Updated: Prince William County Government drops face mask rules for visitors, most employees

Visitors to Prince William County government buildings no longer have to wear a facemask. But some county employees must continue to wear them.

The county tells us:

In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and Governor Ralph Northam’s seventh amended Executive Order 72, employees and members of the public who have been fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear a face-covering in many county facilities; however, there are several exceptions as noted below.

Members of the public who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering. Employees who are not yet fully vaccinated are still required to wear a face covering. The County assumes that all employees and members of the public who are not wearing masks are in compliance with the CDC guidelines. The CDC defines “fully vaccinated” as two weeks after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (Janessen) vaccine.

The following COVID-19 mitigation measures will remain in place in accordance with applicable guidelines or executive orders:

• Children’s programs in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism and at County Libraries will follow the state pre-school licensing and governor’s guidelines, both of which require face coverings for teachers and students, as well as health checks and social distancing indoors of three feet.
• Face coverings are required in congregate or healthcare settings in the Adult Detention Center, Area Agency on Aging, the Department of Community Services, the Office of Criminal Justice Services, and the Department of Social Services.
• Social distancing and capacity restrictions in County facilities will be lifted on May 28, 2021, as described in the Governor’s new Executive Order 79, to include conference rooms operating at full capacity. The Department of Facilities and Fleet Management will begin accepting reservations from the public for July 1, 2021, and beyond on June 1, 2021.

The county’s statement did not explain why employees in the social services and healthcare need to continue wearing masks. There was no mask requirement for these employees before Gov. Ralph Northam’s executive order requiring masks.

For Prince Willliam County school division, a mask and social distancing policy will remain in place through end of June, a school divisions spokeswoman said.

Last week, Fredericksburg announced its city council would resume in-person meetings for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic was declared. Attendees will still have to wear face masks to those meetings.