DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday that a majority of the city’s COVID-19-related restrictions, including some capacity limits, will be lifted on May 21, after more than a year.
Starting May 21, restaurants, schools, places of worship, libraries, museums, galleries, gyms, fitness centers, pools, childcare centers, recreation centers, non-essential retailers, large sports and entertainment venues, and many other businesses will be able to operate at full capacity.
Weddings, business meetings and seated conventions, private at-home gatherings, and other special events may also be held without capacity restrictions.
Bars and nightclubs will still have to comply with a 50 percent capacity limit until next month.
On June 11, all coronavirus restrictions, including capacity limits, will be lifted for all venues in the District, according to Bowser who spoke at a press conference.
“I am proud of DC residents who have followed health guidance and we see it in the numbers,” said the mayor.
4/ On May 21, most restrictions on public and commercial activity, including capacity limits, types of activities, and time restrictions, will be lifted. On June 11, capacity limits and restrictions will be lifted on those venues that cannot fully reopen on May 21. pic.twitter.com/0EfXScO5NT
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) May 10, 2021
“We will continue to monitor health metrics and take prevention measures,” DC Health in a release.
Fully vaccinated residents are asked to wear a mask and wash their hands, while unvaccinated ones are asked to stay six feet apart, and wash their hands, in addition to wearing a mask.
The DC government’s operating timeline is as follows:
- May 3:
Up to 25 percent return. Where agencies already exceed 25 percent by operational necessity those numbers may remain.
- June 7:
Up to 50 percent return. Executive, Excepted and Management Service employees required in office majority of the week.
- July 12:
All employees required to be set and working in new in-office work schedules.
The District has fully vaccinated over 226,000 people against COVID-19 since December 2020.