Governor Updates COVID-19 Executive Order Restrictions, Effective Now And May 15

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

04/27/2021 9:14 PM

On April 23, Governor Ralph Northam announced that sports and entertainment venues in Virginia may begin to operate with expanded capacity, and social gathering limits will increase beginning Saturday, May 15. The announcement comes as vaccinations continue to rise in the Commonwealth, and more than half of all adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. All Virginians age 16 and older are now eligible to for the vaccine.

One set of executive order amendments takes effect immediately, and a second set will be effective May 15.

Executive order changes taking effect immediately:

• Entertainment venues: Bar service can resume as long as groups maintain six feet of distance between them. Distancing requirements for entertainment and public amusement venues, swimming pool seating, graduations, and recreational sporting events changed from 10 feet for spectators to six feet. Musicians are allowed to remove their masks when playing brass and wind instruments, and the prohibition on karaoke has been lifted.
• Recreational sporting events: The maximum size of starting groups in outdoor races and marathons increased from 50 up to no more than 100.
• Educational settings: Guidance for school performances has been defined as capacity of 30 percent, or no more than 500 indoors or 1,000 outdoors. Groups of students, teachers, administrators or other school staff can gather for educational instruction. Other school gatherings, like club meetings and dances, are still required to follow social gathering restrictions.
• Personal care and leisure: The requirement for personal care and personal grooming studios to maintain appointment logs and contact information has been removed, along with the prohibition on splash pads, hot tubs, saunas, etc.

Changes taking effect May 15:

• Social gatherings: The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase to 100 people for indoor settings and 250 people for outdoor settings. (Social gatherings are currently limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.)
• Entertainment venues: Indoor entertainment and public amusement venues will be able to operate at 50 perccent capacity or 1,000 people, up from 30 percent capacity or 500 people. Outdoor venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity, up from 30 percent, with no specific cap on the number of attendees.
• Recreational sporting events: The number of spectators allowed at indoor recreational sporting events will increase from 100 to 250 spectators, or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less. Outdoor recreational sporting events will increase from 500 to 1,000 people, or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less.
• Alcohol sales: Restaurants may return to selling alcohol after midnight, and dining room closures will no longer be required between midnight and 5 a.m.

Click here to read the executive orders.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.