NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL COMMISSION PRODUCES VIDEO URGING RESIDENTS TO WEAR MASKS TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS
Featuring appearances and appeals from local officials, Public Service Announcement emphasizes need for face masks in public indoor spaces as region moves to Phase 1
FAIRFAX, VA (May 29, 2020) – As the Northern Virginia region moves to Phase One reopening, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) has produced a Public Service Announcement emphasizing the importance of wearing a face mask in public indoor spaces locally. Last week during his announcement of Northern Virginia entering Phase One beginning May 29, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam revealed the mandate for the use of face coverings when persons enter public indoor spaces or government buildings, travel using public transportation or gather in groups larger than 10.
“Why you should #MASKUP” can be viewed at https://youtu.be/p7tOn3qW7vo and is highlighted by appearances from Fairfax County Chairman Jeff McKay; Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel; Vienna Mayor; Laurie DiRocco; Falls Church Mayor and Chairman of NVRC David Tarter; Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, Loudoun County Chair Phyllis Randall and Arlington County Chair Libby Garvey.
Each local elected official explains “they wear a mask because …” including Jeff McKay who says “I wear a mask to protect our most vulnerable community members” and Phyllis Randall who explains “I wear a mask because this is not about me, it’s about the community.”
According to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), numerous studies demonstrate the importance of face coverings to help the transmission of the coronavirus between individuals. Johns Hopkins Medicine further stresses the importance of this practice, especially among people in close proximity, to retain droplets released when speaking, coughing or sneezing.
“Leadership starts with the leaders,” explained P. David Tarter, Chair of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and Mayor of the City of Falls Church. “If we want to keep our citizens safe then it’s incumbent upon us to model the right behavior.”
Last week, NVRC announced an important addition to its COVID-19 resource website that provides daily-revised information detailing data on the number of cases, hospitalizations, fatalities and test results on a regional and county level basis throughout the Northern Virginia region. Culled from information sourced by the Virginia Department of Health, the website can be found at https://www.novaregiondashboard.com/cases-dashboard.
NVRC is a regional council of thirteen-member local governments in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Northern Virginia. For additional information about the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, visit www.novaregion.org