Governor Ralph Northam ended all of Virginia;s COVID-19-related social distancing and capacity restrictions on Friday, two weeks earlier than planned and two weeks after Virginia’s mask mandate ended. Northam tweeted that “commonsense mitigation measures have kept Virginians safe over the last 15 months, and with COVID-19 vaccines now widely available, it is time to begin the new normal”. Northam made the announcement during an appearance with President Joe Biden.