Richmond, Virginia—In a recently released outline issued by the House of Delegates and Speaker Designee Todd Gilbert to address COVID-19 policies and procedures during the 2022 Regular Session of the Virginia General Assembly, masks and vaccines are not mandatory.
In the 7 page framework that lists various ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such as “reduced” seating capacity, “temperature checking stations,” “additional housekeeping” and “rigorous cleaning”, lobbyists, visitors, and the public are asked to refrain from entering “if not feeling well”, and are not required to wear a mask or show proof of vaccination.
“The General Assembly continues to be a tremendous opportunity for people in our community to do their civic duty and participate meaningfully in the political process.” LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director at Progress Virginia said. “Making us choose between letting our voices be heard or protecting our health is unconscionable, especially when many people have children still too young to be vaccinated. A virtual environment is the safest scenario for everyone involved. Not requiring vaccines or masks is dangerous for community members wanting to participate in this process, as well as cruel to healthcare workers who have spent the last two years in hospitals that are over capacity, caring for those who are and will become infected.”
Background:
- As of today, a total of 1,221,036 cases have been confirmed in the state of Virginia
- Since the pandemic began, 11,369,724 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests have been conducted in Virginia as of 1/6/22, with a 33.6% positivity rate from those tests over the last week, up from the 32.2% reported Wednesday.
- As of today, there are just over 2000 available ICU beds in the state of Virginia
- There have been 15,651deaths in Virginia due to the COVID-19 virus
- Rapid tests have been difficult to find, due to the rising number of cases before the holidays
- Emergency rooms are overwhelmed with COVID cases
- COVID cases among children in Virginia are increasing