As of August 24, 2021

This information is subject to change as Virginia continues to refine the vaccination effort. Also, the below is provided for informational purposes and in no way is it to be considered legal advice. Visit vaccinate.virginia.gov for more information.

• Businesses are generally free to adopt their own mask requirements. Employees of some workplaces may still be required by state regulations to wear masks, even if fully vaccinated. For more information, employers should refer to the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Standard and Frequently Asked Questions.

• Following more than a year of intensive studies and regulatory review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full licensure on August 23 for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals. Pfizer-BioNTech will begin marketing the vaccine under the brand name Comirnaty.

• To date, more than 75% of adults in Virginia have already received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with more than 9.8 million doses administered so far in Virginia and nearly 56% of the entire population fully vaccinated. The Virginia Vaccination Summary Dashboard shows the combined totals for doses administered by all providers in Virginia, and also shows the percent of the adult population and entire population for each city and county.

• The Virginia Department of Health has updated its Case Rates by Vaccination Status dashboard to include a comparison of the rates of persons with COVID-19 who are fully, partially, and not vaccinated. Counts of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths of people who are fully vaccinated, called vaccine breakthrough, continue to be available statewide and by health region. Between January 17 and August 14, almost all of the 252,938 people who developed COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive were unvaccinated. Only two tenths of a percent (0.2%) of the 4.7 million Virginians who have been fully vaccinated have become infected with COVID-19. Unvaccinated people developed COVID-19 at a rate 12.5 times higher than fully vaccinated people.

• As of August 13, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems should receive a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine) 28 days after the second dose. This includes recipients of organ or stem cell transplants, people with advanced or untreated HIV infection, active recipients of treatment for cancer, people who are taking some medications that weaken the immune system, and certain others. Additional doses are not currently recommended for individuals who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or are not moderately to severely immunocompromised.

• The CDC has posted updated information emphasizing that COVID-19 vaccination is safe and recommended for all people aged 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect everyone from severe illness from COVID-19.
• Governor Northam has consistently supported the CDC's public health recommendations, which currently include wearing masks indoors in regions with substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status. Generally, localities may have broad authority to require masks under either their emergency powers, their individual charters, or under the uniform powers enumerated in state law for cities and towns or counties, but localities should always consult their own counsel for legal advice. On August 11, the State Health Commissioner reissued an Order of Public Health Emergency that requires all students, teachers, staff and visitors to wear masks indoors at public and private K12 schools to reinforce public health guidance and state law.

Department of Labor and Industry’s Temporary Standards Related to COVID-19 - EFFECTIVE JULY 27, 2020
(Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is from online resources and is not intended to constitute legal advice. All content provided is for general informational purposes only and suggested guidance.)

VOAH Emergency Standards- Medium Risk Training Template and VA Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response Plan Template , presented by JacksonLewis 

VAC DOLI Regulation Webinar 2: 7/29/20

16 VAC 25-220, Emergency Temporary Standard, Infectious Disease Prevention: SARS-CoV-2 Virus That Causes COVID-19

NFIB Virginia

Virginia Department of Labor & Industry Workplace Safety Emergency Regulations Resources

• Full Text of Regulation
• Nine Steps to Achieve COVID-19 ETS Compliance
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Full Training Presentation
• Overview – Abbreviated Training Presentation
• Infographic
• Lower Risk Training Template (while low risk employers do not have to do formal training, they must provide oral or written information to employees on the hazards of the virus to minimize exposure)
• Toolbox Talks

To access the templates for the following forms and documents, click on DOLI’s Outreach, Education and Training Resources Page HERE. These templates are in either document or excel spreadsheet formats for editing.

• Training Certification Form
• Hazard Assessment Template
• Infectious Disease Plan Template