News

Arlington Drive-Through Site Has Tested More than 1,000

By ARLnow.com

More than 1,000 people have been tested for coronavirus at the joint Arlington County/Virginia Hospital Center drive-through site near Washington-Liberty High School.

The county said the site, which opened on March 18, is now testing up to 100 people per day. Its hours were recently expanded and the testing opened up to those who don’t live in Arlington or work for the county. Test results, meanwhile, are now available earlier, according to an Arlington County press release.

“Testing for COVID-19 is an important tool to slow the spread of the virus in our community, in our region, and our nation,” Dr. Reuben Varghese, Health Director and Public Health Division Chief for Arlington County, said in the press release. “The sample collection effort that Virginia Hospital Center has stood up with Arlington is helping our community add a critical tool to slowing the spread of virus here.”

In addition to the drive-through site, other, private testing sites are open in parts of Arlington.

On Twitter, the county also noted that Virginia Hospital Center is exploring the use of convalescent plasma as a possible treatment for severe COVID-19 cases, and has joined a clinical trial for the antiviral medication remdesivir.

As of today more than 300 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Arlington by the Virginia Dept. of Health.

More on the testing site milestone, from the county press release:

The drive-through COVID-19 Sample Collection Site opened by Virginia Hospital Center (VHC), a community-based hospital providing medical services to the Washington, DC metropolitan area for 75 years, in partnership with Arlington County has collected samples for COVID-19 testing from more than 1,000 patients since first opening on March 18.

“Every person who comes through our site is now one step closer to having much-needed answers,” said James Meenan, Director of the Outpatient Lab at Virginia Hospital Center. “Our team continues to become more and more efficient as we provide this service to members of our community.”

“Testing for COVID-19 is an important tool to slow the spread of the virus in our community, in our region, and our nation. The sample collection effort that Virginia Hospital Center has stood up with Arlington is helping our community add a critical tool to slowing the spread of virus here,” said Dr. Reuben Varghese, Health Director and Public Health Division Chief for Arlington County.  “This tool along with physical distancing of 6 feet or greater when you have to go outside as permitted under the stay at home orders in the Commonwealth, and frequently washing your hands with soap and water are a package of tools in our control to slow COVID-19 and flatten the curve.”

As the team onsite has worked to streamline its processes, the Hospital has been able to expand available appointments and the COVID Scheduling Line hours.

  • The site now collects samples from up to 100 adults each day, nearly doubling its capacity.
  • The COVID Scheduling Line is now open from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday and appointment openings are available on most days.
  • Individuals still need to receive a physician’s order to make an appointment, but they no longer need to be an Arlington resident or employee.
  • Physicians with symptomatic patients can send orders to the Virginia Hospital Center outpatient lab electronically in EPIC or via fax to 703-558-2448.
  • Once a patient has received a physician’s order, they should call the VHC COVID-19 Scheduling Line at 703-558-5766 between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm. Patients must schedule an appointment before visiting the collection site.
  • Individuals arriving at the drive-through site must be in a vehicle and should remain in their cars.

VHC has added additional partner labs to process the samples for testing to facilitate faster turnaround times for results. Individuals waiting for results should follow the instructions of their health care provider and self-quarantine.

Easter Sunrise Service to Be Live-Streamed from Arlington National Cemetery

By ARLnow.com

With Arlington National Cemetery closed to all visitors other than loved ones of the deceased, the cemetery’s annual Easter sunrise service will be broadcast online.

Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall announced the planned live stream (which will be hosted on its Facebook page) this morning:

The annual Easter Sunrise Service, hosted by Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, will be live-streamed via Facebook beginning at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, April 12, from Arlington National Cemetery.

The Easter Sunrise Service has annually been held in the cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater, but given the closure of the cemetery due to the COVID-19 threat and the fact that the amphitheater is undergoing renovations, this year’s service will be virtually live-streamed from the Tanner Amphitheater, the cemetery’s historic structure built in 1873 that served as the cemetery’s main public meeting space until the completion and dedication of the Memorial Amphitheater in 1920.

The Easter Sunrise Service is a non-denominational worship service and will begin with the call to worship at 6:30 a.m. by Chaplain (Colonel) Michael T. Shellman, the Senior Army Chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery.  The U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Thomas L. Solhjem, will deliver the Easter message. To maintain the required mandate for social distancing and to keep the number of personnel participating in the service under ten, the chaplains will be joined by just three members of the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” and a sign language interpreter.

