coronavirus

Arlington Playgrounds Reopening Today

By ARLnow.com

Good news for kids and parents: two weeks after dog parks and tennis courts reopened, playgrounds and outdoor public restrooms are opening up today.

Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation made the announcement Thursday afternoon, amid the slowing rate of new COVID-19 infections. In addition to the reopening of playgrounds and restrooms, athletic field and court lights will be turned back on and organized sports allowed in parks.

Park users are asked to continue adhering to social distancing guidelines, and anyone with flu-like symptoms or recent contact with a known COVID-19 case is asked to refrain from using park amenities.

More from the parks department:

Effective Fri., June 26, Arlington County will reopen playgrounds and outdoor restrooms, including playgrounds located at Arlington Public Schools. Athletic field and court lighting will return to regular schedules. Park users must continue to social distance and comply with and follow the appropriate usage  guidelines. Here is a list of open park amenities and their usage guidelines:

  • Athletic fields (with restrictions)
  • Basketball courts
  • Batting cages
  • Bocce courts
  • Community gardens
  • Disc golf course
  • Dog parks
  • Playgrounds
  • Pickleball courts
  • Picnic shelters (with restrictions)
  • Restrooms
  • Skate park
  • Tennis courts
  • Tracks
  • Trails
  • Volleyball courts

Organized and drop-in games are allowed on athletic fields. Continue to practice social distancing when possible. Avoid physical contact during sports or fitness activities.

Access to various amenities, such as courts and shelters continue to be first-come, first-served at this time.

Do not use any Arlington County park amenity, if you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing, or have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

Park visitors are asked to adhere to the physical distancing and small group guidelines – keep at least six feet of distance from others and groups should not exceed 50 people. Wearing a cloth face covering is encouraged.

Coronavirus Cases Continue to Slow, But Death Count Jumps

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) Despite a mass-testing event a week ago, that saw nearly 1,000 people tested in one day, only 53 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Arlington over the past seven days.

That’s the lowest seven-day total since March 28, when only 75 cases had thus far been confirmed in the county as the outbreak got underway and testing was scarce.

As of Friday morning, Arlington had a cumulative total of 2,449 confirmed cases, 417 hospitalizations and 132 deaths, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. Four new cases and one new hospitalization were reported overnight. The total new hospitalizations over the past week currently stands at eight.

Five additional deaths were added to the count overnight, the largest daily increase since late May. Only one additional COVID-related death had been reported over the past week. Local officials say today’s increase is mostly due to a review of past data by the state health department.

“The reported jump is a result of a periodic review by VDH of the death certificate data it receives,” explained Arlington Public Health Division spokeswoman Cara O’Donnell. “[It] reflects four cases from April and May. As VDH conducts these periodic reviews we expect to receive reports of additional deaths in conjunction with when these reviews take place.”

Arlington’s test positivity rate, meanwhile, has continue to fall with the mass testing event factored in. For lab-based PCR tests, the positivity rate currently stands at 3.6%.

Arlington and the rest of Virginia is set to enter Phase 3 of the reopening on Wednesday. Texas and Florida, meanwhile, have paused their reopening amid and “explosion” of cases there and across the South.

APS to Propose Students Spending Two Days in Classrooms Per Week

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 5 p.m.) Under a new Arlington Public Schools proposal, set to be presented Thursday night, most students would start the new school year in a hybrid instructional model that involves only two days in classrooms per week.

Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán, who told APS families in an email earlier this week that the school system was “reviewing hybrid instructional models that blend in-person and distance learning for students,” is set to make the presentation to the School Board tonight.

The proposal would divide students into three groups: one that would attend in-person classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, another would attend classes in person on Thursdays and Fridays, while a third group would consist of students whose families opt for distance learning only.

According to the presentation, Monday would be a planning day for teachers and a distance learning day for all students.

That is similar to the model announced by Fairfax County Public Schools earlier this week.

The goal is to reduce the potential for a wide-scale coronavirus outbreak in a school, while also keeping students engaged and interacting with one another.

