Happy Thanksgiving Virginia
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up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
all public and private in-person gatherings must be limited to 25 individuals. The current cap is 250.
I hope you have a small family for Thanksgiving
Virginia orders new COVID restrictions: Social gathering sizes cut, mask mandate expanded as virus cases rise
Virginia is ordering a sharp reduction in the number of people who can gather and is expanding its mask mandate to young children in response to the latest rises in new COVID-19 cases.
The order from Gov. Ralph Northam, which takes effect at midnight Sunday, says all public and private in-person gatherings must be limited to 25 individuals. The current cap is 250.
This order applies to outdoor and indoor settings. It does not, however, apply to restaurants which have their own distancing and seating restrictions, said Alena Yarmosky, Northam’s press secretary.
All Virginians aged 5 and over must wear face coverings in indoor public spaces. The current mandate, in effect since May 29, requires individuals aged 10 and over to wear face coverings. The new order from Gov. Ralph Northam also says violations of state guidelines for retailers on masks, maintaining distances between customers and staff and enhanced cleaning will be prosecuted as class 1 misdemeanors, which subject offenders to up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
“COVID-19 is surging across the country, and while cases are not rising in Virginia as rapidly as in some other states, I do not intend to wait until they are. We are acting now to prevent this health crisis from getting worse,” Northam said.
“Everyone is tired of this pandemic and restrictions on our lives. I’m tired, and I know you are tired too. But as we saw earlier this year, these mitigation measures work," he added.
In addition, the order bans the on-site sale, consumption, and possession of alcohol after 10 p.m. in any restaurant, dining establishment, food court, brewery, microbrewery, distillery, winery, or tasting room.
It says all restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries and tasting rooms must close by midnight. Virginia law does not distinguish between restaurants and bars, however, under current restrictions, individuals that choose to consume alcohol prior to 10 p.m. must be served as in a restaurant and remain seated at tables 6 feet apart. This extends statewide restrictions put in place for Hampton Roads in July.
Northam said Virginia is averaging 1,500 newly reported COVID-19 cases per day, up from a statewide peak of approximately 1,200 in May.
There is a spike of cases in Southwest Virginia, but all five of the state’s health regions are reporting more than 5% of tests are coming back positive.
Northam said that while hospital capacity remains stable, hospitalizations have increased statewide by more than 35% in the last four weeks.
The new order does not change the state’s guidance for theme parks, Busch Gardens spokeswoman Cindy Sarko said.
“We have been, and will continue to require temperature checks, masks and enforce social distancing while in the park,” she said.
Busch Gardens recently won approval to host up to 4,000 people for each session of the park’s holiday program, Christmas Celebration. It had been limited to 1,000 before.
Eric Hughes, lead pastor of Redeemer Church in Chesapeake, said the Secretary of Commerce and Trade’s office advised that the limit on gathering size did not apply to religious services, but that guidelines on social distancing and cleaning must be followed when more than 25 people gather for worship.
Nicole Riley, Virginia state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, said she is worried that the announcement, coming so late on a Friday afternoon, puts many small businesses in a difficult position as they try to understand the restrictions and prepare to comply by Sunday.
She said the restrictions will be devastating to hard-hit restaurants and event venues that are already struggling to stay afloat as they try to cope with reduced operating hours and customers.
“It could mean permanent closures,” Riley said, adding: “We hope that the threat of criminal charges will be handled in a judicious way by authorities so that those who have acted in good faith aren’t unfairly penalized.”
