May 7th Newsletter
We need to pause more often to share our appreciation for the people in our lives who take care of us and our families. Here are a few groups at the top of my list of people who I need to thank for all that they do, particularly because of their extraordinary efforts during the pandemic:
This is Teacher Appreciation Week. Our teachers have been remarkably successful in keeping our children engaged and still learning despite the challenges of the pandemic. Thank you!
This also is Public Service Week during which we recognize the dedication of federal, state, local, and tribal government employees in the Commonwealth of Virginia where an estimated 17 percent of the workforce is employed by the government. So many of our public servants have labored throughout the pandemic, with little to no breaks in some cases, to provide essential services and keep us safe. Thank you!
Yesterday was Nurses Appreciation Day. How can we adequately thank the nurses who have been on the front lines of the pandemic caring for our loved ones, while risking their own lives? They have faced such challenging environments but still return to their jobs day after day. Thank you!
Sunday is Mother’s Day. Moms have carried the heaviest weight of the pandemic’s burden on families. Many mothers have sacrificed sleep, any chance of free time, and even their careers so that they could take care of their families confined to home. Thank you!
If you have any questions or need assistance with a state agency, please contact my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov or phone at 804-698-1073, and a member of my staff will be happy to assist you. I also will continue to keep you informed with relevant, accurate information via Twitter, Facebook, and my website. Please stay well and stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Rodney
New Information
Henrico County Walk-Up Vaccination Events in May — All Adults Eligible
Henrico County will hold multiple walk-up COVID-19 vaccination events in May. All will be open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Richmond Raceway and all will offer the Pfizer vaccine. See below for a list of walk-up vaccination dates:
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 11 and 12;
Wednesday and Thursday, May 19 and 20;
Wednesday and Thursday, May 26 and 27.
Residents of Henrico or the city of Richmond who are 16 and older are eligible to be vaccinated without an appointment at these events. Individuals with scheduled appointments will also get the vaccine.
The health department is also hosting walk-up vaccination clinics administering the Johnson&Johnson vaccine at George Wythe High School every Wednesday for the foreseeable future from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. An ID is required, but you do not need to be a resident of Richmond or Henrico to be eligible, anyone who shows up is welcome, and the vaccine is free to all.
Walk-Up Wednesdays at Wythe
4314 Crutchfield St, Richmond, VA 23225
Every Wednesday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.
You can still sign-up online for a vaccination appointment at vaccinate.virginia.gov. If you are a Henrico or Richmond resident, you can make an appointment directly over the phone by calling the local health department at (804)205-3501.
I had the pleasure of visiting a new vaccination site at The Islamic Center of Henrico this week. All are welcome to attend and on-site registration is available, see below for more information.
Walk-Up Vaccinations at The Islamic Center of Henrico
7705 Impala Dr, Richmond, VA 23228
Thursday, May 20th, and Thursday, May 27th from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm.
Governor Northam Updates Mask Guidance to Align with CDC Changes
Last week, Governor Northam amended Executive Order Seventy-Two to adopt new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on mask use in outdoor settings. The CDC guidelines state that fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear masks outdoors when alone or in small gatherings. Mask use is still required indoors and outdoors at large crowded events such as concerts, sporting events, and graduation ceremonies. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine.
The Governor also revised Executive Order Seventy-Two to allow up to 1,000 spectators for outdoor recreational sporting events, effective immediately. This change advances by two weeks a change that was scheduled to go into effect on May 15 and will allow additional spectators to watch the final games of the current high school sports season and the summer sports season.
The Governor also reiterated that the next steps to ease mitigation measures will go into effect on Saturday, May 15 as previously announced. He expects to be able to roll back the remaining capacity limits by June 15th as long as the Commonwealth’s health metrics remain stable and vaccination progress continues. See more information on the Governor’s announcement online here, and see below for a list of restrictions that will be lifted on May 15th.
Social gatherings: The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase to 100 people for indoor settings and 250 people for outdoor settings. Social gatherings are currently limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
Entertainment venues: Indoor entertainment and public amusement venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity or 1,000 people, up from 30 percent capacity or 500 people. Outdoor venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity—up from 30 percent—with no specific cap on the number of attendees.
Alcohol sales: Restaurants may return to selling alcohol after midnight, and dining room closures will no longer be required between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
The easing of mitigation measures is possible due to our rising rates of vaccination and decreasing number of COVID-19 cases. Virginia has administered over 6.5 million doses of the vaccine, and over a third of our population is fully vaccinated. I encourage all who have not yet received the vaccine to sign up for an appointment online at vaccinate.virginia.gov. If you are a Henrico or Richmond resident, you can make an appointment directly over the phone by calling the local health department at (804)205-3501.
