NORFOLK, Va. — With vaccine distribution making good progress in Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam announced the rollback of more COVID-19 restrictions, specifically for entertainment venues and social gatherings.
Starting May 15, indoor and outdoor venues can open their doors to more people and social gathering limits will increase.
Social gathering caps will increase to 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors. Currently, only 50 people are allowed indoors and 100 people outdoors for gatherings.
Indoor entertainment venues can operate at 50% capacity with a numeric cap of 1,000 people. Outdoor venues will follow suit, operating at 50% capacity, with no specific cap.
Indoor and outdoor recreational sporting events are also allowed to operate at 50% capacity. Indoor events can allow 250 spectators and outdoor events can have 1,000 people, but they must operate with either the 50% cap or the numeric cap, whichever is fewer.
As for alcohol sales, restaurants can start selling liquor after midnight and dining rooms don't have to close between midnight and 5 a.m.
On Wednesday, Northam gave the green light to restaurants to open their bar seating back up, but there must be six feet of space between their customers.
More than half of all adults in the state have received at least one COVID-19 shot.