Virginia Reopening Starts Friday, NoVA Leaders Speak On Delay

VIRGINIA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam confirmed Wednesday the first reopening phase will start for much of the Commonwealth on Friday, May 15. Northern Virginia will remain in what he calls "phase zero" with a two-week delay before some coronavirus-related restrictions will be eased.

"Phase one represents a small step forward, but we will remain vigilant," said Northam at a Wednesday news conference. "We will continue to monitor health data closely. I again want to remind all Virginians this virus has not gone away, and everyone needs to act accordingly."

The phase one reopening modifies the March 23 executive order that closed certain recreational and entertainment businesses and limited restaurants to takeout and delivery, as well as the March 30 stay-at-home order. The stay-at-home order becomes "safer-at-home" guidance, meaning residents are safer at home unless they need to go out.

Gatherings of more than 10 people remain banned. Northam urged residents to continue maintaining 6 feet of distance from others outside their household and wearing face coverings in public. Telework is encouraged when feasible. Northam allowed elective surgeries and non-emergency dental procedures to resume on May 1 across the state.

The phase one delay applies to nine of Virginia's 133 jurisdictions: Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park. These localities collectively have a population around 2.5 million, compared to the state's 8.5 million, but state officials see a trend of Northern Virginia accounting for a large portion of new cases.

For example, Northam reported Monday there were over 700 new cases in the Northern Virginia region and about 270 new cases in other areas. The potential start of phase one for Northern Virginia is Friday, May 29.

Northam said he would consider a delay for localities where officials do not feel prepared for looser restrictions. To date, the governor's office only heard this concern from Northern Virginia region. Leaders in Alexandria and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William had sent a letter to Northam with the delay request last weekend.

Northern Virginia leaders spoke through virtual means about the region's reopening delay. Jeff McKay, board chairman of Virginia's most populous jurisdiction of Fairfax County, noted the importance of coordinating with neighboring Maryland and the District of Columbia. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser extended a stay-at-home order through June 8, while Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will discuss phase one of reopening at a Wednesday evening news conference. Northam said he has frequent communication with Bowser and Hogan.

"It's important that there not be huge variations in the rollout of phases as we move forward so we don't confuse our business owners, confuse our residents and confuse our houses of worship," said McKay. "As we know, this virus doesn't know jurisdictional boundaries, and so we must remain a coordinated metropolitan Washington as we move forward to protect our residents."

Phyllis Randall, chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, said leaders requested a delay by region rather than on a local basis due to its interconnectivity. In her own county, she acknowledged that small businesses are struggling and said reopening will happen once it's safe. She says Northern Virginia doesn't need different rules for the reopening, just a different timeline.

"Loudoun, I realize our small businesses are suffering. We are looking forward to when we can safely move to phase one as determined by our health directors," said Randall.

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As restrictions start to ease in Virginia, Northam is confident the commonwealth is prepared should a surge of cases occur at a later time.

"Speaking on behalf of not only Virginia, but this country, we were caught flat-footed by this pandemic," said Northam. "We weren't ready. We didn't have the testing capability, we didn't have the [personal protective equipment] and we've learned a significant lesson. I know we have here in Virginia, and so we'll be ready if there are increased cases this month, increased cases this fall or next year. We're planning ahead for that."

Tracking contacts of coronavirus cases and ramping up testing are among the commonwealth's focuses moving into the first phase. Hiring is underway for 1,000 contact tracers, 200 case investigators, 70 data manager positions, 10 testing coordinator positions, 10 contact tracing supervisor positions and five COVID-19 analytics coordinator positions.

According to State Health Commissioner Norm Oliver, the Virginia Department of Health is processing around 3,000 applications. Just over 600 contact tracers are on staff, and Oliver said the goal is to hire around 1,300 contact tracers. That's based on a goal of having 15 to 30 contact tracers per 100,000 people.

With outbreaks particularly hitting long-term care facilities hard, Northam said "we are committed to testing all" of Virginia's approximately 260 long-term care facilities. According to Wednesday data, 164 of Virginia's 278 coronavirus outbreaks are in long-term care facilities, accosting for 3,802 cases and 545 of the state's 927 reported deaths. The governor said the testing response will be ongoing, and retesting may be warranted at some facilities.

What Phase One Reopening Will Look Like

The Forward Virginia guidelines for phase one allow outdoor dining, nonessential brick-and-mortar retail at 50 percent capacity and other requirements. Outdoor farmers markets may allow on-site shopping if physical distancing is practiced. Personal care and grooming businesses must run by appointment only and follow other guidelines.

Entertainment and public amusement businesses must be closed in phase one. Fitness and exercise facilities remain closed, although outdoor services can be offered with restrictions. Outdoor swimming pools can be open for lap swimming only with one person in each lane; and indoor pools must remain closed. Hot tubs, spas, splash pads, spray pools, interactive play features, basketball courts, racquetball courts, and all seating in pool areas must be closed.

Beaches remain closed to all activities except exercise and fishing. Private campgrounds may open with restrictions, but overnight summer camps remain closed.

Northam has said he hopes phase one lasts two to three weeks. Any future decisions on restrictions depend on the same metric's used for phase one: trends of positive test results and hospitalizations; sufficient hospital beds and intensive care capacity; increasing and sustainable supply of personal protective equipment, and increased testing and contact tracing.

SEE ALSO:

• Coronavirus: NoVA Accounts For 55.8 Percent Of New Cases
• Northam Executive Order Allows NoVA To Delay Phase 1 Reopening