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Coronavirus Cases Down, Hospitalizations Up as New Patients Trend Older

Published September 4, 2020 at 10:45AM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:09AM

A month ago, new coronavirus cases were on the rise in Arlington, amid a lull in hospitalizations and deaths.

Now, cases have been on a downward slope since last weekend, but hospitalizations and fatalities continue to rise, as those getting infected are increasingly those on the older half of the demographic chart.

The Virginia Dept. of Health reported one new COVID-related death overnight, bringing the seven-day total of fatalities to six. Two new hospitalizations were also reported, bringing the seven-day total to 14; it had previously reached a nearly three-month high of 18 on Sunday.

With 18 new cases overnight, the county’s cumulative total of cases, hospitalizations and deaths now stands at 3,605, 472 and 142, respectively. A total of 113 new cases have been reported over the past seven days, compared to 156 as of a week ago.

There is usually a lag between a rise in new cases and a rise in hospitalizations, but there might be other reasons why since mid-August more people are being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19 locally.

For one, those getting sick are getting older. Whereas people under 40 represented 70% of new cases between July 19 and August 19, that same age range has accounted for 56% of new cases since.

Additionally, two new COVID-19 outbreaks were reported in long-term care facilities in Arlington last month, according to VDH.

One started on Aug. 5 at the Sunrise of Arlington facility on N. Glebe Road; that has sickened fewer than five people and resulted in no reported fatalities so far. Another that started on Aug. 19 at the Sunrise at Bluemont Park facility on Wilson Blvd has sickened 20 people and resulted in at least one death, the state health department reports.

(Numbers fewer than five are “suppressed to preserve anonymity.”)

Outbreaks at long-term care facilities were responsible for nearly 500 cases and dozens of deaths in Arlington during the peak of the spring epidemic.

Father Arrested and Charged with Son’s Murder in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published September 4, 2020 at 9:15AM

The father of a man killed in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood this spring has been arrested and charged with his murder.

Marshall Stephens, 45, was found dead the evening of April 23, in the driver’s seat of a car parked on the 1900 block of S. Lowell Street. Police said Thursday that 65-year-old Marshall Stephens, Sr. shot and killed his son in a “domestic-related homicide.”

The victim was an Arlington resident while the elder Stephens is a resident of Baltimore County, Maryland. Stephens, Sr. is currently being held in the Arlington County jail on a charge of murder and a weapons violation.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 4, 2020 at 7:30AM

Labor Day Closures — “Arlington County Government offices, courts, libraries & facilities will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, 2020 for Labor Day.” Trash will be collected but parking meters will not be enforced. [Arlington County]

Library Buildings Remain Closed — “Even as neighboring Fairfax County is approaching the two-month mark for its reopened library system, Arlington officials appear in no rush to bring their library system more than marginally back to life. That means that while Arlington patrons will continue to have the chance to check out books online and pick them up at a central repository, they remain barred from visiting branches or wandering the stacks.” [InsideNova]

Bluemont BLM Protest Continues — “Father, in his red scooter, and son first rolled down the bike path to this corner in Arlington, Va., just after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. They’ve been back most weekdays since, more than 60 times so far, as demonstrators in Louisville and Atlanta marched for justice for Black Americans killed at the hands of police and protests surged following the police shooting of Jacob Blake last month in Kenosha, Wis.” [Washington Post]

Deep Dive Into New Bridge — “The preferred alternative would add a new two-track rail bridge north of the Long Bridge while retaining the existing bridge without modifications. The plan would cost approximately $1.9 billion. The existing span would retain its CSX ownership, and the new span would be Virginia’s.” [Greater Greater Washington]

MU Extends President’s Contract — “Marymount University’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend the contract of President Irma Becerra by an additional five years to 2026. This action comes one year earlier than expected, as Board members felt strongly that due to Dr. Becerra’s significant accomplishments during her tenure, it was important to ensure her continued association with Marymount on a more accelerated timeline.” [Press Release]

Trump Boat Parade Planned — “A boat parade is planned in support of President Trump on Sunday on the Potomac River. According to a Facebook post from an entity known as “Liberty Rally,” boaters will gather just before 1 PM in the Wilson Bridge no-wake zone and then proceed up the Potomac.” [Washingtonian]

