Virginia will require state workers to be vaccinated or get tested, the governor says.

U.S.|Virginia volition necessitate authorities workers to beryllium vaccinated oregon get tested, the politician says.

• Aug. 5, 2021, 4:21 p.m. ET

Virginia volition soon necessitate authorities employees to beryllium vaccinated against the coronavirus oregon beryllium tested each week, joining a fistful of different states that person imposed akin mandates, Gov. Ralph Northam said connected Thursday.

States, cities, employers and the national authorities person each turned to mandates to accelerate the gait of vaccinations arsenic cases person jumped crossed the state and the Delta variant has spread. Fully vaccinated radical are protected against the worst outcomes of Covid-19, including those caused by the Delta variant.

New York, California and Puerto Rico person announced akin mandates, and past week President Biden said that federal employees would person to beryllium vaccinated oregon regularly tested for the coronavirus. Major employers similar Tyson Foods, Microsoft, Google and Disney person all instituted vaccine requirements of their own.

Virginia’s astir 122,000 authorities employees and contractors volition request to beryllium vaccinated by Sept. 1, oregon beryllium tested each week, Mr. Northam said. Unvaccinated employees volition besides request to deterioration masks indoors and portion conducting nationalist business.

Nearly 66 percent of adults successful Virginia are afloat vaccinated, according to federal data, and the authorities has seen its regular mean of coronavirus cases summation from a debased of 129 connected June 20 to 1,279 connected Wednesday, according to a New York Times database.

“The accomplishment of the Delta variant, combined with the fig of radical who are not vaccinated, is driving our lawsuit counts backmost up,” Mr. Northam said astatine a quality conference.

“The mode that we’re going to triumph this warfare is to rotation up our sleeve and get vaccinated,” helium added.

The politician called for companies and section governments to institute vaccine mandates of their own, and said helium supported different mitigation measures, similar masking, but that helium was much focused connected getting his authorities vaccinated than imposing a statewide disguise mandate.

That attack is akin to that of Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City, who called this week for proof of astatine slightest 1 vaccination earlier radical tin enactment successful indoor activities, similar going wrong a restaurant, gym oregon theater. He has powerfully recommended that radical deterioration masks indoors, but helium has truthful acold opted not to enforce a disguise mandate.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention past week recommended that adjacent vaccinated radical deterioration masks indoors successful microorganism blistery spots.

Mr. Northam said helium had witnessed the ravages of fatal unwellness firsthand portion moving arsenic a physician.

“I person watched individuals combat for each breath, and I person besides watched individuals instrumentality their past breath,” Mr. Northam said. “And truthful I privation you to cognize that arsenic your politician I volition bash everything that I tin to support you from that scenario.”