According to one of the Easter Sunrise Service coordinators, the deputy chaplain at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Chaplain (Maj.) John Lee, the heart of the Easter message is hope.  “Everyone needs hope,” said Lee. “Human life is not perfect, we all have life challenges. Through resurrection you still have hope to start again.”

In case of inclement weather, the service will be live-streamed from the joint base’s Memorial Chapel located on the Fort Myer side of the base in Arlington, Va.

Please access the JBM-HH Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jbmhh/ at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, April 12, to view the live feed. You don’t need a Facebook account to view the service.

More on Arlington National Cemetery’s visitor restrictions, and a look at springtime at the cemetery, below.

Photo by Tim1965

JUST IN: Falling Tree Crushes Car, Closes Old Dominion Drive

By ARLnow.com
1/8

(Updated at 3 p.m.) A portion of Old Dominion Drive is closed after a large free fell and landed on a passing car.

The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. just east of the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and N. Thomas Street, near Dorothy Hamm Middle School and The Horizons Apartments.

The tree fell on a car heading eastbound on Old Dominion Drive, crushing most of the frontend. The driver, who suffered minor cuts and some chest pain, told ARLnow that he did not notice the tree falling until it was too late.

“It was very shocking,” said the driver, Michael. “If I did not have my seatbelt on, we would not be talking right now.”

As of 2 p.m. the road was still closed in both directions, as VDOT crews with chainsaws, a front loader and dump trucks were working to clear the large tree from the roadway. Police are also on scene, helping to direct traffic.

Elsewhere in Arlington, there have been numerous reports of downed trees, branches and wires amid today’s gusty winds.

A tree that fell this morning near the intersection of 23rd Street S. and S. Dinwiddie Street, near Wakefield High School, closed the road and knocked out power to the neighborhood. As of 2 p.m. Dominion’s website reported 124 customers in the area were still without power, with no estimated restoration time.

A Wind Advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m.

https://twitter.com/BikesBooksOther/status/1248634059414216704

Map via Google Maps

Coronavirus Cases in Arlington Rise Above 300

By ARLnow.com

There are now 312 known coronavirus cases in Arlington, an increase of 32 since the day before.

The latest data from the Virginia Dept. of Health also shows 4,509 reported cases, 772 hospitalizations, and 121 deaths statewide, as of Friday. Arlington’s neighbors Alexandria and Fairfax County are now reporting 174 and 777 cases respectively.

Arlington will be hosting a live town hall meeting at noon today (Friday) online and on local cable TV. More from the county:

On Friday, we’re hosting a live town hall to discuss Arlington’s response to COVID-19. You can ask questions on all aspects of this health and economic emergency by joining us on Facebook or by texting 571-356-9267. The town hall will also be live-streamed to YouTube, the County website and Arlington TV (Comcast 1085/Verizon 39).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pentagon Mandates Face Masks — “All on the Pentagon reservation must wear cloth face coverings in open spaces/work spaces where it is difficult to maintain at least 6 ft social distance. You may remove cloth face coverings in a private office/workspace where at least 6 ft of social distance is maintained.” [Twitter]

County May Host Online ‘Open Door’ Sessions — “Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey announced today that the Board will pilot a virtual format for Open Door Mondays, the informal weekly sessions where individuals or small groups can meet one-on-one with a Board Member to raise any issue, on Monday, April 13, 2020.” [Arlington County]

I-66 Lane Closures This Weekend — “Single- and double-lane closures will be needed for bridge joint reconstruction work over Williamsburg Boulevard and Westmoreland Street. At least one travel lane along I-66 Eastbound will be maintained at all times during this work.” [Press Release]

County Accelerates Columbia Pike Work — “Starting Monday, April 13, we will no longer open an additional eastbound lane during weekday morning rush hours. As a result, the work done between S. Jefferson Street and S. Dinwiddie/Columbus Street will only have one lane open in each direction on weekdays from 7 a.m.-9 p.m.” [Twitter]