Kanye Booted from Ballot — “A Richmond Circuit Court Judge has ruled that rapper Kanye West will be removed from the ballot as a presidential candidate in Virginia. The decision came after an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the case and Attorney General Mark Herring accused the West camp of acting fraudulently to get on the ballot.” [NBC 12]

Va. Booze Biz is Booming — “The Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority announced Wednesday retail sales of $1.2 billion in fiscal 2020 — a nearly $120 million increase from the previous year and the second year in a row the liquor monopoly surpassed $1 billion in sales.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

NEW: Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Part of Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published September 3, 2020 at 5:35PM

Northern and eastern portions of Arlington County are now under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.

The tail end of a strong storm that brought high winds and possibly tornadoes to Montgomery County is expected to blow through part of the county.

From the National Weather Service:

BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
527 PM EDT THU SEP 3 2020

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA…
SOUTH CENTRAL ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND…
SOUTH CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND…
NORTHWESTERN CALVERT COUNTY IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND…
CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND…
ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
EAST CENTRAL FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…

* UNTIL 630 PM EDT.

* AT 527 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE, OR NEAR FORT TOTTEN, MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS, AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON, BETHESDA, BOWIE, CLINTON, FORESTVILLE, LARGO, CORAL HILLS, BLADENSBURG, MAYO, SHADY SIDE, CHESAPEAKE BEACH, DEALE, UPPER MARLBORO, NATIONALS PARK, FEDEX FIELD, HOWARD UNIVERSITY, RHODE RIVER, GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY, FORT TOTTEN AND REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA…CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND…AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA.

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING.

JUST IN: Tornado Watch Issued for Arlington, Region

By ARLnow.com

Published September 3, 2020 at 3:45PM

Arlington and much of the region is under a Tornado Watch from now through 10 p.m.

Forecasters say storms now forming to the west could pack strong winds and even some tornadoes. Those in the watch zone are urged to keep an eye on the sky, and to take cover if necessary.

Local History: What This Historic Cemetery Has to Do With Tomatoes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 3, 2020 at 2:00PM

The historic Southern-Shreve cemetery is a tiny cemetery plot located just off the Custis Trail, next to St. Ann Catholic church and west of Ballston.

It’s easy to miss, but its small size belies its local historical significance. Here’s what the historic marker says about the cemetery:

Five generations of the Southern, Shreve, and related families are interred in this burial plot. The Shreve family in Arlington dates from the arrival of Samuel Shreve from New Jersey about 1780. Shreve purchased a tract of land near Ballston in 1791. The earliest grave (1832) is that of John Redin (Sixth Continental Line), a veteran of the American Revolution. Redin’s daughter married Richard Southern.

But there’s even more to the cemetery than that. You can thank one of its occupants for helping to popularize tomatoes as a food. Until the mid-1800s, tomatoes were largely regarded as an ornamental plant.

More from an article on the Arlington Public Library website:

Of the two Shreve family cemeteries in Arlington, the Southern-Shreve cemetery could possibly lay claim to having a more unique history. Located on the north side of Fairfax Drive, between North Frederick and North Harrison streets, the cemetery sat near the property of Richard and Frances (Redin) Southern. Richard Southern was a landscape architect and horticulturist, who became known for pioneering the use of the tomato as a food. It may seem hard to believe in these modern times, but prior to Southern’s efforts, the tomato was widely regarded as being poisonous and was only used for decorative purposes.

The land was given as a dowry by Frances Redin’s brother, a prominent Georgetown attorney, and was the burial place of John Redin, father of Frances and her brother. This generous act may have been precipitated by the fact that the Southerns cared for John Redin during his final years. He was buried in the garden of the Southern’s home in 1832, his gravestone being the first in what was to become the family cemetery.

Being neighbors of the Shreves, Birches, and Balls, the families intermarried and the house and property remained in the Shreve family until 1904.

There are approximately 20 marked stones in the cemetery, which is still in fairly good condition today, with the most notable being that of Richard and Francis Shreve, who were both killed by lightning on June 25th, 1874. The inscription reads: “Struck by a thunderbolt from Heaven, they both lay down and died, they left three lambs whom God had given them, may he for them provide.”

