Virginia could lift capacity limits and relax rules for social distancing next month if the rate of coronavirus infections continues to fall in the state, Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday.
The stateās tentative plan is to loosen those restrictions on June 15 and allow businesses such as theaters and yoga studios to operate at full capacity.
[Virginia sees 856 new coronavirus cases, now reporting 664,394 statewide]
Northam said Virginia still needs to evaluate a possible change in the future to its mandate for wearing masks, with the state most likely continuing to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
āBut this is good news,ā the Democratic governor said at a news conference. āAnd itās thanks to the millions of Virginians who have done the right thing for so long.ā
Watch Gov. Northamās fully Thursday news conference below:
The Virginia chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business had called the stateās restrictions āstringent.ā It expressed relief that Northam was āfinallyā planning to lift the rules.
āWe have seen countless other states ease their restrictions and let small businesses re-open for the busy summer months,ā state director Nicole Riley said in a statement. āSmall businesses will be able to rebuild, rehire and continue to support Virginiaās economy.ā
Northam stressed that the state had not yet reached āthe finish lineā and that Virginians still need to take precautions and get vaccinated. He also noted a dip in demand for vaccines in recent weeks.
The average number of doses administered daily was nearly 85,000 in early April compared to a little more than 66,000 in early May, according to the Virginia Department of Healthās website.
A third of the stateās population is fully vaccinated, while 45.9% of Virginians have received at least one dose, according to the website.
Northam, who is a physician, said he hopes that 70% to 75% of the stateās population gets vaccinated to achieve herd immunity and to help fight against the more dangerous coronavirus variants.
āWe know there are a variety of reasons why someone who is eligible hasnāt been vaccinated yet,ā Northam said. āSome people may not know that theyāre eligible. I want to be clear: The only eligibility requirement now is that youāre 16 or older. And soon that will probably be 12 or older.ā
Virginiaās community vaccination clinics are now welcoming people who walk in without an appointment - as are many pharmacies, the governor said. The state will launch new mobile vaccine units next week that will focus on underserved areas.
Meanwhile, the numbers for new cases, hospitalizations and deaths are decreasing, Northam said. For instance, daily reported cases peaked at nearly 10,000 in mid-January compared to the 842 cases reported on Wednesday.
The downward trend preceded the stateās announcement last month that it will loosen some coronavirus-related restrictions starting May 15.
Under the new guidelines, the maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase to 100 people for indoor settings and 250 people for outdoor settings - up from 50 and 100, respectively.
Indoor entertainment and public amusement venues will be able to operate at 50% capacity, or 1,000 people, up from 30% capacity, or 500 people. Restaurants also will be allowed to return to selling alcohol after midnight.