Executive Order Amended to Ease Certain Restrictions Due to COVID-19

The Office of the Governor has released an amendment to ease some restrictions due to COVID-19

Details concerning "Entertainment" businesses of which museums, historic sites, and galleries fall, is listed below.

Read the full document for complete details.

AMENDED NUMBER SIXTY-SEVEN (2020) AND ORDER OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY SEVEN
PHASE THREE FURTHER EASING OF CERTAIN TEMPORARY RESTRICTIONS DUE TO NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

On June 2, 2020, Executive Order 65 and Order of Public Health Emergency Six
implemented Phase Two, continuing to ease business, gathering, and traveling restrictions
originally imposed by Executive Order 53 and Executive Order 55 issued in March of 2020.
Executive Order 67 and Order of Public Health Emergency Seven issued on June 30, 2020
moved the Commonwealth into Phase Three. Subsequently, the public health metrics
showed positive trends for the majority of the Commonwealth. Concerning trends in the
cities of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton,
Williamsburg, Newport News, Poquoson, James City County, and York County (Eastern
Region) necessitated additional business and gathering restrictions as set out in Amended
Executive Order 68 and Order of Public Health Emergency Eight, which was issued on
August 3, 2020. Virginia continues to make progress. And as we continue to learn more
about the COVID-19 virus, it is appropriate to modify certain targeted Phase Three
business restrictions.

11. Entertainment and Amusement Businesses
Performing arts venues, concert venues, sports venues, movie theaters, museums,
aquariums, zoos, fairs, carnivals, amusement parks, public and private social clubs,
botanical gardens, entertainment centers, historic horse racing facilities, bowling alleys,
skating rinks, arcades, trampoline parks, arts and craft facilities, escape rooms, and
other places of indoor public amusement may open provided such businesses comply
with the Guidelines for All Business Sectors and the sector-specific guidelines, which
are expressly incorporated by reference herein.

Such guidance includes, but is not limited to, the following requirements:

a. The total number of attendees (including both participants and spectators)
cannot exceed the lesser of 50% of the lowest occupancy load on the
certificate of occupancy, if applicable, or 1000 persons.
b. All private bookings must comply with section B, paragraph 1.
c. Install visible markers for queue lines that separate people by six feet of
physical distance.
d. Create a guest flow plan of modified queue lines into and within the facility.
Determine areas likely to become bottlenecks or pinch points and adjust
guest flow accordingly.
e. Ten feet of physical distancing is required between parties at all
establishments with physical activity, singing, or cheering; six feet of
physical distancing is required in other venues.
f. If interactive exhibits are in service, post signage to discourage
congregating and encourage the use of hand sanitizer. Provide hand
sanitizer stations around any interactive exhibits. Discontinue any
interactive exhibits that pose a risk for children to place items in their
mouths.
g. Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of high contact areas and hard
surfaces, including check out stations and payment pads, store entrance
push/pull pads, door knobs/handles, dining tables/chairs, light switches,
handrails, restrooms, guest lockers, floors, and equipment.
h. Where possible, install plexiglass barriers in front of commonly used pointof-sale or guest service stations.
i. Employees working in customer-facing areas are required to wear face
coverings over their nose and mouth at all times.
j. Businesses must promote frequent and thorough hand washing,
including by providing employees, customers, visitors, the general
public, and other persons to the entering into place of employment with
a place to wash their hands. If soap and running water are not
immediately available, provide hand sanitizers.
k. If any such business cannot adhere to these requirements, it must close.