Virginia is moving ahead tonight with new safety rules designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the workplace. The commonwealth is the first in the nation to adopt the worker protections. Some business groups complain it’s too much of a burden, but Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey reports one Northern Virginia city is already getting a head start.
A federal judge refused Monday to temporarily block enforcement of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s executive orders aimed at reducing COVID-19’s spread.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. also scheduled an Aug. 27 trial date for a Loudoun County businessman’s lawsuit challenging the executive orders.
Jon Tigges, owner of the Zion Springs vineyard and wedding venue, is represented by Chap Petersen, an attorney who also is a state senator. Petersen and Northam are both Democrats.
Tigges' lawsuit claims the governor’s COVID-19 restrictions exceed his emergency powers.
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The judge, who denied Tigges' request for a preliminary injunction, said COVID-19 “is a dangerous disease and it is the obligation of our government to address that.”
