City Manager's Messages

June 2, 2021 — I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend — it is so hard to believe that it is June already! With the start of the summer season, the Peninsula Pilots have begun their season. Traditionally, we have offered tickets for city employees to attend the opening game, but this year Henry Morgan asked that we not send employees all to the same opening game. With COVID restrictions that they assumed would still be in place and recommended social distancing, their preference was that the tickets be used over the season.

Accordingly, I am pleased to announce that we have tickets available for city employees on a first-come, first-available basis. The tickets can be used at any regular season home game. To ensure that as many people as possible can get tickets, we are limiting them to 4 per employee. To claim your tickets, please contact Carolyn Weaver-Dickerson in my office (cweaver@hampton.gov or 727-6392). We hope you enjoy this special benefit and get to enjoy the renovated complex sometime this summer season.

I am also writing to update you on the COVID policies for city employees and customers. As I’m sure you have heard, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued new guidance on May 13 regarding mask wearing and social distancing requirements for individuals that are fully vaccinated. This guidance can be found at this link . This new CDC direction prompted Gov. Northam to ease restrictions in the Commonwealth effective midnight on May 15, and additional changes went into effect on May 28. We are all eager and excited to return to a state of normalcy and tossing our masks is certainly a huge step in that direction.

While the easing of restrictions applies to us all as private citizens, as City employees we are subject to regulations issued by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) which, go beyond the most current Executive Order issued by Governor Northam which is why we held off making changes to our masking policy for the last couple of weeks. Recently, DOLI updated its “Frequently Asked Questions” page to provide guidance on how employers may make policy changes based on the new CDC guidance. With this clarification from DOLI, we feel confident implementing a change to existing policy on masks and social distancing for City employees.

Therefore, effective immediately, City employees will have the option to go maskless in City facilities by showing documentation that they have been fully vaccinated to your department’s designee. The CDC defines that a person is fully vaccinated 2 weeks after receiving a second dose of Moderna/Pfizer or 2 weeks after a singe-dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Copies of vaccination cards or other forms of documentation produced shall not be copied or kept by departments. The department will keep only a list of employees who have opted to not wear masks. Please note that employees who have been fully vaccinated may chose to continue to wear masks if they wish. There are all sorts of reasons why this may be the right choice for an individual. Please do not make assumptions about why people are wearing masks. This is a personal choice which should be respected by all.

Masks and social distancing continue to be required for City employees who are not fully vaccinated. Additionally, due to the nature of their work, certain employees, will still be required to mask, whether or not they have been vaccinated.

These employees are:

1. Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue personnel providing healthcare services in as a Medic.
2. Employees engaged in the provision of educational services to minor children whether in a school facility or another location.

Medical and religious exemptions to masking also continue to apply. If you have a concern or request due to a personal situation, please speak with your supervisor or Human Resources.

Temperature monitors will remain up and operational for the next few weeks. Out of an abundance of caution, we ask that you continue to temperature screen each time you enter the building. The safety and comfort of our employees is critical so I ask that we be kind and considerate to our fellow employees and respectful of their choice to continue to mask, social distance, and take other precautions they feel are necessary.

I want to remind everyone that may not have yet chosen to be vaccinated, that the vaccine is now commonly available at pharmacies and many physician offices. If you want to receive a vaccine but are having trouble locating a place to do so, please let us know and we will help connect you.

With the increasing rates of vaccination, and all City employees having access to vaccines, we closed out our COVID-19 special leave on May 10. Sick leave remains available for permanent full-time (PFT) employees’ use for all illness, including COVID.

Please keep in mind that members of the public are now able to enter City facilities without a mask if they are fully vaccinated; however, we are unable to ask the public to show proof of vaccination in order to enter and utilize City services.

We will continue to monitor this changing situation and adjust our policies as additional guidance is provided by the Governor’s Office, DOLI and/or the CDC. I thank you for your continued compliance with our safety protocols as these help protect all of our employees.