Loudoun Prepares Residents For Phase 3 Of VA's Reopening Plan

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — With phase three of Virginia's reopening plan scheduled to start Wednesday, Loudoun County officials are preparing residents for what to expect. The county government is still encouraging residents to visit the county’s website to conduct business online and to view any impacts to in-person services prior to visiting a county facility.

Under phase three, all Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services facilities, except adult day centers, will be open with physical distancing and program restrictions or modifications in place. All branches of the Loudoun County Public Library are now open with physical distancing measures in place and some limitations on services.

Phase three of Gov. Ralph Northam's Forward Virginia reopening plan is the next step in gradually easing public health restrictions that are designed to slow the spread of coronavirus.

“I urge everyone to continue taking steps to protect themselves and others, including wearing face coverings, staying 6 feet apart from others, staying home when sick and washing hands frequently,” Loudoun County Health Director Dr. David Goodfriend said Monday in a statement. “These infection control measures have helped get us to phase three, but we should not forget that the potential for exposure to COVID-19 is still here.”

While phase three of the reopening plan lifts capacity limits on non-essential retail establishments as well as restaurants, breweries, wineries and other beverage services, physical distancing is still required, as are face coverings in most indoor spaces under the governor's Executive Order 63.

The highlights of phase three are:

• Increasing the number of people allowed to gather in groups of up to 250 people; the restrictions do not apply to people performing functions of their employment.
• Allowing restaurants, breweries, wineries, etc., to offer indoor service in accordance with a number of guidelines, including seating patrons six feet apart.
• Allowing brick and mortar retail stores and personal grooming businesses to operate with a number of guidelines, including physical distancing.
• Allowing fitness centers, gymnasiums, etc., to operate in accordance with a number of guidelines, including keeping patrons at least ten feet apart, following mandatory cleaning and disinfection practices and limiting the total number of attendees to 75 percent of the facility’s occupancy capacity.
• Allowing outdoor and indoor swimming pools to open at 75 percent capacity in accordance with a number of guidelines, including physical distancing.
• Allowing people to attend religious services in accordance with a number of guidelines, including seating attendees six feet apart (except for family members), and disinfecting frequently-contacted surfaces before and after religious services.
• Allowing entertainment venues, such as, bowling alleys, movie theaters, performing arts centers, museums, etc., to reopen at 50 percent of the facility’s occupancy capacity, up to 1,000 people.
• Allowing child care facilities to open.
• Allowing indoor and outdoor recreational sports to take place with ten feet of physical distance between all instructors, participants, and spectators, where practicable; and with some attendance limitations.

“I recommend that those who are most vulnerable, including older adults and anyone with an underlying health condition, remain extra cautious while in public,” Goodfriend said.

Loudoun County and the rest of Northern Virginia entered phase one of the governor's reopening plan on May 29 and phase two on June 12.