After more than a year on lockdown, the District of Columbia fully reopened Friday as the remaining coronavirus restrictions were lifted.
Capacity limits at bars, nightclubs, entertainment and sports venues have been lifted, and waivers are no longer required for fans to attend sports events.
Face coverings are still required in schools, child care facilities, health care settings, homeless shelters, correctional facilities and while using public transportation, according to city guidelines. Private businesses also have the authority to require masks for customers and to request to see proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
The nation’s capital confirmed its first coronavirus case on March 7 last year, a reverend at Christ Church Georgetown. The first restrictions — capacity limits for gatherings and dining, no standing allowed at bars and the closing of nightclubs — went into effect a week later.
The latest health department data as of Friday show 312,701 of the city’s more than 705,000 residents are partially or fully vaccinated. All told, there have been some 49,151 total confirmed cases of COVID-19, as well as 1,137 deaths.