Jury Trials Resuming in Arlington County

By ARLnow.com

Published September 3, 2020 at 9:45AM

After a months-long hiatus due to the pandemic, Arlington County is preparing to resume jury trials.

“The Arlington Circuit Court is planning to resume jury trials in September 2020,” the court says on its website. “If you received a juror summons for a reporting date after September 1, 2020, please carefully read the front and back of the summons and follow all instructions. Visit the Juror Website or call the Juror Hotline 703-228-0533 to confirm receipt of the summons and to make requests to be deferred or excused.”

The court website says a number of safety measures will be in place, including mandatory mask-wearing for everyone in the courthouse, temperature checks, staggered juror arrival times, social distancing, and readily-available hand sanitizer and wipes.

“Every person who has a case in the Circuit Court is afforded the opportunity of a jury trial pursuant to our Constitution,” the court in a FAQ document. “In resuming jury trials which were delayed due to COVID-19, the Arlington Circuit Court fully understands the need to protect the health and safety of jurors, trial participants, county employees, and the public.”

Those with valid health concerns, COVID-19 risk factors, and known exposures to the virus can request to be excused from jury duty.

Flickr photo by Joe Gratz

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 3, 2020 at 6:00AM | Updated September 3, 2020 at 9:53AM

ACLU Suit Names ACPD Captain — Arlington County Police Department Captain Wayne Vincent has been added, in his personal capacity, to the ACLU lawsuit over the actions by police to clear protesters from Lafayette Square ahead of President Trump walking from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church. Some twenty ACPD officers, who are not named, are also being sued over the use of force and chemical irritants. [WTOP, ACLU]

Where APS Students Are Going to College — “The following is a list of the colleges and universities where Arlington Public Schools high school graduates (Class of 2020) applied and where they were accepted.” [Arlington Magazine]

Sen. Kaine in Arlington Today — “On Thursday, September 3, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine will host a socially distant conversation in Arlington with local leaders to discuss the work being done to support the Latino community in Northern Virginia, as reports show Latino communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.” The closed event is taking place at an apartment building near Columbia Pike this afternoon. [Press Release]

Bus Project Likely to Be Funded — “A project submitted by the Arlington County government remains in contention for Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) funding, even as a number of other regional projects have been delayed for consideration due to sharp dropoffs in available funding. As a result, the Arlington project — an HOV- and bus-only lane on Route 29 in Rosslyn during rush hour — is likely to receive the $710,000 in regional funds being sought to help with the overall project cost.” [InsideNova]

Local Group Supports Eviction Moratorium — “Leaders of VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) cautiously welcomed the announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of a nationwide eviction moratorium through Dec. 31, but noted that Congress and the Administration still need to work together to provide significant funding to prevent huge rental housing market instability after the ban expires.” [Press Release]

State Suspends Liquor License of Lounge That Has Been the Scene of Multiple Shootings

By ARLnow.com

Published September 2, 2020 at 3:55PM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:13AM

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Purple Ethiopian Restaurant & Lounge has had its permit to serve beer, wine and liquor suspended by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

The nightlife venue at 3111 Columbia Pike was the scene of a double shooting over the weekend. A 33-year-old Maryland man, who was wounded by armed security guards after allegedly firing into a crowd in the parking lot, has been charged in the case.

Purple Lounge was also the scene of a shooting last September, in which a man was shot in the abdomen outside the venue. That and a myriad of complaints and violations led the Arlington County Board to revoke its live entertainment permit in December.

After the latest shooting, Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey told ARLnow that the county would “explore all the options” with respect to Purple Lounge. Today, the county announced the suspension of the ABC license in a brief statement.

Following a series of disturbing events associated with the Purple Ethiopian Restaurant and Lounge, LLC on Columbia Pike, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority issued an Order of Summary Suspension temporarily suspending its alcohol licenses effective September 1, 2020. Arlington County fully supports this action and will continue to work collaboratively with Virginia ABC throughout this process.

The incident on Sunday morning (Aug. 30) at the Purple Lounge is the latest in a series of disturbances associated with the establishment. The County Manager is working with the County Board to explore all the options available to us within and around the property.

