VA Governor Waives Waiting Period For Coronavirus Worker Benefits

VIRGINIA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam offered workers in the state some relief Tuesday from coronavirus-related financial concerns by waiving a one-week waiting period for workers to receive unemployment benefits through the Virginia Employment Commission. Northam's executive action also will broaden the number of workers who will be eligible to receive unemployment benefits if an employer needs to temporarily slow or cease operations due to the new coronavirus, or COVID-19.

By waiving the one-week waiting period, workers in Virginia will be able to receive benefits immediately after their unemployment benefit applications are approved, the governor said. Workers will need to contact the VEC to receive information on how to apply for help.

"We know that rent and other bills won't wait," Northam said about the financial hardship faced by workers who lose their jobs due to the coronavirus.

Under the changes, if a worker has been issued a notice to self-quarantine by a medical or public health official and is not receiving paid sick or medical leave from their employer, they may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. In addition, a worker may be eligible for unemployment benefits if they must stay home to care for an ill family member and are not receiving paid family medical leave from their employer.

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Some Virginia lawmakers have called on Northam to have lawmakers return to Richmond for a special session to address issues related to the coronavirus outbreak, including passing legislation to help workers. But the governor's office said a special session is unlikely because the state Capitol and legislators’ offices are closed due to the coronavirus.

Unite Here Local 25, a local union that represents hotel and restaurants workers in the D.C. region, reached out to Del. Ibraheem Samirah (D-Fairfax County) to see if he could help its members, many of whom have lost their jobs over the past two weeks due to coronavirus-related drops in business.

"They reached out and asked me if we could put legislation together to make it easier for them to apply for unemployment benefits," Samirah told Patch. But the delegate knew it was unlikely the governor would call the General Assembly back into session.

Instead, Samirah reached out to the governor's office to request that the the seven-day gap in getting benefits after an application has been approved.

Other states are taking action to help workers impacted by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. In Pennsylvania, workers may be eligible for unemployment and workers' compensation benefits, state officials announced Monday. According to an announcement from Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor & Industry Jerry Oleksiak, residents may be eligible if their employer temporarily closes or goes out of business because of the spread of coronavirus.

As of Tuesday, there were 67 positive coronavirus cases across Virginia. One of the positive cases was in an assisted living facility.

Northam said Tuesday he is adopting the federal government's guideline of limiting gatherings to 10 people or more in a confined space in response to the coronavirus. But the governor did not order restaurants and bars in the state to close as some local officials in Northern Virginia requested Monday. Northam said too many Virginia residents rely on restaurants for their meals to justify ordering they shut down.

At the press conference, Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia health commissioner, said there are positive cases not travel-related or known to have come in contact with someone who has traveled, which means the likelihood of a community spread, particularly in the Peninsula Health District of Virginia.

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