RICHMOND, Va. -- A group gathered Sunday in Richmond to protest Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's new measures to combat the coronavirus. Those measures include a stricter mask mandate and a curfew that requires most Virginians to stay at home between midnight to 5 a.m.
Those who gathered questioned how a post-midnight curfew mitigates the spread of the virus.
Others expressed concern that new rules would mean fewer customers for small businesses.
Protest organizers called the governor's latest order "irrational."
The executive order, which took effect on Monday, also reduce the state’s cap on public gatherings from 25 people to 10.
It also expanded the state's longstanding mask requirements to include outdoor areas where social distancing isn’t possible and all indoor areas shared with others, except for households.
The previous mask mandate required only that masks be worn in indoor public settings.
The modified stay-at-home order will have some exceptions, including for Virginians traveling to work and seeking medical attention.
The mask mandate does not apply to children under five.
The executive order will be in place through the end of January.
Asked why he chose midnight to 5.a.m for a curfew, Northam said it was “common sense.”