Many cautiously optimistic one year into COVID-19 pandemic

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - It’s been one year since the coronavirus changed life as we knew it and now, we’re finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.

More people are getting tested, vaccinated and more vaccine options are becoming available. This as restrictions are being eased on businesses, restaurants, and bars.

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On Monday, FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis spoke with people at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, which is filled with bars, restaurants, and businesses, and the overwhelming sentiment — cautiously optimistic.

Today is the first day bars and restaurants in Virginia can serve alcohol until midnight, increase capacity, plus there's no more curfew.

The general manager at Brixx Wood Fired Pizza tells FOX 5 he’s looking forward to business getting back to normal or at least closer to normal after what’s been a year-long struggle.

The positive outlook comes as more than 100,000 doses of the newest Johnson and Johnson coronavirus vaccine rolls out across Virginia, Maryland and D.C. This also comes amid declining coronavirus cases across the area.

READ MORE: US begins distribution of single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

In the last year, about 577,000 Virginians have contracted coronavirus and more than 7,000 have died from COVID-19 – but more and more people are getting vaccinated and as of right now, more people have been vaccinated across the region than the number of people who have contracted the virus.

So far in Virginia, nearly two and a half vaccine doses have been received, nearly 90 percent of the first doses administered and nearly 70 percent of the second doses administered.

Business owners say they haven’t seen business pick up yet but they anticipate and hope that will change in the coming days.