In the presentation, APS says it is planning a number of other safety measures, including:

  • Staff and student health screening
  • Personal protective equipment and face covering requirements
  • Increased disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces
  • Public health signage
  • Physical distance floor markings

The presentation details the results of surveys of APS staff, students and families. Notable findings include:

  • 39% of staff say they’re “not comfortable at all” returning to physical schools
  • 70% of staff say they would return to school in the fall if asked, while 10% would “request work-from-home accommodations for health reasons,” 1% would not return, and 19% are uncertain
  • 75% of staff support mask requirements for APS staff
  • 42% of families prefer only in-person instruction in the fall, while 37% prefer a hybrid model
  • 99% of students say they “have access to the technology I need” for distance learning, compared to 81% of staff members

Families are expected to be sent an enrollment notice in early July that will allow them to opt in to a distance learning-only model in the fall.

For remote-only elementary students, daily APS teacher-led instruction will be provided, “in combination with asynchronous instruction.” For high school students, distance learning will be provided “in partnership with online virtual course providers.”

“While [high school] students enrolled in virtual courses may receive their instruction from a teacher outside of APS, they will be closely monitored by a faculty member from the school of attendance,” the presentation notes.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Amazon Nears Thousandth HQ2 Hire — “Even amid the region’s economic shutdown, Amazon has still been staffing up its HQ2 offices in Arlington, quickly approaching its 1,000th hire at the second headquarters campus, said Brian Kenner, head of HQ2 policy. ‘We’ve been very happy with the caliber of candidates,’ Kenner said.” [Washington Business Journal]

Pandemic Making Single-Family Homes Pricier — “Could the bloom be off the rose when it comes to urban (or urban-village) living? Figures are preliminary at best, but there is some inkling that the COVID-19 pandemic may be changing patterns among home-buyers. ‘Relatively better performance of single-family homes in relation to multi-family condominium properties clearly suggest migration from the city centers to the suburbs,’ said Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association Realtors, in parsing sales data from May.” [InsideNova]

New Arlington Poet Laureate — “Award-winning poet and Marymount University professor Holly Karapetkova has been selected as the second Poet Laureate of Arlington County. During her two-year appointment, which begins July 1, 2020, she will serve as an advocate for poetry and the literary arts, working to raise Arlingtonians’ consciousness and appreciation of poetry in its written and spoken forms.” [Arlington County]

Snubbed Business Owners Speak Out — “ASAP Screen Printing is a small business. Yet the Arlington County government did not find the company small enough to deserve assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, instead providing grants to the likes of” hotels and franchisees of chain restaurants like Subway and Jimmy John’s, writes ASAP owner Mohammad Shiekhy. [InsideNova]

Toppled Tree Knocks Out Power to Neighborhood — A large tree fell, took down utility lines, and knocked out power to more than 100 homes in North Arlington’s Bellevue Forest neighborhood last night. [Twitter]

APS Eyeing Hybrid Model for Fall Return to School

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s new superintendent says Arlington Public Schools is focusing on a potential hybrid model for the return to school in the fall.

Dr. Francisco Durán is scheduled to update the School Board on back-to-school planning on Thursday. He said an APS Task Force this week “is reviewing hybrid instructional models that blend in-person and distance learning for student.”

“We are also planning for a distance-learning-only option for students who are in high risk health categories or are not comfortable returning to school in person,” Durán added.

Nearly three-quarters of families said in a recent APS survey that they would be comfortable sending kids back into classrooms this fall, with a plurality preferring only in-person instruction over a hybrid model (42% to 37%). Only 10% of survey respondents preferred keeping students out of classrooms altogether to start the school year, according to an email Durán sent to APS families Tuesday afternoon.

Fairfax County, meanwhile, plans to give families two options to start the school year: entirely virtual online learning or a hybrid in which students would be in class at least two days a week.

Last month interim superintendent Cintia Johnson said distance learning to start the school year was “very probable.”

The full email from Durán is below.

