In another sign that we’ve reached the later stages of the pandemic, Arlington County is permanently closing its public vaccine clinic next month.
The announcement was made this morning.
“Demand has significantly decreased at the County’s clinic, with COVID-19 vaccines now widely available in the community through pharmacies, urgent care centers, and medical providers,” the county said in a press release. “As such, the final day of operations for the clinic at Sequoia Plaza (2100 Washington Blvd.) will be Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022.”
The clinic first opened nearly two years ago and saw long lines for the original vaccine after it was made available. In addition to its closing, the county announced that all but one of its Covid testing booths are closing.
“All County Curative COVID-19 testing kiosks will close on Nov. 30, 2022, except for the Arlington Mill Community Center location,” the press release said. “The closure of kiosks aligns with a significant decline in kiosk testing demand across the County (an 80% decline since Nov. 2021) and the widespread availability of at-home and pharmacy-based tests.”
Covid case rates in Arlington have held relatively steady over the past month and currently stand at a seven-day moving average of 30 cases per day, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. That’s about the middle of the range for what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a “low” Covid level.
Meanwhile, some of the public health attention has shifted to rising levels of flu and the childhood illness RSV.
“The emergency department is pretty much as busy as we have ever seen it,” Virginia Hospital Center emergency department chair Mike Silverman wrote Friday in his weekly public Facebook post. “Our volume this week (and actually last week) is 20+% higher than our typical volume. We are definitely seeing this with the flu and RSV numbers. We’re also seeing this in the increased number of pediatric patients coming to the ER.”
The full Arlington County press release about the clinic and testing booth closures is below.
The Arlington County Public Health Division’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic, originally opened nearly two years ago, will permanently close in December 2022.
Demand has significantly decreased at the County’s clinic, with COVID-19 vaccines now widely available in the community through pharmacies, urgent care centers, and medical providers. As such, the final day of operations for the clinic at Sequoia Plaza (2100 Washington Blvd.) will be Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022.
Until that time, appointments and walk-ins are available for primary series and eligible boosters for everyone ages 6 months and older. Now is the best time to get up to date on COVID-19 vaccination for increased protection from severe illness, before spending more time indoors and in crowds during the holiday season.
“What started as a small team in Dec. 2020 quickly grew into hundreds of staff and volunteers, operating six clinics and dozens of special events, allowing us to administer more than 215,000 doses of the vaccine,” said Dr. Reuben Varghese, Public Health Director. “I am incredibly proud and forever grateful for everyone who helped in the fight against COVID-19.”
Vaccines at the Sequoia 1 clinic are available Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Please note the following schedule changes due to upcoming holidays:
- Veterans Day Holiday: Closed Friday (Nov. 11)
- Thanksgiving Week: Closed Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (Nov. 24-26)
Visit Vaccines.gov for appointments through pharmacies and other medical providers in and around Arlington County.
Most Curative COVID-19 Testing Kiosks Closing on Nov. 30
All County Curative COVID-19 testing kiosks will close on Nov. 30, 2022, except for the Arlington Mill Community Center location.
The closure of kiosks aligns with a significant decline in kiosk testing demand across the County (an 80% decline since Nov. 2021) and the widespread availability of at-home and pharmacy-based tests.
Arlington Mill Community Center’s Curative kiosk (909 S. Dinwiddie St.) will remain open through Dec. 31, 2022, to offer no-cost testing to nearby residents who may otherwise have reduced access to testing services. More than 1 in 3 visitors to Arlington Mill are uninsured, and 55% of visitors live in zip codes 22204 and 22206, areas disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
The Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management (DPSCEM) will also purchase and distribute rapid COVID-19 test kits to uninsured and under-insured residents through local non-profit organizations. Distribution is anticipated to begin just before Thanksgiving. It will continue through December to provide access to testing during potential holiday gatherings, where the risk of virus transmission may be elevated.
Find testing locations convenient to you by visiting VDH’s test site locator. Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19, before large gatherings (e.g. Thanksgiving!) and after spending time in a crowd. Learn more about the County’s COVID-19 response at arlingtonva.us/covid-19.
Stay Informed About COVID-19
Arlington County has learned to cope with the pandemic, and we now possess the tools and expertise to turn COVID-19 from an emergency into a manageable illness.
We encourage everyone to continue using layered prevention strategies–wear a mask, get tested if exposed or symptomatic, get vaccinated, follow isolation guidance, and get COVID-19 treatment if and when necessary.