Jenee Welsh, a small business owner attending the Reopen Virginia Rally in the state’s capital on Wednesday, called on Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to “abort” the state’s stay-at-home order.
“Our governor’s always preaching about pro-choice, pro-choice, yet all of us small business owners — we don’t have a choice right now,” Welsh, owner of Something Else Boutique, told Breitbart News as she held a sign reading “Terminology you understand! ABORT the stay at home order!”
Welsh said she employees three people and had to “completely shut down for a month” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“So it was nothing. So my livelihood was, you know, gone and all the business loans didn’t count for people like us, because we’re so small,” she explained.
When asked what message she would like to send Northam, Welsh said, “Give us the choice like you’ve been preaching, that everyone has their own choice. Let us choose.”
Northam, via Executive Order 55, extended the state’s stay-at-home directive until June 10.
“There are hot spots in Virginia,” he said when asked if he would be open to reopening the state on a regional basis. “The virus tends to be more successful, if you will, in areas where there’s density, but I will remind folks that this virus knows no borders.”
“I would love to get the economy back up and running before then, but we need several things. We need to make sure we have the necessary PPE. We also need the testing,” Northam told 8News, adding that he would not recommend planning to attend festivals or large gatherings this summer.