Friends,

I hope you and your families are remaining safe and connected as we continue navigating the COVID-19 crisis in central Virginia.

This week, we are sharing updates from the Governor’s plan to open select businesses in the Commonwealth, the work we’ve been doing to continue serving the community, details regarding our May town hall, and how to best get in contact with us.

Forward Virginia: a plan for the Commonwealth
On Monday, Governor Northam pushed back the restart date for businesses by one week, from May 8 to May 15, and announced a plan for “Phase 1” of reopening Virginia.

The state government will continue to evaluate data to determine whether it’s safe enough to start opening up Virginia — we need to reach a steady 14-day decline in daily cases in order to take these first steps. We will also need sufficient amounts of available testing statewide, an increased supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), and enough beds and intensive care units available in our hospitals.

Phase 1 begins a slow easing of restrictions and may last for two to four weeks (or longer) once implemented. Here are the guidelines for Phase 1:

Continued social distancing and wearing face coverings in public
Continued telework from home
Sparse reopening for businesses and faith communities, with strict safety restrictions

For businesses that are opening their doors to the public, Phase 1 includes the following guidelines:

Continued physical distancing
Enhanced cleaning and disinfection
Enhanced workplace safety

Industry-specific guidelines for restaurants, barber shops, gyms, nail salons, and others will be announced in the coming weeks. As we move into Phase 1 and subsequent phases of Forward Virginia, my team and I will continue sharing critical information with you.

Continued work in the community
In recent weeks, I’ve been working with members of the Muslim American community to collect and distribute groceries to those who have challenges with transportation and access to food. I was also honored recently to join members of the Richmond Sikh community to distribute hot meals and 500 N95 masks to nurses and doctors in the Emergency Department of VCU Health Systems. I thank these and other community organizers who repeatedly step up to provide food, support, and resources to our neighbors in need. This brief video highlights some of these efforts.

We are also excited to share that within the next week, Virginia will be establishing three decontamination sites. These sites can collectively sterilize up to 240,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) each day during the coronavirus outbreak, and will help ensure that this much-needed equipment can be safely reused.

The decontamination systems will become operational in Blacksburg, Newport New, and Chesterfield County.

Staying in touch
Finally, here are a few ways you can remain in touch with our team:

Email us: The best way to get in touch with our office is via email. It allows my team to more quickly direct your concerns or needs to the appropriate department so that we can get you the support needed as soon as possible. If you live in District 10 and need assistance or a constituent meeting, please email [email protected] and we will be in touch.
Join our Zoom on Humanities in the Time of Plague on Thursday, May 14 at 5PM. I’ll be joined by Dr. Micol Hutchison, VCCS Director of Pathways to the Arts and Humanities, to discuss what universal connections in the humanities can teach us in the midst of a global pandemic. We’ll touch on what art, philosophy, literature, and history can help us to understand about this unique moment in history, from building connections to fighting stigma and systemic inequities. Please be sure to register for this important Town Hall conversation.

As always, please feel free to follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We update those channels daily with vital resources for our constituents.

- Ghazala

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