NORFOLK, Va. — After several weeks of lower, leveled-out numbers, COVID-19 case counts are ticking up again in the Commonwealth.
The trend comes more than a week after Virginia entered "Phase 3" of reopening and more than a month after Phase 2 started on June 5. Capacity restrictions have essentially been lifted for most businesses under Phase 3, but groups larger than 250 people are not allowed.
Gov. Ralph Northam did not specify plans to roll back Virginia's reopening to Phase 2 Tuesday; doing so would bring back restrictions such as 50 percent capacity inside businesses like restaurants and retail shops and no groups larger than 50 people.
For many businesses, reintroducing those restrictions would be the difference between earning money and taking a loss.