Gov. Ralph Northam announced yesterday that the delayed reopening of Northern Virginia will start on Friday (May 29), but with that came a mandatory mask order for anyone in public places.
“Everyone will need to wear a face cover when you’re inside at a public place starting this Friday,” Northam said at his weekly coronavirus press conference. “That’s at a store, a barbershop, a restaurant, on public transportation, at a government building or anywhere where people can congregate in groups.”
Northam has come under some fire for his own lack of face coverings this weekend at Virginia Beach. The city has also received high profile visits from national leaders who have neglected to wear a mask.
Regional leadership has pushed for a mask mandate for weeks. Alexandria leadership has repeatedly urged locals to wear masks and maintain social distancing standards, which has been shown to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Still, many Alexandrians have regularly defied the instruction to wear masks and keep distant, particularly in Old Town.
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