Dear APS Community,

We continue to develop our plan for returning to school this fall based on the state’s guidance, working in collaboration with the Task Force, regional superintendents, and the Arlington County Public Health Division. This week, our team is reviewing hybrid instructional models that blend in-person and distance learning for students, assuming Virginia enters Phase 3 by the start of school.

The Task Force has already reviewed many possible instructional models and is now focusing on three that best meet APS needs and align with neighboring school divisions. We are also planning for a distance-learning-only option for students who are in high risk health categories or are not comfortable returning to school in person.

I will share more details on our work and present the recommended instructional model at the School Board meeting this Thursday. Deciding on the model will allow for us to begin to make decisions regarding staffing, budget, childcare, transportation, and other elements of our plan.

The results are in from the staff, student and family surveys on distance learning and reopening, and I would like to thank everyone who participated. Your input is invaluable as we work to plan for the upcoming year. We will post the complete results on our APS Engage webpage by this Friday. In the meantime, here are a few highlights which are informing our work moving forward:

  • 37% of families preferred reopening school with a hybrid combination of in-person and distance learning; 42% preferred in-person instruction only; and 10% preferred distance learning only.
  • 73% of families said they are comfortable sending students back to school with no concerns or some concerns; 9% were not at all comfortable.
  • 38% of staff said they are comfortable returning to school/workplace with no concerns or some concerns, while 39% said they were not at all comfortable returning.
  • The top factors influencing the level of comfort in returning for both groups were whether public health regulations will be followed, disinfection of facilities, and availability of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
  • 35% of families reported that their students will not continue to ride the school bus, and 28% are uncertain if their students would continue to ride the bus.

We are developing health and safety plans to address these concerns to make sure students and staff are learning and working in a safe environment.

In terms of distance learning feedback, a few highlights:

  • Families (52%), students (43%) and staff (62%) all preferred a combination of live, synchronous distance learning and self-directed, asynchronous distance learning.
  • Students indicated that they know how to contact their teachers and get technical help when necessary (68% for both).
  • Staff indicated that they mostly felt “somewhat prepared” to connect with students, provide social-emotional support, and provide instructional supports to students (Special Needs, English Learners, and Gifted); further questions allowed them to specify what professional development and supports they would need.

This input will help inform our work in developing professional supports for staff, providing training as needed, and making sure that the 2020-21 school year is a success for all.

I hope that you will continue to follow updates on APS Engage and that you can join me at 7 p.m. tonight for the final Community Town Hall in this initial series of virtual events I have held this month. I also encourage you to view the School Board meeting on Thursday, June 25, as I present the recommended instructional model along with other important details and next steps.

Sincerely,

Dr. Francisco Durán
Superintendent
Arlington Public Schools

New Coronavirus Infections in Arlington Remain Low, As Demographics Skew Younger

By ARLnow.com

For the fourth time in the past five days, the number of new coronavirus infections reported in Arlington today was in the single-digits.

The seven new confirmed COVID-19 cases recorded overnight brings the county’s cumulative total to 2,438 and its trailing seven-day total to 66, the lowest point since late March.

Only one new COVID hospitalization was reported today, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. It has been a week since the last time the county’s coronavirus death count changed — it currently stands at 126.

The demographics of those getting sick, meanwhile, have been shifting younger. Those ages 10-29 accounted for 18.6% of all reported infections in Arlington four weeks ago. As of Tuesday, that age range accounted for 20.6% of all cases, with the 20-29 range responsible for the biggest shift.

By contrast, the proportion of infections among those ages 30-39 has not changed. Infections among those ages 60+ have decreased from 28.8% to 26.9% of all local cases.

All of Virginia is set to enter Phase 3 of the reopening next Wednesday, July 1.

Virginia to Enter ‘Phase 3’ Reopening Next Week

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) All of Virginia will enter Phase 3 of the reopening on Wednesday, July 1, Gov. Ralph Northam announced this afternoon.

Northam said that statewide coronavirus infection and hospitalization data is trending in the right direction, and the state has ample hospital bed availability and supplies of personal protective equipment, allowing a wider business reopening. Arlington and Northern Virginia entered Phase 2 of the reopening on Friday, June 12.

