DC loosening some coronavirus restrictions

D.C. loosens some coronavirus restrictions on Monday, allowing some indoor restaurant dining, larger outdoor gatherings and some school sports.

Here are a few of the changes:

  • Starting Monday, March 22, restaurants can open for indoor dining at 25% of capacity or up to 250 people. Diners will not be able to stand at bar areas. The city will reassess capacity in April as well as whether live music can be played at restaurants.
  • Alcohol can now be sold at restaurants from 6 a.m. to midnight.
  • Movie theaters can open up to 25 people or 25%, whichever is lower.
  • Outdoor gatherings of up to 50 people are now allowed, provided people are at a safe distance from each other.
  • Low- to moderate-contact high school and middle school sports can resume.
  • Applications for spring sports can open.
  • City playgrounds will open.
  • Some indoor recreation center programs will resume.
  • Indoor fitness classes can resume with up to 10 people, and outdoor up to 50. Gyms can have up to 25% capacity or up to 250 people, whichever is lower.
  • Businesses can start applying for live-entertainment waivers.
  • Guided tours can start again at museums and galleries.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser last week extended the city’s public health emergency through May 20.

You can see all the new rules on D.C.’s website.


More Coronavirus News

Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.

WTOP’s Rick Massimo contributed to this story.

Colleen Kelleher

Colleen Kelleher is an award-winning journalist who has been with WTOP since 1996. Kelleher joined WTOP as the afternoon radio writer and night and weekend editor and made the move to WTOP.com in 2001. Now she works early mornings as the site's Senior Digital Editor.

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