More Restrictions Could Be Lifted If VA COVID-19 Trends Continue

VIRGINIA — With some COVID-19 measures set to be relaxed May 15, Gov. Ralph Northam plans to completely lift some measures depending on health and vaccination trends.

"This is possible because everyone has been working so hard, and so many people have been getting shots," Northam said in a news conference Thursday. "We need to keep doing that. If our COVID numbers keep trending down and our vaccination numbers keep going up, we plan to lift our mitigation measures, capacity restrictions and social distancing requirements on June 15. We'll continue to evaluate our mask guidance."

The governor's mask mandate was updated to reflect new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for fully vaccinated people. Masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated people when alone or in small groups. Masks will remain required in indoor shared settings as well as crowded outdoor settings.

Clark Mercer, chief of staff for Northam, said an emergency declaration must be in place for masks to be worn in public, even voluntarily, in Virginia. Mercer said the administration is looking to work through that, as the current state of emergency expires on June 30.

The easing of mitigation measures May 15 will affect social gathering sizes, capacity limits and hours for alcohol sales and dining rooms. Starting May 15, the indoor social gathering limit will increase from 50 to 100 people, and the outdoor social gathering limit will increase from 100 to 250 people.

Indoor entertainment and public amusement venues will be allowed to have 50 percent capacity or 1,000 people, up from 30 percent capacity or 500 people. Outdoor venues will have 50 percent capacity with no numeric cap on attendees, up from 30 percent of capacity with no numeric attendee cap.

Indoor recreational sporting events will be allowed to have 250 spectators or 50 percent capacity — the lesser of the two. The current limit is 100 spectators. Outdoor recreational sporting events will be allowed to have 1,000 people or 50 percent of capacity — the lesser of the two. The current limit is 500 people outdoors.

Lastly, restaurants can begin selling alcohol after midnight, and dining rooms will not be required to close between midnight and 5 a.m. Currently, in-person alcohol sales must end at midnight, and dining rooms must be closed between midnight and 5 a.m. These restrictions do not impact delivery and takeout service.

The governor's decision to relax measures comes as Virginia sees COVID-19 cases, percent positivity of tests, hospitalizations and deaths trend down.

"We are seeing a welcome drop in our daily count of COVID cases. For the past two weeks, we've had fewer than a thousand new cases per day in Virginia," said Northam. "Our positivity rate is now at 4.4 percent, and our seven-day average is now lower than it has been since last October, seven months ago. That's a big deal after a hard year, and we should all celebrate that."

As for hospitalizations, the current number of patients with a positive test is 847. Northam said that's the lowest level since last October.

Deaths are also lower after a post-holiday surge.

"Every death is tragic, but this is a hopeful sign as well," the governor said. "We've seen a dramatic drop in COVID deaths in recent weeks."

The other major factor in the governor's decision is the continuing rise in COVID-19 vaccinations. To date, 45.9 percent of Virginia's 8.5 million people have at least one dose, and 33.3 percent are fully vaccinated.

In the 65-and-up age group, Northam said nearly 80 percent have at least one dose and over 50 percent are fully vaccinated. This age group became eligible in January along with adults with underlying health conditions.

For everyone now eligible in Virginia — people 16 and up — 60 percent have had at least one dose. Northam has set 70 to 75 percent of Virginians being vaccinated as a target for herd immunity.

The governor also anticipates the Food and Drug Administration will grant emergency use authorization for vaccine use in children 12 to 15 as early as next week. The state is working with school divisions to encourage vaccinations once that authorization is granted for these additional ages.

For those that haven't gotten a vaccine, the governor said it is widely available in places such as grocery stories, doctor's offices, pharmacies, local health departments and hospitals. The state is also launching new mobile vaccine units next week in coordination with local health districts to reach underserved communities.

Preregistration is no longer required for the vaccine, and numerous locations are offering walk-ins. Residents can type in their address to find vaccination information at vaccinate.virginia.gov or call the state hotline at 877-829-4682 for assistance finding a provider.

Those hesitant to receive the vaccine should talk to their health provider, Northam said.

"If you have questions about vaccines, we'd be glad to answer them," Northam said. "And I'd also encourage you to talk to your provider. They can tell you that while these vaccines may be new, they're built on years of testing, research and experience. We're going to keep reaching out to all of these folks. The bottom line is when you get vaccinated, you protect yourself, you protect your family and everyone around you."

Nevertheless, he encourages the vaccine to avoid getting sick from COVID-19 — and, in some cases, long-lasting effects. The governor and his wife, Pamela, had COVID-19 seven months ago, and he said he still cannot smell or taste. The governor and his wife got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in March.

"The bottom line is that we want everyone who can get vaccinated to get vaccinated. I got a shot, my family got a shot, everyone who works in this building got a shot," said Northam.

The governor doesn't expect to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory on a state level. He noted the process would be lengthy, with input required from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and approval from the Virginia General Assembly.