Gov. Ralph Northam announced during his Monday news conference that non-essential business will not reopen on Friday.
Originally, Executive Order 53 was scheduled to expire are 11:59 p.m. on April 23; however, on April 15, the governor extended that two weeks to 11:59 p.m. on May 7.
Now the order has been extended to May 14 at 11:59 p.m.
Northam said Monday he does expect Virginia to enter Phase 1 sometime next week. It’s expected that this phase will last 2-4 weeks, or longer.
Here’s a breakdown of how he described Phase 1:
- No gatherings of more than 10 individuals
- Continued social distancing
- Continued teleworking
- Face coverings recommended in public
- Easing limits on business and faith communities
[Where are Virginia’s coronavirus cases? The health department’s interactive map]
On Monday, Virginia reported a total of 19,492 cases.
[What’s open right now? A list of what’s ‘essential’ vs. ‘non-essential’]
During Friday’s update, Northam announced that he would present new guidelines for the state’s eventual reopening.
Executive Order 55, Virginia’s stay-at-home order, remains in effect until June 10.
Source: WSLS News 10