On Monday, Governor Northam announced the implementation of Executive Order 53 (EO 53), which can be found here. Effective at midnight on Tuesday, March 24 certain non-essential businesses must close or have restricted operations.  EO 53 places restrictions on the following three categories of businesses:

1. Recreational and entertainment businesses, like bowling alleys and movie theaters, must close;
2. Restaurants and other businesses providing food and beverage services, like breweries and wineries, may only offer takeout and delivery services, as long as they are able to comply with social distancing and hygiene requirements; and
3. Non-essential brick and mortar stores may stay open as long as they restrict their stores to 10 patrons or less, not including staff, and comply with social distancing recommendations.

Professional businesses not listed above must utilize telework as much as possible. Where telework is not feasible, such businesses must adhere to social distancing recommendations, enhanced sanitizing procedures, and apply relevant workplace guidance from state and federal authorities, including CDC, OSHA, and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.

Businesses in violation of this order may be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

The full press release can be found here.

Additional guidance and a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding EO-53 can be found here.

For additional information and resources please visit the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s COVID-19 Resource Center. We encourage all members of the chamber community to utilize this resource to ensure your business and employees have the necessary information to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.