July 21, 2021
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration issued new guidance Wednesday on COVID-19 prevention measures for the upcoming school year, urging but not requiring continued masking in many circumstances.
With a statewide public health order that had mandated masking in schools coming to an end Sunday, school divisions will have the ability to implement local policies “based on community level conditions and public health recommendations,” the Democratic administration said in a news release.
The departments of health and education released a 14-page document with advice about reducing the spread of the coronavirus, addressing issues like ventilation and physical distancing, in addition to masking.