Virginia Chamber Statement on Governor Northam’s Face Covering Mandate

RICHMOND, VA –Following Governor Northam’s announcement of Executive Order 63 and information stated during the press conference concerning the Virginia Department of Health’s authority to revoke a business’s license for non-compliance, Virginia Chamber President and CEO Barry DuVal issued the below statement:

“As businesses continue to adapt to the current environment and restrictions associated with Phase One of the “Forward Virginia” plan, it is unreasonable to hold them accountable for the enforcement of this new mandate, which could create unsafe situations for workers tasked with confronting non-compliant customers.

“The Virginia Chamber continues to strongly encourage the use of face coverings to prioritize the safety of our citizens, but is deeply concerned by the burden the enforcement of this mandate will place on the thousands of businesses throughout the Commonwealth.”

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About the Virginia Chamber of Commerce

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is the largest business advocacy organization in the Commonwealth, with more than 26,000 members. The Chamber is a non-partisan, business advocacy organization that works in the legislative, regulatory and political arenas to act as the catalyst for positive change in all areas of economic development and competitiveness for Virginia. In December 2017, the Chamber released an update to its long-term strategic economic development plan, Blueprint Virginia 2025, which engaged over 6,000 business and community leaders to lay out a plan to getting Virginia back to the top of national business climate rankings. Learn more at www.vachamber.com