West Virginia restaurants, bars can open full capacity at midnight

(The Center Square) – Restaurants and bars in West Virginia will be able to open at full capacity as long as social distancing between groups can be maintained beginning at midnight, Gov. Jim Justice decided Friday.

Before the new executive order, restaurants and bars had to operate at 75% capacity. However, the requirement that groups must still be 6 feet apart will cause most of these establishments to operate at less than 100% capacity. No standing room will be allowed and businesses must still follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.

The executive order also increases the social gathering limit from 75 people to 100 people. This limit only applies to social gatherings; other forms of gatherings, such as religious services and weddings, are regulated more loosely. Social gatherings will still be subject to social distancing guidelines and face mask requirements.

Under the governor’s order, all youth travel sports will be allowed to take place unless the county is designated as “red” in the Department of Health and Human Services’ County Alert System map. The restrictions on red counties does not apply to teams playing in defined and small geographic areas, such those within one county or within a few counties in the state.

All of these changes are effective at midnight tonight.

The face mask mandate will remain in effect.

“We do continue to expect you to wear these masks,” Justice said. “You know, I’m not a fan of the masks either. But, at the same time, we know they’ve saved a lot of lives, and we know we’re too early in the game to let our guard down.”

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