As cases of the coronavirus continue to fall in D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said the District will begin Phase Two of reopening on Monday.
Bowser wrote on Twitter Friday that D.C. officials made the decision following 15 days of a sustained decrease in community spread of COVID-19 during Phase One, which began May 29. The new regulations permit indoor dining and nonessential retail at half capacity and an increase in the limit of mass gatherings from 10 to 50 people.
The regulations also allow places of worship to host services with up to 100 worshippers if they can remain under 50 percent capacity, according to the D.C. government’s coronavirus response website.
Museums and the National Zoo may reopen during Phase Two with social distancing and capacity restrictions, the website states. The International Spy Museum and the Museum of the Bible announced they will reopen Monday, but the Smithsonian Institution has not announced reopening dates for its museums located throughout the District.
Bowser’s order also allows yoga and dance studios, gyms and health clubs – including those in apartment complexes and hotels – to reopen with capacity limits of five people per thousand square feet, the website states. Hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms must remain closed during Phase Two, according to the website.
During Phase Two, colleges and universities in D.C. may reopen once the D.C. Department of Health and Office of Planning approves the institution’s plan, the website states. Officials submitted their fall plan to the District Monday, seeking approval to resume in-person classes in August while implementing extensive social distancing and mitigation measures.