During the pandemic, many who formerly commuted to work are now working from home.
Some are eager to go back to the office full time when it’s safe to do so, while others may be contemplating a switch to either working from home permanently or at least a couple of days per week.
A wide range of companies are moving to or considering moving to a “hybrid workplace” model post-pandemic. Among them is Microsoft, which will let employees opt to work from home up to 50% of the time, or permanently with a manager’s approval.
It seems likely that many office-based employers in Arlington and elsewhere in the D.C. area will be implementing similar policies as the pandemic (hopefully) comes to an end this year. That has made us wonder about the impact on commuting.
More work from home days collectively would mean less commuting, which is generally a good thing for the environment and for traffic. There may be second order effects, as well, especially in cases where an employer offers flexibility in deciding when you go into the office.
Such flexibility, for instance, may have implications for bike commuting
Arlington County has long worked towards the goal of having more people bike to work, thus taking cars off the road during peak commuting times. So far it’s still a niche commuting option: only 1.5% of Arlington residents report biking as their primary means of commuting, compared to 51.1% who drive alone, according to the latest U.S. Census data.
Should you have the ability to pick and choose when you go to the office, it could allow you to go in on good weather days and skip bad weather days, a big deterrent to regular bike commuting. All of a sudden, with bad weather largely out of the equation, the idea of being able to commute for free without worrying about traffic, while getting a workout and fresh air, may become more attractive.
Volunteers distributing food are separated by plexiglass from those picking up food (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlingtonians wait in line for holiday meals at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Volunteers place food in crates for distribution at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Volunteers distributing food are separated by plexiglass from those picking up food (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
A crate of food ready for distribution at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Stacks of crates filled with holiday meals are being packed in a truck for distribution to senior and assisted living centers (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlingtonians wait in line for holiday meals at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
As coronavirus cases rise in Arlington County, the number of residents in need of fresh, free food for their families is also increasing.
Executive Director and CEO Charles Meng said the Arlington Food Assistance Center is seeing record-high numbers of visitors each week and month.
“Between October and November, we saw a 9.4% increase, serving 3,440 families at some point during the month,” Meng said in an email. “(We) responded to 11,255 visits for food during the month, with many families having to visit multiple weeks during the month.”
This morning (Monday), families lined up at AFAC to receive a Christmas special — a whole frozen chicken — as well as fresh veggies, desserts, milk and eggs. Volunteers split time de-stalking Brussels sprouts and briskly moving families through the line.
AFAC has seen people coming more frequently for food during the pandemic, likely because personal budgets that could pay for part of a family’s food needs are now slimmer or non-existent, according to Meng. He added that there has also been an uptick in people coming to AFAC for the first time.
“Many of our families are service workers at hotels, restaurants and airports — the hardest hit during the pandemic,” Meng said. “We are seeing the families who would normally access our services come more often and the new families are more regularly coming for needed food.”
The number of clients served by AFAC last peaked in August, with the organization serving 3,364 over the course of the month. When the pandemic started, the number of families being referred to AFAC jumped by 45%, Meng told MSNBC earlier this month.
The demand for food at AFAC has attracted both national and international media attention, with a BBC reporter visiting the organization’s distribution center near Shirlington last week.
They’re getting extra chicken for Christmas at this food pantry in Virginia. Without food assistance, millions of American families would have nothing to eat this holiday season. Our report soon on @BBCWorldpic.twitter.com/cVX4H93Ogg
The rise in demand locally tracks with trends seen nationwide.
An Associated Press analysis of Feeding America data from 181 food banks in its network found the organization has distributed nearly 57 percent more food in the third quarter of the year, compared with the same period in 2019.
Food and financial donations are enough to keep up with demand, but as numbers continue to increase, Meng told ARLnow more help will be needed.
“We have sufficient supplies to address our needs for the foreseeable future,” he said. “Financial donations have also been good, but with increasing numbers we need all (the money) that people can spare.”
The annual Boy Scout food drive, which usually brings in 50,000 pounds, was cancelled, but several scout groups still came through with smaller-scale drives, bringing in 36,000 pounds, he said.
