GOP nominee to unseat Northam, other top 2021 Republicans ask VA governor to end COVID emergency

Virginia GOP nominee for governor Glenn Youngkin, and other top 2021 Republican nominees are calling on Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam to end the state's COVID-19 state of emergency.

Youngkin and the other nominees – Winsome Sears for lieutenant governor, and Jason Miyares for state attorney general –released a statement Monday arguing Virginians to struggle to follow state's health mandates and new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines at the same time. 

They say the state's health mandates cause "Virginia employers being left in limbo, caught between following CDC guidance and complying with the more onerous requirements put in place by the governor’s Health and Safety Codes Board."

The CDC issued its new mask guidance earlier this month, saying fully vaccinated people can go indoors and outdoors without a mask, except under certain circumstances.

Northam declared a state of emergency in Virginia in March 2020 that is still in place.

The state government site as of Tuesday read: All Virginians must continue to comply with the statewide face covering requirement, continue teleworking if possible and maintain six feet of physical distance when outside of home.