Restaurants, museums, gyms and other businesses in Richmond can open more to the public beginning Friday as the city enters Phase Two of the state’s reopening plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The stepped up opening will apply to Richmond and Northern Virginia localities that are about two weeks behind the rest of the state, including Henrico and Chesterfield counties, under Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s guidelines.

Gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed under Phase Two, while restaurants, which were open only for curbside, pickup and delivery service and some outdoor patio service, can open for indoor dining at 50 percent capacity. Gyms and fitness centers can open for indoor exercise classes and workouts at 30 percent capacity.

Zoos, museums and botanical gardens are also among the public spaces able to reopen to the public.

“Given the data landscape, the governor’s requirement that all Virginians wear face coverings and my trust in the Richmond community to look out for each other, I’m comfortable with our city entering Phase Two of Forward Virginia,” Mayor Levar M. Stoney said in a statement Tuesday.

These new allowances come with a number of conditions, including signage and communication on social distancing in areas for public gatherings; continuing teleworking and spreading out

work stations to mitigate the chances of infection in workplaces; and limiting the number and duration of and attendance at gatherings such as conferences and training meetings.

Restrictions are still in place for non-essential services, from swimming pools limited to exercise and swimming instruction to no shared equipment for outdoor sports.

Face coverings and masks also are still required in public buildings under Phase Two.

On Tuesday, the number of positive COVID19 cases in Virginia reached 51,738, with 5,203 people hospitalized and 1,496 deaths, according to Virginia Health Department data.

As detailed by Dr. M. Norman Oliver, the state’s health commissioner, the coronavirus still is disproportionately impacting people of color in Virginia. African-Americans comprise 20 percent of the state’s positive COVID-19 cases and 23 percent of deaths for which racial and ethnic data is available. Latinos comprise 50 percent of the state’s positive cases and 11 percent of deaths.