South Block Adapts to Delivery and Takeout — “Mostafavi founded South Block in 2011 and he’s slowly grown the business since then, with nine locations and two more in the pipeline. Since the pandemic forced closures of dining rooms, Mostafavi has leaned hard into the delivery and takeout side of his business. ‘I feel fortunate to be in a business that’s still considered essential and that we already had an app, were already doing deliveries and the product is desired right now because it’s healthy,’ Mostafavi said.” [Washington Business Journal]

CPRO Providing Free Banners for Businesses — “The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization is launching several new initiatives to support our business community… Are you operating an essential business on Columbia Pike? Need help letting the public know you’re open? Contact us today to receive a FREE banner.” [CPRO, Instagram]

Arlington Pension Investment Chief Retiring — “Daniel E. Zito, executive director and chief investment officer of the $2.5 billion Arlington County (Va.) Employees’ Retirement System, plans to retire in the next year.” [Pensions & Investments]

Community Foundation Distributes $500k — “More than 40 Arlington nonprofits have received a total of over $500,000 in emergency response support from the Arlington Community Foundation COVID-19 Prompt Response Fund, with more funds being disbursed daily.” [Press Release]

More Strong Winds Expected Friday

By ARLnow.com

Another day, more wind.

Arlington will again be under a Wind Advisory Friday, with gusty winds expected throughout much of the day. The wind could again down tree limbs and and power lines.

Thursday’s winds caused scattered damage in Arlington, including isolated power outages and a tree that blew over and blocked part of Columbia Pike near S. Scott Street.

More on Friday’s Wind Advisory, from the National Weather Service:

…WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM EDT FRIDAY… * WHAT…WEST WINDS 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH EXPECTED. * WHERE…IN MARYLAND, CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD, SOUTHEAST HARFORD, SOUTHERN BALTIMORE, PRINCE GEORGES, ANNE ARUNDEL AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY COUNTIES. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN VIRGINIA, ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA, AND FAIRFAX COUNTY. * WHEN…FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM EDT FRIDAY. * IMPACTS…GUSTY WINDS COULD BLOW AROUND UNSECURED OBJECTS. TREE LIMBS COULD BE BLOWN DOWN AND A FEW POWER OUTAGES MAY RESULT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… USE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN DRIVING, ESPECIALLY IF OPERATING A HIGH PROFILE VEHICLE. SECURE OUTDOOR OBJECTS. &&

Police: No Arrests Yet for Social Distancing Violations

By ARLnow.com
1/14

Despite repeated reminders to stay out of closed parks and keep a six-foot distance from others while outside, police are still getting calls to report violations in various parts of the county.

Yesterday, with warm and sunny weather encouraging outdoor recreation, police received numerous calls to report people congregating in closed parks, from Virginia Highlands Park near Crystal City to Williamsburg Middle School in North Arlington.

An Arlington County Police spokeswoman was unable to say how many social distancing-related calls the department received yesterday, but noted that nobody has been charged for hanging out in a closed park or violating Gov. Ralph Northam’s order against congregating in groups of more than 10.

“ACPD continues to seek voluntary compliance with the order and social distancing through education,” said spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “At this time, no criminal enforcement has been sought.”

Both the police department and the county government have been posting reminders via social media that parks are closed and violations are a crime.

Governor’s Plan Will Delay County Board Primary

By Vernon Miles

(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Gov. Ralph Northam announced a plan yesterday that will shift summer primary election dates across the state back by two weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The previously-sheduled June 9 primary will now shift back to June 23.

The Democratic primary sees incumbent County Board chair Libby Garvey facing off against challenger Chanda Choun. On the Republican side, there is a three-way primary among Daniel Gade, Thomas Speciale, Alissa Baldwin for U.S. Senate.

“As other states have shown, conducting an election in the middle of this global pandemic would bring unprecedented challenges and potential risk to voters and those who work at polling places across the Commonwealth,” Northam said in a press release. “Making these decisions now will help election officials prepare and implement the necessary changes. This is about protecting the health and safety of Virginians during this pandemic and ensuring our citizens can make their voices heard in a safe, fair, and uniform manner. I urge the General Assembly to do their part and take action to move our upcoming elections.”

Erik Gutshall’s resignation also leaves another empty seat on the County Board. County spokeswoman Mary Curtius said nothing has been decided yet about the special election for Gutshall’s seat.

Gretchen Reinemeyer, Director of Elections, said there are a number of state laws the County will have to sift through as it prepares for a potential special election.

