I am a dentist in private practice in Salem, VA. I fully support the VDA request for an exemption from the proposed emergency regulations for reasons stated in the letter.  As mentioned, the dental community took the lead from the begging to mitigate the spread of the virus.  Accounting for nearly 10 % of the overall economy, dental offices are finally open and moving toward normal production with patient care.  The fact remains that dental offices, as mentioned, operate with a focus on cleanliness, disinfection and preventive measures to prevent infectious disease transmission.  these measures combined with new distancing and scheduling modifications have offices already at a "max capacity' in terms of man power and work hours.  To quote the final sentence in the letter, additional measures and reporting are overly burdensome and completely unnecessary.  Thank you for your time.

Travis M. Shannon, DMD