Donations from grocery stores are about level with last year, and individual donations have been “very strong,” he said.
Nationwide, food banks are seeing fewer volunteers during the pandemic, NPR reports. In some cases, the usual group of volunteers includes older people, who are staying home due to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
AFAC also runs on the work of volunteers, who Meng commended for making sure the food bank handles the increase in visits despite the danger posed by the pandemic.
“Distributing food is one of the things we do well,” he told ARLnow. “We have a dedicated cadre of volunteers who have stepped up to help — they are the real heroes of AFAC.”
With performances canceled and potential gatherings impacted by COVID-19, a local nonprofit says that catastrophe looms for arts organizations without assistance from Arlington County.
“We all can agree that the arts have been and will continue to be a critical component of our healing, our sanity, our quality of life and our overall well-being as together we fight this virus and protect our citizens,” Embracing Arlington Arts President Janet Kopenhaver wrote.
Embracing Arlington Arts is asking the Arlington County Board to consider helping local arts organizations with financial support, assistance locating safe performance venues, and facilitating introductions with potential corporate donors.
The survey of Arlington’s arts organizations found:
Arts organizations laid off 15% of full-time staff and 55% of part-time staff as of Nov. 1
More than half lost 41%-60% of their income
43% reported that they would have to close their doors in the next 16 months without “additional financial resources”
Only 10% believe the earliest they will be able to offer live performances is within the next four months
“From our younger generations to our seniors to residents with disabilities to those struggling with depression or mental illness, the arts can help us survive this pandemic and be stronger when we can all come together again,” Kopenhaver said.
After a week-long dip in cases, Arlington’s already-high average daily case count is heading back up.
The county recorded 154 coronavirus cases on Sunday alone, a new record. Today (Monday) the cumulative case count crossed 8,000, with 79 new cases, bringing the seven-day trailing average to 84.4 cases per day.
One new COVID-related death and one new hospitalization were reported over the weekend. The seven-day hospitalization total in Arlington is currently 22, unchanged from Friday.
Arlington’s test positivity rate, meanwhile, has dropped to 6.9% as the average daily number of tests performed has again risen above 1,000, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. The average rate of tests performed was last above 1,000 per day around Thanksgiving.
Lovings Might Not Want Name Used for Road — “The problem with these efforts [to rename Lee Highway as “Loving Avenue”] is that the surviving family has strong feelings about these efforts, statues, renaming of roads etc. They do not want this and the attention it brings. We in Caroline [County] try to be sensitive to their wishes and how they view these efforts and the Loving story. I would like nothing better than to see her remembered in this way, but must defer to the wishes of the family.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Barcroft Field Getting Video Screen — “Tucker Field at Barcroft Park will have an enhanced look for the 2021 season, as it was announced on Friday, Dec. 16 that construction has begun on a new videoboard to be used by the GW Baseball program. The project, entirely privately funded, was made possible due to a lead gift from Joe and Leslie Barmakian, parents of current GW student-athlete and baseball team member, Steve Barmakian.” [GW Sports]
Jail COVID Tests Only Find One Case — “In partnership with the Arlington County Public Health Department and the Virginia National Guard, the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office tested 196 inmates and 274 deputies, civilians and contractors for COVID-19. There was only one staff member who tested positive among the 470 people tested.” [Arlington County]
Beyer Proposes New COVID Research Funding — “Rep. Don Beyer this week introduced the COVID-19 Long Haulers Act, which would authorize and fund research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PICORI) to benefit so-called “long haulers,” people who experience long term effects of COVID-19 infections.” [Press Release]
Funding Available for Overdue Utility Bills — “Arlingtonians who are having trouble paying their water and sewer bills due to pandemic-related economic hardship may be eligible to have their bills paid through the County’s new Utility Relief program. The application deadline is January 15. The program is funded through a $383,338 state coronavirus relief grant accepted by the County Board at its Tuesday, Dec. 15 Recessed Meeting.” [Arlington County]
Strong Leasing for New Ballston Building — “I’m expecting revenue to increase next year because of [B.F. Saul]’s new project called The Waycroft delivered earlier this year. The project comprises 491 apartment units and 60,000 square feet of retail space in Arlington, Virginia, as mentioned in the business update. Around 353, or 72% of available units, are leased.” [Seeking Alpha]
First quarter grades for economically disadvantaged high-schoolers from 2018 to 2020 (Image via APS)
First quarter grades for first-level English learners in high school from 2018 to 2020 (Image via APS)
First quarter grades for Black high-schoolers from 2018 to 2020 (Image via APS)
First quarter grades for Hispanic middle-schoolers from 2018 to 2020 (Image via APS)
(Updated at 4:55 p.m.) In addition to elementary students, more middle- and high-school students in Arlington Public Schools are struggling to make passing grades this year, according to a new APS report.
