COVID-19 Updates for Food Establishments

Department Resources

Phase 3 Reopening Guidelines

On December 14, 2020, Governor Northam announced other statewide measures in Executive Order 72 to try to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Virginia.

On January 27, 2021, Governor Northam extended Executive Order 72 until February 28, 2021:

A summary of some key points from the Updated Phase Three Guidelines are as follows:

Employees must wear face coverings over their nose and mouth while working at their place of employment.
Patrons must wear face coverings, except while eating or drinking.
No capacity limits to indoor and outdoor seating as long as six feet distancing is maintained.
All public and private in-person gatherings must be limited to 10 patrons or less.
No alcoholic beverage shall be sold, consumed, or possessed on premises after 10 p.m. in any restaurant, dining establishment, food court, brewery, microbrewery, distillery, winery, or tasting room.
Alcoholic beverages may continue to be sold via delivery or take-out after 10 p.m., as permitted by existing regulations promulgated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.
Closure of all dining and congregation areas in restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, and tasting rooms between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 5 a.m.
Restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, and tasting rooms may continue to offer delivery and take-out services between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 5 a.m.
Bar seats and congregating areas of restaurants continue to be closed to patrons except for through-traffic.
All individuals in the Commonwealth ages five and over shall wear face coverings in indoor public spaces. (E.O. 63-Amended)
Individuals are required to wear masks in outdoor areas where social distancing isn’t possible as well as all indoor areas shared with others besides when you’re in your own household.
Enforcements will continue at restaurants and bars.

See the Updated Phase Three Guidelines.

Additional Information

See the Phase 3 FAQ page on the Governor's Forward Virginia website.
To file an online complaint related to Executive Order 72 related only to masks and distancing requirements in certain business sectors, click here.
For more information about Executive Orders issued by Governor Northam related to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.