Virginians hoping for a quick restart of normal life may be in for a rude awakening after the top health official in Virginia said the state could be in lockdown for the next two years.

During a Friday afternoon briefing on the coronavirus response, Virginia Health Commissioner Norman Oliver said Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam's "Phase One" coronavirus response plan, which involves business closures and social distancing, could last for as long as two years.

“I, personally, think Phase One will be a two-year affair,” Oliver said. “There are a lot of people working on this, and I hope they prove me wrong, but I don’t see it happening in less than two years.”

A Virginia Department of Health representative immediately attempted to walk back Oliver's comments, suggesting that Oliver meant the coronavirus will be with Virginians for two years and not that state-mandated lockdowns would continue that long.

But a proposal of what the commonwealth will look like as health officials worry about a second wave of the virus in the fall is yet to be seen. Northam's "Phase One" plan requires "continued social distancing, continued teleworking [and] face coverings recommended in public."

As millions file for unemployment across the country, the demand for citizens to stay indoors has led to a number of mass protests from Michigan to the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond.

Northam said the state is considering measures to track and quarantine individuals who are infected with the disease.

“We will get back to work by greatly increasing our testing, then tracing the contacts of people who test positive and isolating these individuals, not everyone in Virginia,” Northam said. “That is the key to moving forward.”

The Virginia Department of Health reported a spike in coronavirus cases in Virginia, with more than 700 new cases diagnosed on Friday alone.