NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — On Wednesday afternoon, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam tweeted, "In the absence of federal action, Virginia has just become the first state in the nation to adopt *enforceable* workplace safety standards for #COVID19."
In a release by his office, a spokesperson said Virginia would start temporarily requiring employers to keep on top of PPE, sanitation and social distancing standards and hazard communication guidelines.
"Keeping Virginians safe at work is not only a critical part of stopping the spread of this virus, it’s key to our economic recovery and it’s the right thing to do," Northam wrote.
"Newly adopted standards require all employers to mandate social distancing measures and face coverings for employees in customer-facing positions and when social distancing is not possible, provide frequent access to hand washing or hand sanitizer, and regularly clean high-contact surfaces," a spokesperson wrote.
Under the temporary standards, employers will be required to inform employees of positive cases among coworkers within 24 hours of being notified, themselves.
Employees who have tested positive are barred from returning to work for 10 days, or until they get two consecutive negative coronavirus test results.
The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Safety and Health Codes Board voted these regulations into place for the next six months.
At Salon Elite in Newport News, they’re doing everything possible to protect the workers from COVID-19, as well as people coming in and out.
Manager Beverley Clark said they have many safety standards in place. Masks are required for everyone, stations are six feet apart, there's Plexiglas and plastic any place they can't keep a six-foot distance.
“We all need to work together to keep everyone safe,” Clark said. “We were shut down for almost eight weeks and that was hard, so we are nervous we may get shut down again.”
Cynthia Terry and Delano Martin own Martin's Soul Food Cafe in Newport News. They've stepped up safety practices as well, and some are all visible.
“No masks, no service,” Martin said. “We want to protect ourselves and our employees and whoever comes in the building, because if we get sick, we can't operate the way we do.”
“We're glad we have the opportunity to do business in the community,” Terry said.
Northam's office wrote that more details for employers would be posted on the Department of Labor and Industry's website soon.
The release encouraged workers who do not feel safe at their jobs to report any code violations online.
Many retail and grocery stores have installed clear shields at cash registers, and customers are required to wear face masks. Northam's team gave that mask mandate in late May.
The coronavirus response team has been recommending that people stay home when sick, keep a social distance of six feet when out of their homes and frequently wash their hands to prevent the spread of the virus.
Not many of the public health recommendations have been geared toward employers before this announcement.