Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday he will implement phase one of his reopening plan on Friday, with a two-week delay of phase one for Northern Virginia.
Under phase one, retailers, places of worship and personal care businesses will be able to reopen with restrictions on the number of customers and requirements on cleaning and personal protective equipment.
The ban on mass gatherings of 10 people or more will still be in place in phase one, and the Democratic governor encouraged Virginians to stay home, telework, wear face masks and practice social distancing.
Mr. Northam was joined by elected officials from Arlington, Prince William, Fairfax and Loudoun counties as well as mayors from Alexandria and Falls Church who expressed their support for delaying phase one in Northern Virginia by two weeks.
Eleven Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) centers will be able to reopen across the state on Monday, except for in Northern Virginia, to perform a handful of select services by appointment only.
Mr. Northam said the DMVs will fulfill requests for original driver’s licenses, original vehicle registrations, disable parking permits and vital records with customers waiting in their cars.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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