Cases of COVID-19 are mostly declining across Virginia and vaccine availability is increasing — and that combination led Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to loosen some of the restrictions on businesses and gatherings.
"Now is not the time to simply throw the doors open or let down our guard," Northam stated, but:
- Capacity limits for social gatherings will increase from 10 to 50 people indoors and from 25 to 100 people outdoors.
- The number of spectators permitted at indoor recreational sporting events will increase from 25 to 100 people per field or 30% capacity, whichever is less. For outdoor settings, the limit will increase from 250 to 500 people per field or 30% capacity, whichever is less.
- All entertainment venues must continue to operate at 30% capacity. Indoor venues will have a 500-person cap.
"Even with these limited capacity increases, we must all remember to stay vigilant and keep doing things to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities," Northam emphasized. That includes wearing a mask in public spaces, even if you have already received a vaccine.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 608,000 people in Virginia have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and more than 10,100 people have died from complications and effects of the virus.
In the City of Alexandria and in Fairfax County, diagnosed cases had been on a relatively steady decline since the middle of January and started increasing again just a few days ago — but it may be due to increased testing as people prepare to go on vacation for the upcoming spring break.
Sameday Testing is now open in Alexandria, providing rapid tests for those who are planning to travel.
