Today April 16th) Governor Ralph Northam announced that he will be unilaterally extending the effective date on his Executive Order 53 from April 23 to May 8. Virginia Senator David Suetterlein (R-Roanoke County) made the following statement in response:
“Virginians deserve praise for the sacrifices they continue to make and are owed a wider discussion and deeper thinking necessary to best get the Commonwealth through this. It is critical the branches of government work together to move away from a continued stream of extending blanket prohibitory declarations and towards a more strategic approach for real recovery.
Non-COVID medical access has been restricted so intensely that patients are being prohibited crucial healthcare and the professionals they need to see are being furloughed.Asking Virginians to take precautions is wise, but Virginians who are forgoing medical care and paychecks deserve better than being told to adapt to a “new normal.”
The Commonwealth’s executive branch has found a way to keep state-owned liquor stores operating. Surely, we can together pursue a more strategic path to intelligently allow for other services while fighting the virus.”
Virginia State Senator David Suetterlein