Arlington County is a safe place to live, work and play, and we are committed to addressing problems that present potential threats to our public health and safety.

Virginia ABC’s summary of its decision to suspend the license contains additional details about the weekend shooting and another shooting earlier this summer.

The report says that a dispute between venue staff and a group of people who were denied entry into the lounge just before 5 a.m. on Sunday prompted one of the members of the group to pull out of a gun and start firing in the air. That, in turn, led to a security guard firing back, striking one person in the shoulder and grazing another’s neck.

The report also says that a previously-reported triple shooting in June along Columbia Pike was the result of a dispute that started at Purple Lounge.

“On June 28, 2020, there was an incident of gunfire where following an altercation inside the establishment the suspect drove away from the area and then fired a gun into the crowd in the parking lot of the business leaving two people injured,” Virginia ABC said.

Arlington County Police did not previously reveal that shooting’s connection with Purple Lounge. The ABC report does not reference the fact that a third person was shot and killed in a car during the incident, a crime for which two people were subsequently arrested.

Car Overturns in CVS Parking Lot Near Penrose Square

By ARLnow.com

Published September 2, 2020 at 3:15PM

Overturned vehicle in CVS parking lot at 2601 Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A single-vehicle crash involving a small SUV and a large rock prompted a sizable emergency response on Columbia Pike this afternoon.

The crash happened around 2:30 p.m., in the parking lot of the CVS Pharmacy at 2601 Columbia Pike, near Penrose Square.

The car flipped onto its side as a result of the collision with the boulder, in the back of the parking lot. A large crowd gathered as firefighters and police arrived on scene.

A witness tells ARLnow that the driver, a senior citizen, appears to have mistook the gas pedal for the brake pedal. She was helped out of the overturned vehicle and evaluated for injuries by medics.

Jay Westcott contributed to this report

Arlington Ranked No. 7 for Worker Burnout

By ARLnow.com

Published September 2, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated September 2, 2020 at 3:34PM

(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) The pandemic has made work more stressful for many.

There are those in jobs that require in-person interaction, presenting a health risk. There are workers staying at home but juggling new-found childcare duties. And there are those who — whether to make ends meet or to keep up with the shifting demands of a COVID-19 world — find themselves working longer hours than ever.

Unfortunately for Arlington residents, the county was already a place where workers were predisposed for burnout, according to a new study.

The website SmartAsset has ranked Arlington No. 7 on its 2020 list of places “where worker burnout is more likely.” While not quite as burnout-prone as San Francisco or D.C., according to the list, Arlington still ranks ahead of Dallas and fellow Amazon office locations Austin and Seattle.

Among the major data points used by SmartAsset to crunch the numbers among 100 of the largest U.S. locales are average hours worked per week, and average weeks worked per year. At 41.7 hours and 41.3 weeks, Arlington was at the top of the list for both. The county ranked lower overall due to lower housing costs as a percent of income, and a lower portion of workers with a “severe commute.”

The trend of working longer goes well beyond Arlington.

“The days of a strict 40-hour workweek, with evenings and weekends spent relaxing, are a distant memory for many people,” SmartAsset said. “More than 10 million Americans work at least 60 hours per week and recent data shows that people are working three hours more per day during coronavirus lockdowns than they were prior to the pandemic.”

Separately, a local consulting firm released the results of a survey about COVID-19 Burnout Survey.

“As the U.S. prepares to celebrate Labor Day, national polling of the U.S. workforce indicates a majority of employees are burnt out (58 percent), up from 45 percent in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Crystal City-based Eagle Hill Consulting. “Among employees who report burnout, 35 percent say it is attributable to COVID-19 circumstances, up from 25 percent in April.”

The surveys were conducted from April 8-10 and August 13-17.

“Labor Day can serve as an inflection point for employers to re-calibrate with their workforce,” said Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. “This level of burnout is problematic and could increase as millions of employees continue to work from home, and many schools remain unable to fully open. We’re in this pandemic for the long haul, and employers have got to find a way to make workloads sustainable for employees and better equip managers to lead. Otherwise, companies risk harming their bottom line and brand.”