Virgina’s Governor Makes Masks Mandatory Bremante Bryant August 12, 2021 at 8:19 pm in In The News - Afternoon Headlines, NEWS Tweet Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a universal mask mandate for K-12 schools on Thursday. The move comes after a handful of school districts in recent days decided to buck the governor’s interpretation of a state law and opt not to require face coverings. Tension over the issue has exploded at numerous school board meetings in Virginia recently. Tags: COVID-19, Masks, Ralph Northam