Black and Hispanic students, English-language learning students, and students with disabilities are experiencing the deepest drops.
“We knew that we might see some degradation in scores, and this is helpful to understand exactly where we are seeing some deep drops,” School Board Chair Monique O’Grady said during the School Board meeting on Thursday night.
The new report builds on data released earlier this month, and follows on requests from School Board members for more precise data the impact distance learning is having on different groups of students. Fairfax County Public Schools released a similar report last month.
Overall, Es — failing grades — account for 2.1% of all middle school grades this year, up from 0.7% last year. This year, 5.4% of high school grades are Es, up from 4.3% last year.
The full report separates data for middle and high school, but during the meeting, Superintendent Francisco Durán presented overall trends for specific student groups.
This year, the percentage of English-language learners and students with disabilities earning Es increased by 11 and 6.2 percentage points, respectively, he said.
Among racial and ethnic groups, the percentage of Hispanic and Black English-language learners in secondary grades earning Es increased by 15 and 7 percentage points, respectively, he said.
Economically-disadvantaged students were also hard-hit, according to the report. Last year, 10.3% of economically disadvantaged high schoolers received Es, compared with 17.5% this year. In middle school, the percentage grew from 4% last year to 11% this year.
Meanwhile, white children registered smaller increases in failing grades: 1.4% of middle-schoolers earned Es this year, compared to 0.6% last year, while 3% of high-schoolers earned Es this year, compared to 1.6% last year, according to the report.
In-person learning supports — such as “work space” programs, where kids can get out of the house and study quietly at school — are being rolled out at the Arlington Career Center, H-B Woodlawn, and at Wakefield, Washington-Liberty, Yorktown high schools. Other programs are scheduled to begin at middle schools after the winter break.
Outgoing School Board member Tannia Talento said more needs to be done to support students, even if larger groups of students start returning to classrooms early next year.
“I just want to remind the community that this isn’t just about reopening schools to support these needs and growing gaps,” she said during the meeting. “We are going to have to do this for groups who choose to stay home.”
Talento asked the school system to dig deeper and find out why grades are dropping — for instance, if students are generally dropping one letter grade due to instructional quality, or if generally good students are dropping dramatically in response to factors like a mental health crisis, or a death or job loss in the family.
In addition to disparities in letter grades, Black and Hispanic students are reading at lower proficiency levels, literacy test results show — an issue existed before distance learning. APS has started working on ways to address, through instruction and extra supports, the persistent literacy problems in the system, Durán said.
(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) After peaking last week at just under 100 cases per day, the average rate of new coronavirus cases in Arlington has dropped by 25%.
The seven-day trailing average currently stands at 72 cases per day. Forty-nine new cases were reported Friday, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the county over the course of the pandemic to 7,710.
Arlington’s test positivity rate currently stands at 8.1%, the same rate as one week ago.
Hospitalizations, however, have risen. Fourteen new hospitalizations were reported on Wednesday alone, bringing the trailing seven-day total to 25, the highest point since late May. The current seven-day trailing total of COVID-related hospitalizations is 22, with two new hospitalizations reported in each of the past two days.
Four new coronavirus deaths in Arlington have been reported since Monday. That brings the cumulative pandemic total to 168, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.
Despite the recent drop in cases, county officials sounded the alarm about the level of new cases at Tuesday’s County Board meeting.
