Virginia Mask Mandate Tweaked By Governor

VIRGINIA — Following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on mask wearing for fully vaccinated people, Gov. Ralph Northam announced a change to the statewide mask mandate Thursday.

The amended executive order follows CDC guidance that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask outdoors when alone or in small gatherings. Masks remain required in shared indoors settings as well as outdoors at large crowded events such as concerts, sporting events or graduation ceremonies.

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine or two weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The mask mandate only applies to people ages 5 and up.

"The CDC’s recommendations underscore what we have said all along—vaccinations are the way we will put this pandemic behind us and get back to normal life," said Northam in a statement. "Our increasing vaccination rate and decreasing number of new COVID-19 cases has made it possible to ease mitigation measures in a thoughtful and measured manner."

The governor also altered guidelines for outdoor recreational sports. Effective immediately, 1,000 spectators are allowed outdoor recreational sports. The change was originally scheduled to take effect on May 15. The governor's office said the increase for recreational sports spectators comes in time for the high school sports season's final games and the summer sports season.

Other guidelines being eased on May 15 impact social gathering sizes, capacity limits at entertainment venues, alcohol sales beyond midnight, and dining room hours past midnight. Northam expects to ease remaining capacity limits in mid-June if Virginia's health metrics remain stable and vaccination progress continues.

"I encourage all Virginians who have not yet received the vaccine to make an appointment today," said Northam.

Virginia's COVID-19 health metrics remain stable or trending down. Daily cases are averaging in the 1,000s statewide while the positive average of tests is just below 5 percent. As of Thursday, 43.9 percent of Virginians are at least partially vaccinated, and 29.9 percent are fully vaccinated.