VA Governor Orders Schools Closed For Rest Of Year: Coronavirus

VIRGINIA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday ordered K-12 schools, both public and private, to remain closed for the rest of the academic year in an attempt to minimize the spread of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19. Northam originally ordered schools to close through this Friday, but some local school officials already have been planning for a much longer closure.

Northam also issued an executive order Monday that bans all gatherings of more than 10 people beginning at midnight on Tuesday. The order does not include gatherings that involve health care or medical services, access to essential services for low-income residents such as food banks, operations of the media, law enforcement agencies, and operations of government.The order will remain in place until 11:59 p.m. on April 23.

The order requires restaurants to remain open only for carryout, curbside and delivery. Restaurants can no longer keep their dining areas open, even if they adhere to the previously mandated 10-person mandate.

All recreation, entertainment services, fitness clubs, barber shops and hair salons must shut down completely. All essential establishments like grocery stores, pharmacies and banks can remain open as long as they adhere to increased sanitizing rules for their stores. Non-essential brick-and-mortar stores can remain open but must limit the number of customers to 10 people and enforce social distancing rules.

Virginia also is launching a statewide media campaign to ensure residents understand the risk and do their part to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The “Health in Your Hands” campaign will include radio and television advertisements as well as statewide billboards and highway signs, according to the governor's office.

A growing number of states and localities have been shutting their schools indefinitely. Last week, Kansas closed public and private K-12 schools for the rest of the academic year.

Under the closure in Virginia, school officials in jurisdictions across the state will be responsible for deciding how to proceed with educating their students, Northam said at his daily coronavirus press briefing. On Tuesday, the Virginia Department of Education will provide guidance to local school systems on how to proceed and to ensure it is done in an equitable way, regardless of income level, access to technology, English learner status, or special needs.

"School division leaders will decide how students can learn the informatoin they were meant to cover for the remainder of the year," he said. "By tomorrow, our Department of Education will issue guidance to help school divisions think through those decisons and ensure that every student is served equitably."

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The Northam administration also is working on waivers to relieve testing requirements for students and ensure that students who were on track to graduate can do so, the governor said. For example, Virginia joined other states in asking the U.S. Department of Education to waive mandatory testing requirements.

Northam said the school closures will lead to dilemmas for parents about childcare, especially for essential workers like doctors, nurses and grocery store workers who have children.

"These people keep our communities functioning," he said. "We need an urgent public-private response. Today, I'm calling on our local communities, private daycare providers, community childcare partners and public schools to rally together to provide childcare for the young children and school-age children of essential personnel."

The Virginia Department of Social Services and Department of Education will be providing guidance to communities on Monday about how to provide emergency childcare services for essential personnel, Northam said.

The Virginia Department of Health confirmed Monday that 254 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and six people have died. The total number of positive tests increased by 35 from the total released Sunday.

The virus causes minor flu-like symptoms in most people, who recover in a matter of weeks. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death in some, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health problems.

Northam said the state is "moving into a period of sacrifice." After reporting an extremely low unemployment rate less than a month ago, about 40,000 Virginians filed for unemployment benefits last week alone, the governor said. That number is expected to grow in the weeks to come, he said.

"We have a health crisis and we have an economic crisis. But the sooner we can get this health crisis under control, the sooner our economy will recover," he said. "I know the next several weeks, the next several months will be difficult. ... It will take time, but we can and we will get through this together."

Northam said he had a meeting with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser earlier Monday and they agreed to seek out ways to be consistent with their guidelines so that there will be as little confusion as possible. Furthermore, the jurisdictions have certain reciprocity agreements that, for example, allow the three to share caregivers, Northam said.

Under the executive order, there are three categories of establishments that are restricted. The first category covers recreation and entertainment establishments that must shut down. The second category is restaurants, breweries and wineries that are only allowed to remain open if they provide takeout or delivery services. The third category of businesses are non-essential brick-and-mortar stores that have to maintain 10 customers or less at a safe social distance. If they cannot abide by those guidelines, then the non-essential businesses also must close.

The governor's office provided a list of retail establishments that are considered essential and can continue operating during normal business hours:

• Grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers that sell food and beverage products or pharmacy products, including dollar stores and department stores with grocery or pharmacy operations;
• Medical, laboratory and vision supply retailers.
• Electronic retailers that sell or service cell phones, computers, tablets and other communications technology.
• Automotive parts, accessories and tire retailers as well as automotive repair facilities.
• Home improvement, hardware, building material and building supply retailers.
• Lawn and garden equipment retailers.
• Beer, wine and liquor stores.
• Retail functions of gas stations and convenience stores.
• Retail located within healthcare facilities.
• Banks and other financial institutions with retail functions.
• Pet stores and feed stores.
• Printing and office supply stores.
• Laundromats and dry cleaners.

All essential retail establishments must adhere to social distancing recommendations and enhanced sanitizing practices on common surfaces, according to the executive order.

Businesses in violation of the executive order could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor. But in terms of enforcing the 10-person restriction on gatherings, Northam said his administration does not intend to arrest or put people in jail for violating this rule.

"For example, if somebody from the sheriff's department sees a congregation on the beach of 10 or more people, they will be reminded that that is not accepable," he said. "Our effort is not to penalize people but it is to encourage people to do the right thing."

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