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia-09) wrote in late July, “I do not approve of government policy that involves invading Americans’ personal information. Their vaccination status is none of the government’s business. This is a personal medical decision. Nor should the government mandate individuals to take the vaccine. That said, I believe in the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the FDA, and I am fully vaccinated.”
Griffith argued that even the new mRNA vaccines are well-researched and safe, although Virginians should speak with their healthcare providers about getting the vaccine.
“The recent surge of the Delta variant cases has triggered alarm for some. However, vaccines are still the best way to reduce the likelihood of contracting the virus,” he wrote. “In February, in my first column encouraging folks to be vaccinated, I said I hoped we would be facing an excess of vaccine doses by the end of June. Here we are, well into July, and we do have an excess of doses. If you haven’t yet received one, I urge you to speak with your healthcare provider to determine what is right for you.”
On Friday, GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin said parents should have the right to decide whether or not their children wear masks. “I would not issue a mask mandate for young kids, I would not put the schools in the circumstance. Parents need to make this decision for their children,” Youngkin said on The John Fredericks Show. “Make no mistake, this governor used a house of cards to issue a mask mandate for our children yesterday.”
He said, “They’re mandating vaccine passports for state employees. At the end of the day, I would recommend strongly to get the vaccine but I would leave it to people’s own decisions to get it. I got the vaccine.”
Youngkin said, “As governor, I would recommend strongly for people to get the vaccine, but it’s an individual decision for people to make.”
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
John Fredericks is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Virginia Star.
He is also a Trump 2020 delegate and the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation.
