Readers Divided On Support For Loosening VA COVID Restrictions

VIRGINIA — Readers are divided on whether COVID-19 restrictions should be loosened in Virginia, although a larger portion support easing restrictions, according to a Patch survey.

Over 900 readers responded to the survey, open from noon Monday, April 19 to noon Friday, April 23. Questions focused on COVID-19 restrictions and how safe readers feel about summer plans such as vacations. The survey is not intended to be a scientific poll but rather give a broad idea of public sentiment.

As the survey opened on Monday, Gov. Ralph Northam said at a Monday news conference he would tweak his COVID-19 restrictions in the coming weeks. The first changes to his executive order came Wednesday, allowing bar seating with six feet of physical distancing, as well as increased allowances for cross-country events and school-based drama performances.

Additional restrictions will be loosened on May 15. Social gathering limits will be increased from 50 to 100 indoors and 100 to 250 outdoors. In addition, entertainment venues and recreational sporting events will have increased capacities, and restaurants can keep dining rooms and alcohol sales open past midnight.

In our survey, 45.7 percent of respondents said restrictions should be loosened, 37.5 percent said they should not, and 16.8 percent were undecided.

When asked what these decisions should be based on, 61.8 percent said both vaccination progress and health metrics. Another 14.5 percent said easing of restrictions should be based on neither, 11.6 percent said just health metrics, and 9.5 percent said vaccination progress. The remainder gave specific metrics such as hospitalizations, while others called for reopening based on personal liberties and other reasons.As for social gatherings, we asked how readers feel about the current limit of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors (the limit will be increased on May 15). A total of 44.5 percent said the current social gathering sizes are sufficient, 40.9 percent said gathering sizes should be higher, and 14.7 percent said gathering sizes should be smaller.

Even as restrictions are loosened in Virginia, the governor said his statewide mask mandate will remain in place. In our survey, 41.5 percent said the mask mandate should continue into the summer, 31.8 percent said it should not, 24.3 percent said it should be based on CDC's recommendation, and 2.5 percent were unsure.

When asked under what conditions readers would support lifting the mask mandate, we received responses about herd immunity, certain percentages of the population being vaccinated, CDC guidance, and health metrics. Others supported lifting the mask mandate with no conditions.

Other questions focused on seasonal activities such as proms, graduations, summer camps and graduations. On the topic of summer camps, 35.1 percent indicated they would feel safe sending children to daytime or overnight summer camps. Another 21.8 percent said they would send children to summer camps, but not overnight ones. There were 22.8 percent who said they would not feel safe sending children to summer camps, and 20.3 percent were undecided.

An overwhelming majority indicated they would feel safe going on vacation. A total of 72.6 percent said they would feel safe vacationing this summer, while 9.9 percent said no and 17.4 percent were undecided.

We also asked readers to check all the vacation destination types they felt were safe. Here are those results:

• In-state and regional destinations: 625 responses (66.8 percent)
• Local day trip destinations: 680 responses (72.7 percent)
• U.S. destinations by car: 723 responses (77.3 percent)
• U.S. destinations by plane: 433 responses (46.3 percent)
• International destinations: 219 responses (23.4 percent)

As the governor's new guidance allows in-person graduations with capacity limits, we asked readers about their support for these in-person milestones. A majority — 74.3 percent — supported in-person graduations, while 12.6 percent did not and 13 percent were undecided.

Responses were more split on proms, with 39.9 percent saying schools should host proms, 39 percent said no and 21.1 percent were undecided.

In the comments section of the survey, some respondents shared thoughts about restrictions and how the progress of vaccinations should affect them.

On one side, some readers expressed concerns about lifting restrictions prematurely.

"We could be in for another outbreak if restrictions are lifted too soon," one reader wrote. "We have been doing this for over a year and statistics are not good, but improving slightly with bursts of outbreaks. Then, we have to consider the percentage of people who refuse the vaccine and all precautions. There are always some and we have to be vigilant of this."

"Restrictions need to stay in place until everyone has had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated," another respondent said. "Guidelines need to be clearer on what is safe for vaccinated people."

Others pointed to vaccinations as a reason to end or loosen restrictions. Multiple people said vaccinated people should have loosened restrictions.

"The vaccines are now available to all Virginians 16 and over," one person wrote. "That should be the end of the restrictions and mandates. If you want to be vaccinated, you are able to be. If you evaluate your own risk factors and decide that you don't want to be, you can do that also."

"Vaccinations should give people more freedom but we should continue wearing masks at this time," another person stated. "I know I feel safer having had the shots."

Some readers in favor of loosening restrictions pointed to states such as Texas and Florida loosening restrictions.

"In my opinion mandates and restrictions are an extremely temporary measure at best," one person wrote. "If densely populated states like Texas and Florida can transition away from these positions and record no measurable delta in COVID data then why would any state continue with these practices? I fear the precedent this situation continues to set."

"Restrictions are lessened, however, we all should be mindful that COVID-19 is still around," another respondent said. "We should use common sense and don't go crazy getting back to the old normal."

Others worried about variants and the potential need for booster shots in the future.

"Fairfax and Virginia Health Depts need to start planning for the next phase of the Covid vaccine boosters due to the rise of the variants," one person said. "That will provide the necessary confidence to ease restrictions down the road. Otherwise we will see another surge and this time affecting younger Virginians."