Gov. Ralph Northam says that while the number of new coronavirus/COVID-19 cases around Virginia has remained stable, there has been a spike in new cases in the Hampton Roads area.
Northam says he's not considering a roll back of Phase 3 openings yet, but he has asked the Virginia Department of Health to increase enforcement of face covering and social distancing requirements in bars and restaurants not only in Hampton Roads, but around the state.
State Health Commissioner, Dr. Norm Oliver, says that VDH restaurant inspectors will increase their unannounced visits and will look for mask and social distancing violations. Oliver says permits and licenses will be suspended if a restaurant is not in compliance.
The Governor also asks retail businesses to help enforce the face covering mandate, saying that the "no shirt, no shoes, no service" rule they already follow should now be a "no shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service" rule.
Northam says if the number of cases continues to rise, he may consider reducing the current 250-person limit on social gatherings back to 50 people.
The governor says local school systems, as well as colleges and universities, continue to develop their individual plans for reopening in the fall.
More than 900,000 Virginians have applied for unemployment benefits since March and 91% have received their benefits. The VEC has increased its staffing by 550% and has increased the number of calls it handles from 20,000 per week to 60,000 per week.
Northam says that Virginians have done a great job over the past four months to "flatten the curve" and that most people are doing the right thing by wearing face coverings and abiding by social distancing rules, but there is still some non-compliance.
"We can't go back to where we were in March," Northam said.
More on this story from our media partner, ABC 13 - WSET.