During a press conference Thursday, Governor Ralph Northam indicated that Virginia will remain in Phase One of his reopening plan for at least another week.Northam made that announcement as northern Virginia, Accomack County on the state's Eastern Shore and the city of Richmond are set to enter Phase One by this weekend.
The governor indicated that those localities will have the ability to enter Phase Two of the reopening plan with the rest of the state -- whenever that might be -- if they feel comfortable. His desire is to have the state stick together as much as possible in reopening.
Northam said moving into Phase Two will be dependent upon statewide data -- and there's just not a solid indicator on when that might happen based on information currently available. He did say that trends across Virginia are continuing to move in the right direction.
Part of continuing through those reopening phases will rely on increased testing capability. Northam announed that 39 CVS Pharmacies across Virginia will soon begin providing tests. The state has also recently sent out 200 shipments of personal protective equipment.
Northam reminded Virginians that masks will be required for public, indoor spaces beginning Friday. Officials said the Virginia Department of Health will be responsible for enforcement of that mandate and not businesses. However, businesses are encouraged to relay to their patrons just how important it is to wear face coverings.
Turning to beaches, the governor commended Virginia Beach for its social distancing and sanitation procedures as it reopened last week -- saying it's procedures could be a model for other beaches. He added that other Virginia beaches will be able to begin reopening Friday.
Northam said NASCAR and horse racing tracks will soon be allowed to hold one-day events without fans. That includes an upcoming NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway.
The governor has extended deadlines for people with expired driver's licenses and vehicle registrations. He also announced that the federal government has extended funding for the Virginia National Guard as it continues to combat the virus.
Northam ended his press conference with an announcement that he will share details on guidelines for safely conducting youth sports and when Virginia's students can go back to school next week.
