UPDATE: Northam says Virginia to slowly lift restrictions put in place as COVID vaccinations increase

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced a reduction of mitigation steps put in place at the height of the COVID pandemic as cases continue to go down and the number of people vaccinated increases.

Beginning Monday, alcohol sales in restaurants will be extended until midnight, thus ending a late-night curfew put in place near the holidays.
Northam also announced restrictions on outdoor gatherings will be eased with social gatherings now increased from 10 to 25 and outdoor entertainment and public amusement venues can now increase their crowds by 30 percent with a cap of 1,000 people.

Northam says the lifting of restrictions must be done slowly and thoughtfully due to COVID variants now being seen in the Commonwealth.

“…We do not want to risk our progress by easing restrictions too quickly,” the governor said.

Also announced during Northam’s media briefing Wednesday was that Food City will be among pharmacy chains in Virginia that will help administer COVID-19 vaccine doses as part of the federal retail pharmacy program.

Northam announced that Food City would join the likes of other regional and national chains like Walgreens, Walmart, and Safeway who will receive a federal allotment of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Food City had previously announced plans in November to administer shots of the vaccine through a partnership with the Department of Health & Human Services once doses were available to the general public.

(IMAGE: Associated Press)