NORFOLK, Va. — In a press conference on Friday, Governor Ralph Northam announced he had signed Executive Order 57.
The order, which will stay in place until June 10, relaxes restrictions on healthcare practitioners, to allow more medical professionals to help in the fight against COVID-19.
"[It] eases licensing restrictions on some medical professionals like nurse practitioners and doctors who are licensed in other states," Northam said. "We'll let nurse practitioners with two years of experience practice without having a practice agreement with a physician."
Northam also expanded testing criteria to help nursing home and long-term care facilities.
"Any nursing home or long-term care facility experiencing a breakout can test every resident in the facility as well as the staff," he said.
Reporters asked about Northam's plans for opening the state back up. Northam said he had spoken with the president about guidelines for easing restrictions, and Virginia was "not close" yet.
"The first phase of those guidelines requires positive tests to be on a downward trend for 14 days. We have not met that criteria," he said.
Friday, coronavirus cases in the state increased by more than 600 people.
In the press conference, Northam encouraged law enforcement agencies to continue to look for alternatives to incarceration in non-violent, non-dangerous misdemeanor charges.
He recommended house arrests, or issuing summonses, to prevent people from sitting in coronavirus-susceptible jails.
Northam also said the Virginia Employment Commission is working to help people who were previously ineligible for unemployment benefits, like temporary workers, gig workers and the self-employed.
The governor said the portal for unemployment documentation for those people would be live by Friday night.