D.C. To Ease COVID Restrictions, Allow 5K Fans At Nats Park

WASHINGTON, DC — The District of Columbia will be loosening several COVID-19 restrictions starting March 22, including limits on outdoor gatherings, restaurant alcohol sales, indoor dining and sports, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday at a news conference.

The mayor also said the city is likely to approve the Washington Nationals' request — as early as Monday — to allow 5,000 fans into Nationals Park when the baseball season begins on April 1.

Indoor dining capacity will be increased to 25 percent or up to 250 people as part of the new rules. Tables must be six feet apart and customers will not be permitted to stand at the bar. Restaurants will be allowed to sell alcohol until midnight as opposed to the current 10 p.m. cutoff.

Outdoor gatherings will be allowed to include up to 50 people if they can socially distance starting March 22. Indoor gatherings must be in accordance with DC Health and guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The city will look at lifting additional restrictions later in the spring and summer as long as the positive case counts and hospitalizations continue to decline, Bowser said. But for now, the city must still focus on containing the spread of the coronavirus, she said.

“We have not crushed the virus in this city or this nation, and we have to be mindful of that,” Bowser said. “We can’t go back to normal because this virus is still circulating in our city, people are still getting sick and going to the hospital, and people are still dying.”

Movie theaters in the District will be allowed to reopen with a maximum capacity of 25 percent or 25 people, whichever comes first. Indoor fitness classes can resume with up to 10 people.

The city’s pro sports teams can apply for a waiver to allow fans in their stadiums and arenas. Along with allowing 5,000 fans into Nats Park on opening day, Bowser said the city is likely to permit 2,000 fans to attend DC United games at Audi Field.

Live entertainment venues are now allowed to submit applications to reopen. While museums and art galleries have already opened for individuals, guided tours can now resume at museums, Bowser said.