Fairfax County Parks Authority
Martin Luther King, Jr. pool in Fairfax County.
The rest of Virginia will enter the second phase of Gov. Ralph Northam’s “Forward Virginia” pandemic recovery plan on Friday, but Northern Virginia and Richmond will lag behind.
Most of the state will enter phase two on Friday, June 5. Northern Virginia, including the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County, might enter about a week later — but only if local coronavirus and health metrics indicate it is safe to do so. The governor has not given Northern Virginia a projected date for entering the second phase.
In May, Gov. Northam released a three-phased plan to help Virginia residents and businesses try to return to some semblance of normalcy after orders for residents to stay-at-home and for non-essential businesses to mostly close took effect in March.
Phase Two (Executive Order 65) establishes these guidelines:
“The Commonwealth will maintain a Safer at Home strategy with continued recommendations for social distancing, teleworking, and requiring individuals to wear face coverings in indoor public settings. All businesses should still adhere to physical distancing guidelines, frequently clean and sanitize high contact surfaces, and continue enhanced workplace safety measures.”
In addition:
- The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase from 10 to 50 people.
- Restaurant and beverage establishments may offer indoor dining at 50 percent occupancy.
- Fitness centers may open indoor areas at 30 percent occupancy.
- Certain recreation and entertainment venues without shared equipment (museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and outdoor concert, sporting, and performing arts venues) may open with restrictions.
- Swimming pools may also expand operations to both indoor and outdoor exercise, diving, and swim instruction. (Note: Alexandria area public pools have not opened yet, but some private pools in the area are allowing lap swimming by appointment. The Northern Virginia Parks Authority will not open its water parks this summer.)
- Overnight summer camps, most indoor entertainment venues, amusement parks, fairs, and carnivals remain closed.
“Because of our collective efforts, Virginia has made tremendous progress in fighting this virus and saved lives,” said Governor Northam on Tuesday.
Guidelines for specific sectors can be found here.