“The Governor’s request that the legislature delay May town and city elections does not apply to our special election,” Reinemeyer said. “The Circuit Court will issue a writ setting the election date 60-80 days from the vacancy.”

Reinemeyer said the special election cannot happen before or on the same day as the primary.

Five candidates are also vying for two vacant spots on the School Board and are seeking the endorsement of the Arlington County Democratic Committee. Arlington Democrats announced earlier this week that it will be holding its endorsement caucus by mail.

Arlington Ranks as No. 1 Place for Working from Home

By ARLnow.com

Arlington has the highest proportion of residents who can work from home in the U.S., according to a new study.

That’s according to financial website SmartAsset, which ranked the 200 largest U.S. cities by the estimated percentage of the workforce that can work remotely.

“A large percentage of the workforce in Arlington, Virginia is involved in two white-collar occupations: management, business & financial operations and professional & related job,” SmartAsset wrote. “According to [Bureau of Labor Statistics] data, 60% of management, business & financial operations workers and more than 42% of all professional & related workers can work from home, so many Arlington workers have that ability. We estimated that 39.23% of the total Arlington, Virginia workforce can work from home, the highest percentage for this metric across the 200 largest U.S. cities.”

That could be an underestimate. A recent ARLnow poll, though unscientific, found that 80% of respondents reported working at home (of given leave) with full pay.

Arlington was No. 1 in SmartAsset’s rankings, with Frisco, Texas; Bellevue, Washington; Irvine, California; and Washington, D.C. rounding out the top 5. Neighboring Alexandria ranked No. 14.

If much of the Arlington population is working from home and still getting paid during the current crisis, that’s good news for the local economy, suggesting a swifter return of consumer spending once stay-at-home orders are relaxed. Also good news: last month SmartAsset ranked Arlington among the most recession-resistant places in the U.S.

Helicopter Assists with Early Morning Search for Robbery Suspect in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

A search for a suspect wanted for armed robbery prompted police helicopter activity over Arlington early Thursday morning.

An officer spotted the wanted suspect near the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Garfield Street in Clarendon shortly before 12:30 a.m. Upon seeing the officer about to make a traffic stop, the suspect pulled his car over, bailed out and took off running, according to Arlington County Police.

The Fairfax County Police helicopter was called in to help search for the suspect. Despite the chopper circling the area for some 30-60 minutes — as seen in the flight path map above — the suspect was not found and the search was called off.

While the suspect made a clean getaway, another vehicle occupant was arrested and charged with drug possession and identity theft, police said.

More from ACPD:

NARCOTICS VIOLATION (Significant), 2020-04090001, Wilson Boulevard at N. Garfield Street. At approximately 12:22 a.m. on April 9, an officer on patrol observed a vehicle believed to be occupied by a known wanted subject. As the officer prepared to make a traffic stop, the subject pulled his vehicle over and fled the scene on foot. A perimeter was established and the area was searched with the assistance of Fairfax County Police Helicopter. The search concluded with negative results. The subject is described as a Hispanic male in his 30s, approximately 5’7″ tall with dark facial hair. He was wearing glasses, a black hoodie, black shirt and jeans at the time of the incident. Two additional occupants of the vehicle were detained by officers on scene and, following the investigation, one was arrested and charged. Cindy Tosti, 29, of Alexandria, Va. was charged with Possession of a Scheduled I/II Controlled Substance and Identity Theft. She was held on no bond. The investigation is ongoing.

Photo courtesy Stephan P.

Another Rise in Local COVID-19 Cases, Amid Jump in Va. Deaths

By ARLnow.com

Another 26 coronavirus cases were reported overnight in Arlington, bringing the total known cases in the county to 280.

That’s the third-highest rise in total cases, with the two steeper increases both occurring within the past five days. The overall case count is more than double that of seven days ago, when 128 cases were reported.

Thursday’s big headline from the updated Virginia Dept. of Health data, however, is sadly a jump in the number of deaths reported. Statewide, there are now 4,042 known cases, 685 hospitalizations and 109 deaths.

That is a 45% increase over the 75 deaths reported Wednesday.

The state health department says 34 deaths have occurred in Northern Virginia, while 41 were in central Virginia.

In Fairfax County, meanwhile, an additional 120 COVID-19 cases were reported overnight, rising from 570 cases Wednesday to 690 today. Fairfax has about five times the population of Arlington.

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