FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Northern Virginia reaches next phase of reopening, allowing indoor dining as coronavirus cases drop

Northern Virginia reaches next phase of reopening, allowing indoor dining as coronavirus cases drop

On Friday, as weeks of social isolation eased a bit in northern Virginia and life took another small step toward normalcy, Mehmet Coskun stood in his cafe, East West Coffee and Wine, and counted maybe 15 patrons seated inside.

"Look at the crowd!" he declared, smiling.

East West, near the Clarendon Metro station in Arlington, has enough space indoors for about 60 customers, Coskun said. It was noon on the first day of Phase 2 in Northern Virginia's pandemic shutdown recovery, with eateries allowed to open for indoor service at up to 50 percent capacity. 

Although there was room for more people in East West, Coskun, 35, sounded thrilled.

"We literally have an 80% increase in sales right now," he said. "Eighty percent! Just from people coming in." 

Since the May 29 start of Phase 1, East West has been open for outdoor seating. "They had to be out in the heat. Who wants that? Now you can sit in here, in the air conditioning."

He motioned to "the crowd" and said, "Makes a big difference!"

Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, announced Tuesday that northern Virginia and Richmond would move to the next phase of shutdown recovery starting Friday, with data showing the spread of novel coronavirus was slowing in those areas.

The looser restrictions include opening restaurants for indoor dining at half capacity and allowing gyms and fitness centers to reopen indoors at 30% capacity. Most of Virginia entered Phase 2 earlier this month, but northern Virginia and Richmond were granted delays because they had been hit harder by the pandemic.

In East West, Julie Marner, 24, was at a table with a laptop in front her. Asked if she was happy to be working inside a coffee shop - not cooped up at home or sweltering outdoors - she stopped typing and laughed.

"Are you kidding me?"

She had a power outlet. It was comfortably cool. The sun wasn't baking her computer screen. There were people around, and iced lattes.

"It's been so long, it's like a whole new world," she said.

Yet there were reminders that life is still a long way from what it used to be.

In Old Town Alexandria, Coleen Bowman, 48, and Chili Lindsay, 58, were sitting outside Chadwicks Restaurant drinking mimosas. Although Chadwicks was open inside for the first time in three months, customers were required to wear masks.

"I didn't even think to bring a mask," Bowman said.

"Once you go through all of this and finally get back to normal, you never want to go backwards again," Lindsay added.

A few feet away, Sarah Martinez, 40, and Jill Cooper, 44, were celebrating as they picked up burgers and fries for their kids to eat in a park. The two had decided to let their children ride bikes and picnic together now that northern Virginia had taken another baby step away from social isolation.

"It seems like eating inside with masks on would be so difficult," Cooper said.

Chadwicks' owner, Trae Lamond, 39, paced in the restaurant, watching where his customers would decide to sit. He had removed 14 tables from the front of the restaurant, leaving just four tables spaced six feet apart. Caution tape swung between every other booth, and signs encouraged masks and social distancing.

A few weeks ago, Lamond said, he would have been worried at the thought of seating customers indoors. But as northern Virginia inched toward Phase 2, he felt more confident that he could keep his staff and customers safe. 

"I used to feel icky every time I went out, but now I feel ready and a little bit of pride," he said. "My crew muscled through a pretty tough situation, and here we are. We have waited months for this moment to happen."

Also on Friday, Maryland expanded what is allowed under its second phase of reopening to include lifting restrictions on indoor dining and outdoor amusement activities. The changes include increased capacity at pools, while miniature golf courses, amusement parks and go-cart tracks can open.

The changes won't take effect in Montgomery or Prince George's counties. Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has empowered local leaders to open more slowly - a path that the harder-hit Washington suburbs have chosen to follow.

Prince George's County is moving to a second phase of reopening Monday, when restaurants can offer dine-in service and swimming pools can open, both with restrictions. Montgomery County leaders say the state's most populous jurisdictions will likely enter the second phase of reopening next week, but haven't given a date.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has said June 19 is the earliest the District would enter the second phase of reopening. The District, Maryland and Virginia on Friday reported 1,045 new coronavirus cases and 43 deaths. 

As northern Virginia joined the rest of the state in Phase 2, Virginia's coronavirus metrics continued to follow a downward trend.

State health department figures show the seven-day average number of covid-19 cases, the illness caused by the coronavirus, dropped to 306 on Friday, down from 685 two weeks earlier. Virus-related hospitalizations in Virginia stood at 419 after reaching about 773 a month earlier. The rate of coronavirus tests that are positive dropped to 8%.

Northern Virginia's share of the state's coronavirus cases has tumbled in recent weeks. One month ago, the region accounted for about 60% of the state's cases - a number that now stands near 40%.

At East West, which had been open for about four months before the shutdown began in March, Coskun said he survived the spring by staying open for take out, deferring rent payments for three months in a deal with his landlord, furloughing most of his employees and using federal relief money to pay the workers who remained.

He said he looks forward to eventually bringing back all of his laid-off workers, and Friday's uptick in business gives him confidence.

"It makes me feel good," he said. "It makes me hopeful, right? All we want to do is hope. Hope for better. I always believe in that hope."

 

 

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