NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam updated Executive Order 72 - a temporary order that handles mask rules, business limitations and social gathering guidelines for the pandemic - on Thursday.
Starting immediately, up to 1,000 people can gather for outdoor recreational sports. That means family members who want to attend their high schoolers' final spring games should be able to.
Also immediately, Virginia will match the CDC's new guidance that fully vaccinated people don't have to wear masks outdoors "when alone or in small gatherings."
Virginians will still have to wear masks while indoors, and at outdoor events where crowds are likely (think concerts and graduations).
Northam pointed to the commonwealth's progress in giving out COVID-19 vaccinations as the lynchpin for easing the rules.
“The CDC’s recommendations underscore what we have said all along —vaccinations are the way we will put this pandemic behind us and get back to normal life,” Northam wrote. “Our increasing vaccination rate and decreasing number of new COVID-19 cases has made it possible to ease mitigation measures in a thoughtful and measured manner.”
The governor's office said the next rollbacks of COVID-19 guidelines will happen on May 15, and more updates could be coming this summer.
"He expects to be able to roll back the remaining capacity limits in mid-June as long as the Commonwealth’s health metrics remain stable and vaccination progress continues," the release said.