“The level of community transition is unacceptably high and has various negative impacts on how our society operates,” Public Health Director Dr. Reuben Varghese said in the County Board recessed meeting this week. “The vaccine is one way we can hopefully leave this nightmare behind us at some point.”
Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington started administering Pfizer vaccines on Thursday. and Varghese said that the vaccines will soon be more widely available.
Pfizer vaccines can be administered by CVS or Walgreens to residents of skilled nursing facilities, as early as next week, he said. Likewise, the Moderna vaccine, set for likely authorization by the Food and Drug Administration, could come to Arlington “as early as next week,” according to Varghese.
The County is waiting on a Vaccine Administration Management System, or VAMS, from the CDC and the Virginia Department of Health, which streamlines appointments, patient monitoring and communication with patients for temporary vaccine clinics. Appointments will be needed to suppress the spread of germs in lines.
“While we’ve had plans for years for mass vaccination, the wrinkle is providing for six foot distances in those plans,” Varghese said.
Vaccinations are underway at Virginia Hospital Center.
Healthcare workers at Arlington hospital are receiving some of the first does of the recently-authorized Pfizer vaccine.
The hospital at 1701 N. George Mason Drive administered 500 COVID-19 vaccines yesterday, with another 1,450 doses expected to be administered through Saturday.
“VHC was one of 18 hospitals in Virginia to receive a portion of the initial Pfizer vaccine shipment,” according to a press release, adding that it “was one of the first hospitals in Northern Virginia to secure the necessary equipment to store and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.”
In all, Virginia is receiving an initial vaccine distribution of nearly a half-million doses, set to go to healthcare workers, first responders and those in long-term care facilities.
“Virginia Hospital Center is thrilled to have this opportunity to vaccinate our front-line workers,” said Rohit Modak, MD, the hospital’s infectious disease chief, in a statement. “While we are definitely not out of the woods just yet, and people should remain vigilant about masking and social distancing guidelines, the arrival of this vaccine brings us hope that we are approaching the end of this pandemic.”
More vaccine is on the way, the hospital says.
“VHC expects to receive an additional shipment of vaccine before the end of the year and will distribute the doses in accordance with CDC and state guidelines,” the press release notes.
On social media, hospital workers expressed their appreciation.
Owners will now be able to set up temporary outdoor seating areas — or TOSAs — in common areas, such as plazas, following a vote during the recessed County Board meeting on Tuesday.
In May, when the County first established a program to allow TOSAs to respond to the pandemic, the seating on sidewalks and patios had to be associated with specific restaurants and bars.
The decision to give restaurants more space and flexibility is partly in response to a request from representatives of a plaza in Shirlington to open the space to outdoor seating for several nearby restaurants.
“Businesses have discovered another dimension of work in this enhanced environment,” County Board member Takis Karantonis said during the meeting. “I believe for the most part they are working very well, I’m very thankful for the enhancement before us today.”
This seating arrangement could be here to stay, County Manager Mark Schwartz told the board.
“We may need to drop the ‘T’ in TOSA,” Schwartz said. “We’ll see.”
To keep this going post-pandemic, the County Board would have to codify it in the zoning ordinance, County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac said. This ordinance will last up to six months after the emergency is declared over.
Expanding seating options through TOSA will accelerate implementation and avoid the fees associated with existing county processes for approving outdoor seating, Anthony Fusarelli, assistant director for the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Urban Development, told ARLnow.
The change comes as County officials encourage restaurants, which have set up tents and heaters outside the new permitting process, to go through official channels.
“We’re finding propane heaters used and stored under tents, and tents not being set up under TOSA,” which is not allowed, Fusarelli told the County Board.
CPHD has received only a dozen tent requests through TOSA applications, which means owners may not be aware of the rules, or are going outside of them, Fusarelli said.
This spring, the County had 250 requests for outdoor dining “of some sort,” and 120 TOSA applications, Fusarelli said. Since the temporary program launched, his department has approved 93 TOSAs.
“We’re doing the best we can on our end to respond to requests,” Fusarelli said. “We approved the first applications late last week, and will approve more in the future.”
