ARLINGTON, Va. — Friday evening brought a quiet start to social distancing enforcement in popular Arlington County, Virginia nightspots, as heavy rain during rush hour kept some inside.
This weekend marks the start of an effort by Arlington County to closely monitor gatherings outside of bars and restaurants in Clarendon, Wilson Boulevard and Crystal City.
According to the county plan, three people at most will be able to stand together while waiting in line at a drinking establishment.
Violating the social distancing rule could result in a $100 fine.
On Friday night, only small pockets of people could be seen along Wilson Boulevard outside popular spots like Whitlow's on Wilson.
However, numerous signs warning of the social distancing enforcement could be seen up and down the block as people drank and ate at tables nearby.
Arlington County Board Chairwoman Libby Garvey said the intent behind the enforcement was not to ticket people but to remind everyone to be safe.
"It only applies where we got signs. It’s only in a few places that we’ve been having issues," she said on Friday. "We don’t want to write any tickets. We just want people to space out.”
County leaders said the need for the effort grew after they saw people openly defying guidelines.
Data has also shown an uptick in coronavirus cases, with health records showing 35 new cases reported on Friday.
"People just don’t like to face up to the fact that we’re in the middle of a pandemic. We’ve got to stop the spread of this virus," Garvey said. "What seems to be the major problem is when we are in proximity for 10-15 minutes straight. Waiting in line outside a bar or a restaurant is just very conducive to that.”
While some have criticized the enforcement and described it as government overreach, the board chairwoman told WUSA9 that following the guidelines closely would help in the long term.
"Nobody likes this pandemic. Nobody likes what we’re having to do but we’ve got to face reality," she said. "I think the owners understand if this starts to explode again then we really shut down and that will be even worse.”
Moving forward, Garvey hoped for a safe and healthy time for people in the area.
"We’ve got to solve this problem and we’ve got to do it together," she said.