Gov. Northam: No Plan To Reinstate COVID Restrictions Ahead Of Holidays

Governor Ralph Northam doesn't plan to reinstate COVID-19 restrictions ahead of the upcoming holiday season.

Northam and the Virginia Emergency Support Team provided an update on the state's ongoing efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday afternoon, confirming he didn't plan to implement tighter restrictions even as the state continue to see a rise in COVID-19 cases, WAVY.com reports. The governor's decision comes after Governor Larry Hogan announced neighboring Maryland would implement stricter guidelines for indoor restaurant capacity, indoor gatherings and out-of-state travel leading up to the holiday season.

Northam has expressed growing concerns recently in relation to the rising COVID-19 cases in rural Southwest Virginia, which had at least one local health official call for a reversion in the state's phased reopening process.

The Virginia Department of Health reported 196,506 total cases and 3,741 deaths in relation to COVID-19, which includes 1,495 new cases and 13 additional deaths in a 24-hour span, as well as 13,273 total hospitalizations. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association also reports more than 1,100 are currently hospitalized and/or awaiting their COVID-19 results as of Tuesday.

Northam, however, did not announce any new restrictions for the state or Southwest Virginia, instead saying he "probably won't" have another press conference regarding COVID-19 prior to Thanksgiving. The governor instead provided details on the launch of a new communications campaign that will focus on Virginians following basic CDC guidelines including wearing masks, social distancing and hand-washing.

“Our message today is for every Virginian because we are one state, one commonwealth and no region is an island. We all need to step up our vigilance and precautions,” Northam said via WAVY.com.

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