The change would especially help restaurants without space on their property to accommodate and winterize outdoor seating according to Virginia’s fire codes. Heaters have to be five feet from exits, awnings and tents, and only electric heaters are permitted under tents.
Medium Rare owner Mark Bucher, who said he has not heard back about his TOSA application, is still chafing against the restriction that prohibits propane heaters from being installed under tents.
He is doing it anyway, even though the Arlington County Fire Department has repeatedly asked the restaurant to turn the heaters off.
(Updated at 10 a.m.) Despite the pandemic, and dozens of COVID-19 cases, Arlington-based Marymount University says the fall semester — conducted with a mix of in-person and virtual classes — was largely a success.
“In what has been perhaps the most challenging semester for U.S. higher educational institutions in recent memory, Marymount University has successfully navigated the Fall 2020 academic semester as planned without any disruptions to its hybrid learning format or in-person living,” the university said.
Marymount says that it had 86 positive cases of COVID-19 among its students, faculty and staff — around 4,000 people — between mid-August and mid-December. That’s about a 2.2% infection rate among the school community during that time.
By comparison, Arlington’s overall population of around 230,000 recorded 4,329 positive cases from Aug. 15 to Dec. 15, a 1.9% infection rate.
The university said it was able to contain a cluster of infections on campus in October with the help of targeted testing and Arlington’s Public Health Department.
According to Marymount, only six of the 86 positive cases were among staff members and none of those staff members were subsequently hospitalization. Additionally, the university says that no infections were traced back to a classroom setting.
Marymount conducted in-person classes for most of the semester, but held classes, exams and other course requirements after Thanksgiving break online.
“In my view, especially for a university located in the populous Washington, D.C., metro area, this is a success story worth sharing – and it’s thanks to all of our community members for understanding their roles in keeping each other safe,” Marymount President Dr. Irma Becerra said in a press release. “Our low rate of infection and continuous operations throughout the fall speak volumes in support of our preparation and determination to fulfill our mission — to provide a high-quality academic experience that opens doors for students and helps them grow personally and professionally.”
The university spent around $2 million preparing for the fall semester, the Washington Business Journal reported in September. Marymount received slightly over that amount from the CARES Act, but reportedly dedicated those funds to student financial aid and refunds.
Marymount, which has campuses along N. Glebe Road in Ballston and in residential North Arlington, is planning to begin spring classes on January 19, “with the hybrid class format continuing for the foreseeable future.”
“In order to begin the semester in a safe and secure manner, the University intends to test all student residents, student athletes, commuters registered for in-person classes, faculty who teach in-person classes and identified staff members for COVID-19 prior to the start of classes,” the university said. “In addition, Marymount is working on a campus plan for vaccination whenever it becomes available to higher educational institutions.”
ANC and Addison Alternatives Announced — “Metro will offer free shuttle bus service and other travel alternatives during the spring closure of Addison Road and Arlington Cemetery stations on the Blue and Silver lines, the transit agency announced today. Addison Road and Arlington Cemetery will be closed from Saturday, Feb. 13 through Sunday, May 23, 2021, to allow for construction.” [WMATA]
Business Buys Ballroom Building, Before Bar by Beer Boss Brings Big Bucks — “Monument Realty has acquired the former Clarendon Ballroom as the owners of popular beer garden The Lot plan to open a temporary event venue inside the building on Arlington County’s Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. MR 3185 Wilson Retail LLC, an affiliate of the District-based commercial real estate developer, acquired the building at 3185 Wilson Blvd. Dec. 11 for about $6.7 million, according to Arlington County land records.” [Washington Business Journal]
COVID Concerns Cause County Crew Changes — “You can now add snow removal to the long list of things that have had to change because of COVID-19. ‘This year, what makes it different than many other years, is the threat of COVID and really the concern of just keeping the employees safe, keeping them distanced enough to where they can do their work but also go home safely,’ said Jeremy Hassan, the chief operating engineer for Arlington County’s Water, Sewer, and Streets Bureau.” [Fox 5]
