GOV. JUSTICE ISSUES CROWD SIZE RESTRICTIONS

(07/14/2020)
Gov. Jim Justice announced statewide restrictions on crowd size as concerns about the rise of coronavirus continue, but the governor's office later clarified that the tighter limits apply to only social gatherings and not those deemed "essential."

Justice said at a news conference on Monday that he was lowering the crowd size from 100 to 25, but there was some confusion about what the tighter restrictions would cover.

Later, the governor’s office sent out a news release saying the 25-person limitation applies only to purely social gatherings. It does not apply to any activity, business, or entity that has been deemed essential, such as religious services, weddings, or group meetings, conferences, or other special events held for essential businesses and operations. The governor’s office said such meetings, conferences, or other special events will need to plan for social distancing between attendees based on CDC recommendations.

Gov. Justice announced that the same executive order also closes all fairs, festivals, and similar events, and prohibits both indoor and outdoor concerts statewide.