With COVID-19 case rates showing an uptick in both Maryland and Virginia, the governors of both states have announced they will be conducting more rigorous enforcement of safety standards in businesses across the region. 

Earlier this week, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced that the commonwealth would be conducting unannounced inspections at businesses, with a particular focus on restaurants in the Hampton Roads region. While southeastern Virginia has shown the sharpest rise in cases recently, the visits will likely be conducted across the state and could be at any public-facing business.

Please make sure that you are providing masks and sanitization materials to your employees and patrons, and following the state's phase three guidelines and best practices. The state Department of Health and also the Department of Labor and Industry are empowered to fine and shutter non-compliant businesses, as they have been throughout this pandemic.

Gov. Northam also announced yesterday that the commonwealth will be issuing state-specific workplace safety standards that go above and beyond the phase three guidelines. The state Department of Labor and Industry noted yesterday that the guidelines will be published sometime during the week of July 27, and we will pass along those standards once they have been released.

In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan wrote a letter to county government leaders earlier this week, urging them to take a stronger stance on safety enforcement in retail establishments, particularly bars and restaurants. Local governments have long been enforcing the state's safety standards; as has been the case throughout the pandemic, your business can be fined or closed if it disobeys state and local workplace safety regulations.

As we have long noted, states across the country are struggling to find an equilibrium between re-opening large segments of economic activity, while also trying to avoid another spike in COVID cases like we have seen in places like Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona. For the safety of our employees and customers, and for the future of our businesses, it's on all of us to do our part and keep workplace safety as our top priority.

Please contact me or Joe Koch ( jk@wanada.org ) at any time if you have any questions. Thank you for all your hard work during these very trying times; we are here to serve you in any way we can.

Sincerely,

  

John O'Donnell

WANADA President and CEO

jod@wanada.org