Hampton Roads residents will be able to attend and host gatherings of no more than 50 people starting Friday, and businesses will get more leeway as the state moves into Phase 2 of reopening, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday.
Restaurants will be allowed to have indoor dining at half of their seating capacity, and pools will be able to open with some restrictions, he said. Indoor gyms will be allowed to operate at 30% capacity.
Museums, zoos and botanical gardens can reopen with some restrictions, too. Still, Northam said, Virginians are “safer at home.”
The majority of the state has been in Phase 1 for nearly three weeks.
“Our health data continues to look good,” Northam said at his press conference in Richmond.
Tuesday’s news was welcome to some local restaurant owners, including David Edelen, co-owner at Eurasia Cafe and the Atlantic on Pacific restaurants at Virginia Beach.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Edelen said. “I was surprised. I mean, if we’re allowed to keep our patio and do indoor at 50%, we can make a run at it — be profitable.”
Northam said officials have worked “continuously” to ensure hospitals have the personal protective equipment they need to keep their employees safe.
The state’s hospital bed capacity has remained steady, and statewide, the percentage of people hospitalized with positive or pending COVID-19 tests has slightly declined, Northam said.
“Our health data metrics show that testing is increasing, and the percent of tests that are positive continues to trend downward,” he said. “In fact, for Virginia, excluding the northern region, the percent of tests that are positive has shown a generally downward trajectory to around 10%.”
Based on the data, Northam said, he feels comfortable allowing most of the state to move into the next phase.
Northern Virginia and Richmond, he said, will remain in Phase 1. Accomack County is still under the original restrictions, what Northam called Phase 0, because of its high number of cases, driven by outbreaks among poultry plant workers. But things are looking up there, as well.
“Thanks to rigorous testing, we believe we have that outbreak well under control,” Northam said. “Accomack may move into Phase 2 as the rest of Virginia does.”
Unlike the governor’s earlier orders in response to the pandemic, this one has no expiration date, making it indefinite.
Gold Key CEO Bruce Thompson called the news about phase 2 “wonderful.” His company operates hotels in Virginia Beach and Norfolk including the Cavalier, the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront, and the Main. But he’s also eager to move on to the next phase.
“While offering some relief, restaurants cannot survive in 50% seating. Rent, utilities, fixed management costs and insurance are based on building occupancy,” he said.
Not all of restaurants are rushing to reopen, however. At Alkaline restaurant in Norfolk, owner Kevin Ordonez says he has no immediate plans to do so.
“It doesn’t affect my decision to keep my dining room closed,” said Ordonez, who was among the first to shut down his dining room in March, ahead of the governor’s executive order.
Ordonez says his main concern is safety, and on that subject he’ll trust doctors he knows at local hospitals.
“I don’t want to say for certain I won’t open, though,” said Ordonez. “We’ve been closed for months. The bills won’t wait forever.”
Gov. Northam said he still strongly encourages teleworking, masks and social distancing.
There will be more details on Thursday, but information will be posted online Tuesday evening.
Saleen Martin, 757-446-2027, saleen.martin@pilotonline.com
Matthew Korfhage, 757-446-2318, matthew.korfhage@pilotonline.com