“This gives us about three and a half weeks in Phase 2, where we have been able to follow the data,” Northam said, adding that he wants people to keep wearing masks and follow guidelines to avoid recent spikes in other states.

“This is because Virginians have followed the guidelines of social distancing, handwashing and use of facial protection,” he said of the next reopening phase. “We encourage you to continue doing that.”

Phase 3 will:

  • Allow social gatherings with groups of up to 250
  • Lift capacity restrictions on non-essential retail stores
  • Lift capacity restrictions on restaurants, though all parties must be separated by at least six feet
  • Allow fitness centers and pools to open at 75% capacity
  • Allow entertainment venues to open at 50% capacity
  • Allow barbershops and salons to serve customers without an appointment
  • Still required masks to be worn in indoor public spaces

Northam said the Virginia Dept. of Health is continuing to hire contact tracers, to help stamp out coronavirus outbreaks, noting that about 1,000 have been hired so far.

Ashley Hopko contributed to this report

Bun’d Up Hoping to Serve Alcoholic Drinks at Pentagon Row, but Wary of Second Virus Wave

By Vernon Miles
1/3

Like a lot of local restaurants, it’s been a rough spring for Bun’d Up — which opened at Pentagon Row (1201 S. Joyce Street) in December — but its owner hopes warmer weather and the forthcoming delivery of speciality Asian alcoholic drinks can help turn things around.

Bun’d Up’s Scott Chung said the business is being inspected later this week for a new ABC permit that, if approved, would allow it to offer in-restaurant serving or home delivery of beer and wine.

“We’re trying to jump on board with the take-home drink trend,” Chung said. “This area allows people to drink in the courtyard and we’re hoping to do take-home delivery of alcohol as well. We’ll see how it goes, and try to expand to do more Asian-inspired drinks.”

Chung said from what he’s heard, frozen drinks have been selling really well at other local restaurants. Bun’d Up just got new ice machines and Chung said he’s hoping to start with frozen drinks to test the waters.

“We’re going to focus on Asian-inspired Korean beers and soju, and specialize in Japanese whiskeys,” Chung said.

The restaurant is still trying to figure out which distributor to use and the prices for the drinks haven’t been set in stone, but Chung said it will be comparable to other restaurants in the area.

In general, Chung said he’s hopeful alcohol sales can help boost a business that’s been hurting over the last few months of the pandemic.

“In the beginning, it was pretty rough, but we’re doing better,” Chung said. “It’s still not comparable to before all this started, but we do see some weekends better than others. I think alcohol and getting an outside presence will help.”

There are other ideas in the pipeline, but Chung said the immediate focus will be putting together food that pairs well with alcohol and drawing more attention to the outside space — assuming the good weather holds up.

“The weather has still been pretty funny,” Chung said. “We had a cold rush last week, but right now it’s hot and there’s a ton of people outside.”

Chung said he’s eagerly looking forward to the third phase of reopening.

“Once Phase 3 [of reopening] happens, the business should get a lot better,” Chung said. “Once Phase 2 hit, even before that started — when they announced Phase 2, we were busier. It took some weight off people’s shoulders that it’s getting better.”

Chung is wary of a second coronavirus wave, however, and he said that’s curbed his enthusiasm for rehiring a full staff.

“We get complaints about how long it takes sometimes to get food ready,” Chung said. “That’s probably the number one complaint we hear, but we can’t staff at earlier levels. With a potential second wave, don’t want to staff more people and then turn around and lay them off again.”

Chung said if the recovery continues, he’ll hire more staff to help speed food preparation and delivery, but for now he’s waiting out the summer to see how the virus continues to impact the community.

Morning Poll: Are You Dining Out Again?

By ARLnow.com

With the start of Northern Virginia’s “Phase 2” reopening nearly two weeks ago, diners could again enjoy a meal indoors at a restaurant.

But how many people are actually doing that?

A growing scientific consensus suggests that coronavirus — a respiratory infection that spreads via airborne droplets — infects most prolifically in confined indoor spaces, when one is exposed for an extended period of time to someone who has the virus, particularly if that person is doing a lot of talking or singing. That makes restaurants and churches potentially fertile ground for the spread of COVID-19.

