Virginia leaders approved a new set of rules Wednesday that employers throughout the state must follow to protect workers during the pandemic a step Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam said he was taking because the federal government has done so little to keep workplaces safe from the coronavirus.

The Virginia regulation requires that employers follow social-distancing guidelines and provide masks to workers who deal with customers. In workplaces where it isnt possible to spread out, employers will have to provide hand sanitizer or access to sinks, and regularly clean work surfaces.

Employers must notify workers within 24 hours when a coworker has tested positive for COVID-19. Anyone believed to have the virus must stay off the job for at least 10 days, or until theyve tested negative two times. And workplaces in higher-risk fields must develop infectious-disease response plans if they havent already.

Many of the requirements sound like the commonsense recommendations coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but with one major difference: Employers are legally bound to follow them, subject to inspections and fines.

Workplace safety advocates have been calling on OSHA, which is part of the Department of Labor, to enact emergency regulations to protect workers during the pandemic. So far it has refused to put any new rules on the books, and appears reluctant to wield the powers it already has. A Labor Department spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost on Wednesday that so far it has issued only one safety citation against an employer related to coronavirus.

Northam said in a statement that the Virginia rules were being implemented in the face of federal inaction.

Workers should not have to sacrifice their health and safety to earn a living, especially during an ongoing global pandemic, he said.