Virginia to begin easing COVID restrictions next week
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| Gov. Northam visits a COVID testing even in Henrico County April 28. |
Virginia could move into the first of a three-phase reopening scenario on May 15, Gov. Ralph Northam announced at a coronavirus briefing on May 4.
Each phase would last about three weeks, depending on whether health data shows a flattening of the curve.
In Phase I, businesses could reopen but would be required to have physical distancing, strict cleaning requirements, and frequent hand-washing breaks for employees.
Some COVID restrictions will be lifted
Phase I calls for continued social distancing and the ban on social gatherings of more than 10 people, continued teleworking, and a recommendation that people continue to use face coverings in public and at work.
The stay-at-home order will be lifted, but the message is “you’ll still be safer at home,” Northam said.
Northam said guidelines will be issued for specific businesses, including restaurants, retail, fitness centers, personal care businesses, and entertainment venues.
While restaurants will be open, seating will be spread out, and employees will have to wear face masks. Patrons at salons will have to make an appointment and new safety measures will be implemented. Gyms will have to limit capacity, as well. Houses of worship also will have to implement social distancing.
“We want businesses to do everything they can to make sure customers feel safe,” Northam said.
Even though some restrictions will be eased, Northam noted the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths is still climbing.
“This virus is still here and it will not go away until we have a vaccination. And that might be at the end of the year or another year or two,” Northam said. Even when some restrictions are relaxed, “we must not relax our vigilance or think the risk has passed, especially for our most vulnerable populations – the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.”
Related story: COVID cases continue to climb in Fairfax County
During Phase II, restrictions on businesses would be eased even more, and social gatherings would be limited to 50 people. Vulnerable populations should still stay at home. Social distancing, teleworking, and face coverings in public would still be recommended.
As long as restaurants are not at full capacity, the policy allowing mixed drinks sold for pickup will remain in effect.
In Phase III, the ban on social gatherings and capacity limits in businesses would be ended. Cleaning and disinfection requirements would still be place, and it would still be safer for vulnerable populations to stay home.
COVID testing ramped up
In determining when the state moves into a new phase, state officials will consider data on new COVID cases, hospitalizations, testing, hospital capacity, and the supply of personal protective equipment.
As of May 4, there were a total of 19,492 COVID cases in Virginia, including 821 in the previous 24 hours. There was a total of 684 deaths, including 24 new ones. A total of 122,788 tests have been conducted.
Testing is being ramped up in Virginia, Northam said. In mid-April, the state tested less than 3,000 people a day. This week, daily testing reached 6,000 people. The goal is 10,000 tests a day.
The state plans to hire 1,000 contact tracers – who will track down people that COVID patients had been in contact with – over the next week or so. “Robust testing and tracing are critical to this entire effort,” Northam said.
“We have been fighting a biological war since early March. We’ve been asked to fight in this war without any weapons” and have had to compete for supplies, Northam said, and Virginia is finally getting the testing and PPE supplies it needs from the federal government.
Uh, I believe our numbers are through the roof still, this feels super early and very dangerous.
Don't be a wimp Bargie.
You can choose the ways and means of your demise.Not everyone else's.
For all of us who need to be productive -by working- to support and protect their family,they still have the right,in this country,to do so.
Meanwhile feel free to curl up and blow away.You also have the right.
Honestly curious. What type of job are you looking forward to getting back to? Sounds like you are not essential or you'd be working now. I can't imagine what business is waiting on the sidelines and will see a surge of customers during Phase I — since it seems like a large majority of folks will continue to quarantine.
How lucky you are 813 to not be among the 70k Americans that died IN TWO MONTHS. Real easy to sit back and say your god given right is to go work when you're not the one dying. Don't be an idiot Bargie.
953 and Bargie,
Your assumptions are unsurprisingly incorrect.
Lucky? Ok.
I do work in an essential industry as an essential employee.You apparently are not.I have been working full time throughout this situation.Business has been steadily improving for several weeks.
My concerns are for friends and family not so fortunate.
If you choose to continue the ruse in order to achieve your agenda
we see you.
So all the dead people are a ruse? Just trying to diagnose your mental disease properly…
You do not have the ability to diagnose anything.
