Dear Mr. Withrow:

On behalf of the Virginia Education Association and our tens of thousands of school employee members, who work tirelessly to provide quality education to Virginia students, we strongly support making the Emergency Temporary Standards for COVID-19 ("ETS") permanent before they expire on January 26, 2021.  In fact, we believe the ETS should be expanded to include all airborne infectious diseases.

It is with a heavy heart that we share we have already tragically lost colleagues, friends, and family members to COVID-19 which we believe was contracted while working for Virginia school divisions.  Countless school employees have, and are continuing to, battle the illness days, weeks, and months after exposure.  COVID-19 is spread in schools.  Students and staff share small rooms for hours and hours five days a week.  School buildings lack proper ventilation.  Social distancing standards, mask requirements, PPE, enhanced ventilation, proper training, notice to employees and the public of exposure to COVID-19 in school buildings are all critically necessary to enable school employees to work safely.  

We are proud and pleased Virginia was the first in the nation to adopt the ETS.  As COVID-19 cases and positivity rates surge in the Commonwealth, it is more important now than ever to enact permanent safety standards for workplaces.  Schools are the life blood of every community.  Protecting school employees with permanent safety standards for COVID-19 protects students, their families, and vice versa.  Allowing the temporary standards to simply expire would place all Virginians at substantial risk of illness or death.  Leaving school employees and students unprotected from COVID-19 would be unacceptable.

Permanent COVID-19 safety standards will boost the Virginia economy by providing clear, uniform guidance to local school divisions and government employers.  All Virginia employees need and deserve the protection that permanent state COVID-19 safety standards will provide.  We urge the Safety and Health Board for the Department of Labor and Industry to protect our members and their students.

Sincerely,

Catherine A. Lee

Virginia Education Association Staff Attorney