Northam blames COVID case increase in beach areas on non-mask wearers; directs VDH to step up enforcement

Governor Northam held his first COVID-19 press conference in several weeks on Tuesday afternoon. Following spikes in cases in several other states and a recent uptick in Virginia cases in the Eastern region in and around popular vacation spots, it had been widely rumored the Governor was returning Virginia to Phase One or Two of restrictions on businesses.

However, Northam’s only major announcement Tuesday was he was directing the local Virginia Department of Health branches to step up enforcement of mask wearing, blaming those who aren’t wearing masks on the reason for the spread in areas like Virginia Beach and Norfolk.

Northam also said this was the first, but likely not the last step he would take to slow the spread in Virginia. He said he was considering lowering the number of people allowed to gather in any one place.

.