RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Gov. Ralph Northam said most of the state will start its second phase of reopening on Friday as Virginia’s key health metrics continue to show positive trends amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The governor said Tuesday that restaurants can start serving customers inside, gyms can reopen indoor areas at limited capacity, and museums and zoos can reopen - all with certain restrictions under Phase 2 of reopening. Northam said the number of tests performed and the percent positive of those tested, along with other metrics, are heading in the right direction.
“Based on that data, I feel comfortable allowing most of Virginia to move into Phase 2,” Northam said.
The governor said northern Virginia and Richmond will not enter Phase 2 Friday, as they delayed the first phase of their reopening. Accomack County on the Eastern Shore, which also delayed its reopening, will move ahead.
Under Northam’s new guidelines, restaurants will be able to serve customers indoors, but at 50% capacity. Gyms and fitness centers can offer indoor classes and workouts, but at 30% capacity. Northam said pools can also reopen, but with certain restrictions. Gatherings will be limited to 50 people, instead of 10.
Overnight summer camps, many indoor entertainment venues, amusement parks, fairs, and carnivals are still prohibited from reopening.
The governor urged people to stay at home for work where possible and said they should continue to wear masks in stores and other indoor public spaces.
The Virginia Department of Health on Tuesday reported over 46,200 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, and 1,407 deaths.
Also Tuesday, the governor addressed the protests that have erupted across the nation and around the world over the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for minutes, even after he stopped moving.
“I cannot know how it feels to be an African American person right now or what you are going through,” Northam said. “I cannot know the depth of your pain. But what I can do is stand with you.”
Northam outlined four specific steps he planned to take to address racism and discrimination in Virginia. He described plans for a virtual town hall to discuss criminal justice reform and public safety and said he would be meeting with the board of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.
He also said his administration would work on a statewide day of “prayer, healing and action,” and he said he was asking Virginia’s African American Advisory Board and the Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in Virginia Law to continue their work with a focus on criminal justice and public safety.
Del. Delores McQuinn, who represents the Richmond area in the Virginia House and was among a number of black officials and community and faith leaders who joined Northam in speaking at the news conference, said people across the country are “bruised and broken.”
“We are a nation in crisis. But I am not expecting us to stay here,” McQuinn said. “The expectation is to protest peacefully. After we protest peacefully, then sit at a table where our voices can be heard and where people can dissect and process what we have to say. Let’s get to work to make a difference.”
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