No crowding the bars; governor urges caution

July 05, 2020

Virginia is not ready for crowds jamming into drinking establishments and failing to maintain physical distance, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday.

According to a press release, the governor will keep in place a prohibition on bar seating and crowds congregating in bars and restaurants with bar areas as Virginia moves into phase three of reopening.

Restaurants may use non-bar seating in the bar area as long as tables are separated by at least six feet.

“In Virginia, our hospitalization rates have fallen, our percentage of positive tests continues to trend downward, and we are conducting more than 10,000 tests each day,” Northam said. “We want these trends to continue, but if our public health metrics begin moving in the wrong direction, I will not hesitate to take action to protect the health and safety of our communities.”