Henrico County increases absentee voting locations to five for June primary
Henrico County has increased the number of absentee ballot drop-off locations ahead of the June 8th primary elections. Early voting for the June 8th primary began on April 23rd; the last day to request an absentee ballot for the June election is May 28th. The deadline to register to vote for the June primary is May 17th. You can register to vote online here and request an absentee ballot online here. All registered voters can request an absentee ballot or vote early in person with no excuse required. To vote early in Henrico County in-person in Henrico County, you can visit the Western and Eastern Government Centers Monday through Friday from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Saturday voting only is available May 29th and June 5th). The drop-off boxes are located within the county’s five magisterial districts:
Henrico County Government Center, 4305 E. Parham Road
The Eastern Government Center, 3820 Nine Mile Road
Deep Run Park Recreation Center, 9900 Ridgefield Parkway
Dorey Park Recreation Center, 2999 Darbytown Road
Tuckahoe Area Library, 1901 Starling Drive
Absentee ballots may be returned to one of the boxes at the Western and Eastern Government center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cameras will monitor the boxes to ensure ballot integrity. The three remaining boxes are available for ballot drop-off inside each location Monday-Friday from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
In the June 8th election, voters will have the opportunity to vote for the Democratic nominees for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and House of Delegates candidates with primaries. Republican candidates for the House in a primary will also be on the ballot, however, the Republican primary for statewide candidates will be held as a convention this Saturday, May 8th. If you are interested in participating in the 2021 Virginia GOP Convention, see online here for more information.
See below for a list of key dates to keep in mind for the June 8th primary:
Monday, May 17: The last day to register or to update information to vote in the June 8 primaries.
Friday, May 28: The last day to request an absentee ballot by mail or fax. All applications must be received by 5 p.m. in the Office of Voter Registration and Elections.
Saturday, June 5: The last day to vote by absentee ballot in-person at locations of the Office of Voter Registration and Elections.
Tuesday, June 8: Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Election Day.
FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit
The Federal Communication Commission is running a new program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more. The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
Eligible households must meet one of the criteria below:
Has an income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;
Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020 and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
Eligible households will be able to enroll in the program beginning on May 12, 2021. You can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting GetEmergencyBroadband.org. See more information and a list of frequently asked questions online here.
Central Virginia Delegation Town Hall - May 19th from 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Please join me on Wednesday, May 19th at 7:00 for a town hall with the Central Virginia Legislative Delegation with Senators Ghazala Hashmi and Joe Morrissey, and Delegates Carr, Bourne, Adams, and VanValkenburg. Also invited are Senator McClellan, Delegates McQuinn, Bagby, and Aird. You will be able to hear directly from us on recent legislation in the General Assembly and how we’re working to improve our constituents’ lives and the lives of all Virginians. You can RSVP here.
Virginia Minimum Wage Increase to $9.50 In Effect
On Saturday, May 1st, the minimum wage in Virginia increased from $7.25 per hour to $9.50 per hour thanks to legislation from the 2020 regular session (HB 395), which Delegate Jeion Ward introduced and the House Democratic Caucus championed as a Caucus priority. This is the first pay increase in the minimum wage in 12 years. The next scheduled increase in the minimum wage is to eleven dollars an hour. That goes into effect on January 1, 2022.
For people working 40 hours a week, the new wage will boost their income before taxes from $290 a week to $380 a week. I am proud to have supported this pay increase for Virginia workers, which has been long overdue. Every Virginian deserves access to a safe and well-paying job, and this increase will support workers and help our economy rebound as quickly as possible from COVID-19.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Every May we raise awareness of the millions of Americans living with mental health challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health. While 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, we all face challenges in life that can impact our mental health. Now more than ever it is crucial that we raise awareness, fight the stigma of mental illness, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families.
The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month and Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day (May 6th) by posting videos every day from May 3rd - May 7th on their YouTube channel for families, caretakers, and professionals to learn more about mental health in Virginia. This year’s theme, “Resilience in Times of Adversity & Uncertainty” was chosen based on feedback DBHDS received directly from families and to address the additional mental health challenges the pandemic has created for many youth, adolescents, and families. The following videos will be posted each day:
May 3rd – Nurturing Family Resilience Through Support
May 4th – Coping with Uncertainty Using Mindfulness and Yoga
May 5th – Resilience: Promoting the Mental Health of Youth and Young Adults as Providers
May 6th – Build Your Resilience in the Face of Crisis
May 7th – Impact of Racial Trauma and Resilience: Creating Solutions for Children & Families
