Virginia board ends most COVID-19 regulations

(The Center Square) – A Virginia board ended most of the former Gov. Ralph Northam-era COVID-19 regulations that have caused confusion for some businesses over the past few months.

In a statement, the Department of Labor and Industry indicated high vaccination rates and natural immunity rates in the general population contributed to the decision to end most regulations. The department’s Worker Safety Board, which consists of former Northam’s appointees, voted 6-0 to end the regulations. Six members of the board were absent.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia and the Department of Labor and Industry believe that fully approved COVID–19 vaccines and boosters mitigate the individual health risk from contracting the COVID-19 virus, and we encourage all people to consider the benefits of vaccines and boosters in reducing the impact of COVID-19,” the department said in a statement with the updated guidelines.

In recent months, some business groups have expressed confusion over what the board’s prior regulations actually required. Although many businesses interpreted the plain language as requiring certain employees to wear masks, the department’s guidelines had said that masks were no longer required. Some businesses also interpreted some of the language as requiring social distancing in certain circumstances, even though the department’s guidelines said those rules were no longer in place.

The board’s vote ended those regulations, which may provide more clarity for businesses that continued to enforce mask and social distancing requirements for some workers. Under the new regulations, the department simply says that businesses should encourage good sanitary work habits and provide workers with face coverings and surgical masks, as appropriate. The new guidelines also say that businesses should operate and maintain ventilation systems in accordance to manufacturers specifications to achieve optimal performance.

According to the guidelines, businesses should educate workers on COVID-19 policies and procedures, using accessible formats and language they understand. Businesses should also encourage workers with COVID-19 symptoms to stay home and seek advice on testing and treatments, per the guidelines. If a worker is infected with COVID-19, the worker should stay home.

The guidelines also say that businesses should facilitate employees getting vaccinated and boosted. Virginia does not have a vaccine mandate for workers or a mask mandate in most circumstances.

“Businesses asked us for updated workplace guidance to reflect our current COVID-19 situation in Virginia,” Youngkin said in a statement. “We are pleased with the board’s move and this vote signals that a return to normalcy in Virginia is not a partisan issue. We’re going to continue providing greater certainty and decision making power to businesses and workers in the Commonwealth as we move beyond the pandemic. With the removal of these regulations, it is undeniable that Virginia is open for business.”

Under the new guidelines, businesses are allowed to enforce stricter COVID-19 protocol if they choose to do so.

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square