Nonetheless, in Phase 2 restaurants are allowed to open at 50% capacity indoors. Soon, if the state moves to Phase 3, the capacity limitation could be lifted.

Phase 1 allowed outdoor dining in Virginia, but outdoor transmission of the virus is believed to be much less common than indoors — part of the reason why the wave of mass protests across the U.S. did not result in a large wave of infection. Meanwhile, coronavirus is currently surging throughout much of the South and Sun Belt, hot places where people are spending more time indoors and where businesses started reopening earlier in the pandemic.

One will find few arguments against supporting local restaurants by dining outside or ordering takeout, but indoor dining is still making some people wary, despite mitigation measures like spread out tables, servers wearing masks and frequent cleaning.

On the other hand, Arlington has been reporting relatively few new cases as of late, including just seven new cases overnight. The fewer infections in a given area, the lower the chance of getting infected — though the reported numbers are likely a fraction of the actual number of infections, including asymptomatic cases.

Have you gone back to dining out, inside a restaurant, or are you not quite ready to do that yet?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

GOP Senate Primary Today — “Three Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in Tuesday’s Virginia primary are hoping to win a chance to defeat incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner in November’s general election. Alissa Baldwin, Daniel Gade and Thomas Speciale will be on the Republican primary ballot.” [The Center Square]

Pike Housing Proposal Delayed Amid Outcry — “Faced with criticism on multiple fronts, Arlington County Board members on June 16 essentially threw a staff proposal under the bus, delaying for three months consideration of a controversial plan on how to prioritize affordable housing in the Columbia Pike corridor… It would have increased the maximum threshold, from the current 60 percent of area median income to up to as much as 100 percent, for individuals to qualify for assistance in buying properties.” [InsideNova]

River Rescues Near Chain Bridge Saturday — “D.C. firefighters and police officers on Saturday rescued eight adults and four children who became trapped on rocks in the Potomac River and were cut off from shore by rapidly rising waters in a sudden rainstorm.” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Arlington Home Show Cancelled — The pandemic has led to the cancellation of the annual Arlington Home Show and Garden Expo, which had earlier been rescheduled for Saturday, June 27. [Arlington County]

ACPD Investigating Brandishing Incident — “On June 21, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was driving in the area of 31st Street S. and S. Abingdon Street when he was allegedly cut off by the suspect. The suspect then waved the victim in front of him and began following him. When the victim parked, the suspect pulled alongside his vehicle and a verbal dispute ensued, during which the suspect brandished a firearm.” [Arlington County]

Traffic Getting Back to Normal — “Car and truck volume trends in Virginia are moving back toward normal after plummeting during the COVID-19 shutdown, according to numbers released Friday by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Pandemic traffic on state-maintained interstates and primary roads hit a low on April 12, a Sunday… The numbers have gradually rebounded since, climbing back to around 20 percent below normal by the end of May.” [Virginia Mercury]

Clarendon, Va. Square Metro Stations Reopening This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Metro plans to reopen the Clarendon and Virginia Square Metro stations in Arlington, starting Sunday.

The stations — along with 15 others throughout the Metrorail system — closed in late March as the pandemic caused ridership to plummet and Metro started rationing cleaning supplies. Most are set to reopen this weekend.

“Metro today announced that 15 rail stations that had been closed as part of the transit agency’s Covid-19 response will reopen on Sunday, June 28,” the transit agency said in a press release. “In addition, beginning Monday, June 28, buses will be added to the system’s 14 busiest bus lines to provide more capacity and more frequent service as the region reopens.”

“After Sunday, Arlington Cemetery will be the only Metrorail station without regular service, as Arlington National Cemetery is closed to the general public,” the press release notes.

Arlington’s East Falls Church Metro station, meanwhile, will remain closed to rail service and parking due to ongoing platform reconstruction work. Shuttle buses, however, will resume serving the East Falls Church, McLean and Greensboro stations on Sunday.

View More Stories