D.C. will enter Phase Two of reopening on Monday, June 22.

Mayor Muriel Bowser made the announcement on Twitter Friday morning, citing 15 days of decline in community spread. Officials wanted to see 14 days of sustained decline before entering into the second stage of reopening.

Under Phase Two, restaurants may seat customers inside at half of their normal capacity, and tables must be 6 feet apart with parties of six people or fewer. Patrons are encouraged to make reservations, and businesses are required to save their dining records (including customers’ contact information and time of arrival) for contact tracing purposes.

“Nonessential” retail can open for indoor sales at half capacity. Nail, hair, waxing, and tanning salons may reopen for appointments only, and with social distancing practices in place. Customers and employees in nonessential retail or personal grooming businesses should a wear a face covering at all times, per the city’s Phase Two guidelines. 

Mass gatherings of up to 50 people will be permitted (up from 10 currently), and places of worship can host services with up to 100 people, or at 50% capacity, whichever is less. Museums and galleries can also reopen with limited capacity and social distancing measures.

Gyms, health clubs, and workout studios may operate at a capacity of five people per every 1,000 feet, and participants must remain at least 10 feet apart during classes. Hot yoga classes remain closed, as well as locker rooms, steam rooms, showers, and saunas at fitness facilities. High contact sports like football and wrestling remain prohibited.

The move into Phase Two comes after officials monitored six different reopening metrics, including community spread, hospital bed utilization, and percent positivity. D.C. wanted to see a sustained 14-day decline in community spread, which isn’t measured by the daily count of positive cases, but rather when people started showing symptoms. It also excludes cases from congregate settings like nursing homes, jails, and shelters. As of Friday, D.C. reached 15 days of sustained decline in community spread during Phase One, after a spike in the metric on Sunday, June 14, set the clock back from 11 days to nine.

The city also hoped to see a percent positivity rate of below 15% for seven days, and hospital bed use below 80% for seven days — both of which were achieved according to the city’s coronavirus data. 

As of Friday, June 19, the city recorded 49 new cases, bringing the city’s total positive cases to 9,952. Three additional deaths were recorded. 1,205 residents were tested in the past 24 hours.