This virus has likely been circulating in our communities for 4 to 5 months at least. Sadly some have died.Some got the sniffles or less.Thankfully I do not know anyone, who knows anyone who has died or even been hospitalized. The mass hysteria – fear mongering media is doing immeasurable direct damage to everyone of us, recovery from which is as unknown as from the virus itself.
Still waiting to hear what about the fact that this virus is very deadly is a “ruse”
a couple of years ago the flu claimed an estimated 61,000 people in the USA during flu season…nothing was shut down…as of now we are at 86,000 for covid 19 deaths in the USA…there are plenty of doctors who have whistleblowed the fact that they are being ordered to call deaths "covid 19" even if they aren't…eye know you want people to say covid 19 is a ruse…that way you can disregard what they are saying…Luc Montagnier, the person who got a nobel prize for his work in HIV says that covid 19 is clearly a man made virus with HIV spliced into it…the hoax about the covid 19 is everything surrounding it…5g grids becoming operational, air pollution, chemtrails, vaccines, blue light toxicity etc but most importantly humans atrocious diet and lifestyle…you know, everything everyone is NOT talking about in regards to this pandemic…om enjoying the lockdown personally but we can't let our citizens go bankrupt and have people buy up our country for dirt cheap…let the sickly people stay home
90% of the people on the trails today were without masks, stupid. I wanted to run them all down with my bike!
wow…threats of violence from the covid 19 zombies…we have the best air quality we have had in eons…if you don't have a weak immune system you would be foolish to be wearing a mask outdoors in public as viruses "love" it when their host isn't getting proper levels of oxygen…eye have yet to wear a mask and eye haven't been sick all year and feel fabulous…om not going to be punished because yaw people don't take care of yourself…and the fact that you are making threats of violence against people who aren't going along with your fear tactics is an example of covid 19 zombie-ism…eye WISH you would try to run me over with your bike, zombie…cee what happens! eye think all these people walking around with masks on looking at people like they want to eat them should be deported…Pastuer admitted on his death bed he was wrong about viruses and germs causing disease…viruses aren't deadly unless you have a weak immune system and eroded cells or unless you encounter a psychopath on the trails who will murder you because you don't believe his flawed plot hole ridden medical theories….and viruses want their host unable to breath, not gettings sunlight, "staying home", eating mucus forming food and watching the artificial sun(TV)
Huh. Who knew? Guys it’s all cool, this guy says bacteria and viruses don’t actually cause diseases. All we need to do is get some sunlight and eat some leafy greens.
43% of our cells are human cells…the other 57% includes bacteria, viruses, fungi and archaea…its funny how eye said "viruses aren't deadly unless you have a weak immune system" but somehow you imagined eye said "viruses don't actually cause diseases"…getting sunlight and eating some leafy greens is a gross oversimplification…but sunlight and fresh air is the first thing one should consider in personal healthcare and fruits and medicinal herbs are the quickest route dietarily speaking to reach the plateau of satisfactory health
el Ra Jewel you need to stop doing your lysol codeine cocktails and laying out in the sun. I think you may have burned up some of your brain cells. You and the orange man must also be golfing too much.
so, the original poster said they wanted to inflict harm or possibly murder people who don't wear masks in a park…a mask that isn't going to protect anyone or do anything except impair breathing which will help viruses thrive…my guess is you are the same type of psycho that the original poster is…and no…the last drug eye did was a tylenol back in 1994…but yes, you should get more sun….it will help with your mental problems
I agree. Although it's not too clear how different things will look in Phase 1 compared to now. I presume many types of buisnesses would choose to stay closed. I certainly wouldn't plan on doing more than I'm doing now. But I'm able to work from home so I consider myself pretty lucky.
We do need to slowly open up. The point of this was not to overwhelm our resources and we seem to have forgotten that. The plans call for most that can work at home to continue to do so. I wish mask wearing in public was mandated.
You're right. The point was never to keep everything shut down till the virus went away. It's time to start opening up slowly but surely.
eye thought these covid 19 zombies were looking at people like they wanted to kill them….now after reading some of these comments eye cee eye was right