US: Virginia to loosen COVID-19 restrictions April 1

ANKARA

The US state of Virginia will start loosening coronavirus restrictions beginning April 1, Governor Ralph Northam announced on Tuesday.

There will be limited changes to guidelines, while restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings will be rolled back, he said at a news conference.

"Social gatherings may have up to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors,” he said. “Entertainment venues will be able to operate at 30% of capacity with up to 500 people indoors, outdoor venues can have up to 30%."

The number of spectators allowed for outdoor recreational sports will increase to 500, limited to 30% capacity, while indoor recreation will be capped at 100, he added.

Northam stressed that individuals will be required to continue wearing face masks and they should follow guidelines and safety protocols.

The state of Virginia has so far seen 10,141 deaths caused by COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

While the US has seen more than 543,000 coronavirus-related deaths, the number of cases in about a year has totaled almost 30 million.