Governor Ralph Northam announced with Executive Order # 65 that most of the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the Roanoke Valley, transitioned into Phase 2 of the Forward Virginia plan on Friday, June 5. The Northern Virginia Region and the City of Richmond continue to remain in Phase 1. Phase 2 could last two-four weeks or longer
Phase II looks like this:
• Continue to stay-at-home for vulnerable populations
• No social gatherings of more than 50 individuals
• Continued social distancing and teleworking
• Face coverings required inside public indoor spaces
Restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, and tasting rooms may operate delivery, take-out, and indoor and outdoor dining and beverage services, provided:
- Occupancy may not exceed the 50 percent of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy, if applicable.
- All parties, whether seated together or across multiple tables, must be limited to 50 patrons or less.
- Tables at which dining parties are seated must be positioned six feet apart from other tables.
- No self-service of food (except beverages), including condiments. Condiments should be dispensed by employees upon the request of a customer. Buffets must be staffed by servers. Use self-service beverage equipment designed to dispense by a contamination-free method.
Brick and mortar retail businesses may continue to operate. Occupancy must be limited to no more than 50 percent of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy.
Fitness centers, gymnasiums, recreation centers, sports facilities, and exercise facilities may reopen for indoor and outdoor activities, provided such businesses comply with the guidelines, including:
- Patrons, members, and guests must remain at least ten feet apart during all activities.
- Instructors and all participants of group exercise and fitness classes must maintain at least ten feet of physical distancing between each other at all times.
- The total number of attendees (including both participants and instructors) in all group exercise and fitness classes cannot exceed the lesser of 30 percent of the minimum occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy or 50 patrons, members, and guests.
- Hot tubs, spas, splash pads, spray pools, and interactive play features must be closed.
- Outdoor swimming pools may be open for lap swimming only and must be limited to no more than three person per lane with ten feet of physical distance per swimmer.
- Facilities shall prohibit the use of any equipment that cannot be thoroughly disinfected between uses (e.g., climbing rope, exercise bands, etc.).
Personal care and personal grooming services: Beauty salons, barbershops, spas, massage centers, tanning salons, tattoo shops, and any other location where personal care or personal grooming services are performed may continue to operate.
- Occupancy may not exceed 50 percent of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy with at least six feet of physical distancing between work-stations and no more than two appointments per service provider at a time.
- Service providers and employees working in customer-facing areas must wear face coverings over their nose and mouth at all times.
- Provide face coverings for clients or ask that clients bring a face covering with them, which they must wear during the service. Limit services to only those that can be completed without clients removing their face covering.
Campgrounds: privately-owned campgrounds may continue to operate. A minimum of 20 feet must be maintained between units for all lots rented for short-term stays of less than 14 nights (and not owned by individuals).
Indoor shooting ranges may operate. Occupancy must be limited to 50 percent of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy with at least six feet of physical distancing between individuals at all times. Use every other lane to achieve six feet of physical distancing.
All public beaches may remain open to individual and family recreational activity, in addition to exercise and fishing. All such public beaches, with the exception of beaches in the City of Virginia Beach, must:
- Require beachgoers to practice physical distancing of at least six feet between each person unless they are with members of the same household.
- Prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people.
- Prohibit group sports, alcohol, tents, groupings of umbrellas, and other activities and items that attract gatherings.
- Prohibit entertainment and programming that generate gatherings.
- All common areas that encourage gatherings, such as pavilions, gazebos, playsets, and picnic areas must remain closed. This does not apply to fishing piers.
Recreational and Entertainment Businesses: Outdoor performing arts venues, outdoor concert venues, outdoor sports venues, outdoor movie theaters, museums, aquariums, zoos, and botanical gardens may reopen.
- The total number of attendees (including both participants and spectators) cannot exceed the lesser of 50 percent of the occupancy load of the venue or 50 persons.
- Install visible markers for queue lines that separate people by six feet of physical distance.
- Create a guest flow plan of modified queue lines into and within the facility.
Public and private social clubs may reopen, provided such establishments abide by the gathering ban.
Indoor and outdoor recreational sports activities are permitted, provided participants and organizers of recreational sports activities comply with the guidelines:
- Ten feet of physical distance must be maintained by all instructors, participants, and spectators, with the exception of incidental contact or contact between members of the same household. This applies during instruction and practice and during competitive events. Competition that involves close contact with other athletes must be avoided.
- The total number of attendees (including both participants and spectators) of outdoor recreational sports cannot exceed the lesser of 50 percent of the occupancy load of the venue, if applicable, or 50 persons. For sports played on a field, attendees are limited to 50 persons per field.
- The total number of attendees for indoor recreational sports cannot exceed the lesser of 30 percent of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy or 50 persons. For sports played on a field, attendees are limited to 50 persons per field.
- For indoor recreational sports, spectators may not be present except parents, guardians, or caretakers who are supervising children.
Indoor theaters, Indoor performing arts centers, indoor concert venues, and other indoor entertainment centers; Historic horse racing facilities; and Bowling alleys, skating rinks, arcades, amusement parks, trampoline parks, fairs, carnivals, arts and craft facilities, escape rooms, and other places of indoor public amusement remain closed.
All Public and Private In-Person Gatherings of more than 50 individuals, indoor or outdoor, are prohibited other than the gathering of family members living in the same residence. Family members are not required to maintain physical distancing while in their homes.
Individuals may attend religious services limited to no more than 50 percent of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy of the room or facility in which the religious services are conducted.
- Individuals attending religious services must be at least six feet apart when seated. Family members may be seated together.
- Attendees shall not pass items to other attendees, who are not family members, as defined above. Any items used to distribute food or beverages must be disposable, used only once, and discarded.
Institutions of higher education are encouraged to continue remote learning where practical. However, such institutions may offer in-person classes and instruction, including labs and related practical training, provided they comply with all applicable requirements. No institutions of higher education shall hold or host gatherings of more than 50 individuals.
Overnight services of summer camps must remain closed.
Essential retail businesses may remain open during their normal business hours.
