coronavirus

Testing Up, Deaths Now Over 100 As Reopening in Sight

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 1:40 p.m.) Arlington and other Northern Virginia localities say they’re ready to reopen by the end of the week.

That’s according to a letter signed by Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey and other elected officials, sent to Gov. Ralph Northam and posted by Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson on Monday evening.

“We have enclosed the updated May 24th assessment by the five [Northern Virginia] public health directors,” the letter says. “They have noted the regional attainment of four of the critical metrics and assessed the need for continued focus on expanding our contact tracing capability and developing sustainable supplies of PPE.”

The letter says the region is prepared for a Phase 1 reopening on Friday.

“Each of our jurisdictions have been making preparations to support a transition into Phase 1 at midnight on May 28,” the letter says, adding that “we would like the Northern Virginia region to move to Phase 2 in concert with the rest of the Commonwealth when that date is established.”

Hospitalizations and positive coronavirus tests have been trending down over the past two weeks, the letter says, while testing is increasing and hospitals have sufficient spare capacity.

The backdrop of the letter, in Arlington, is a surge in testing that has pushed the average tests per day over the past 7 days to over 200, as well as a hospitalization rate — 36 hospitalizations over the past week — that is well below the peak of 92. The test positivity rate, meanwhile, has fallen below 20%.

The increase in testing is due for another bump, thanks to a free COVID-19 testing event at the Barcroft Fitness and Recreation Center on S. Four Mile Run Drive today.

As of 9:45 a.m., testing had started early and was slated to run through 6 p.m. Police are assisting with traffic control, with cars lining up for blocks around the facility. The testing does not require a doctor’s order or an appointment.

“This is a state-sponsored event and is similar to other large-scale testing events in Northern Virginia,” Dr. Reuben Varghese, Arlington Public Health Director, told ARLnow over the weekend. “This site will be a one-day event with drive-through and walkup testing. We expect to test 1,000 people.”

As of 1:35 p.m., the site had reached capacity and was no longer accepting new patients.

Increasing testing is a priority after several weeks of the testing rate seeming to have plateaued in Arlington.

“As private health care providers ramp up to offer testing, the state is also making opportunities available to ensure testing is offered for those who seek it,” Varghese said, also noting that the county’s drive-through and walk-up testing sites remain open.

With the increased testing and decreased hospitalizations locally comes optimism today on the medical front. The stock market is up Tuesday morning thanks to word from several pharmaceutical companies that their coronavirus vaccine development is advancing, with positive early data.

On the less optimistic side, cases in Arlington County continue to increase. While the rate of increase is below the peak of three weeks ago, there are still around 300 new cases reported every seven days.

And a grim milestone was reached over the Memorial Day weekend: the number of COVID-related deaths in the county has passed 100. As of Tuesday morning, the latest data from the Virginia Dept. of Health shows 1,935 cases, 367 cumulative hospitalizations and 104 deaths in Arlington.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Free Coronavirus Testing Event Today — “Arlington County will host a free COVID-19 testing event on Tuesday, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Barcroft (4200 S Four Mile Run Drive). Tests available both by drive-up and walk-up. No doctor’s note or ID required… the public can anticipate heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area.” [Arlington County, Twitter, Twitter]

Flasher Arrested After Incident Near Ballston — “At approximately 12:12 p.m., an officer on patrol was flagged down by an individual in need of assistance. It was determined that the victim was in the area when she was allegedly approached by the male suspect who exposed himself before running away. The officer located an individual matching the suspect description and, during the course of the investigation, he was positively identified.” [Arlington County]

New Facade, Name Change for Crystal City Building — “JBG Smith Properties is looking to revamp, rebrand and add more leasable space to its Crystal Drive office campus, including one building partly leased and occupied by Amazon.com Inc. as part of HQ2. The new name for the entire office and residential complex, long known as Crystal Park: The Parks at National Landing.” [Washington Business Journal]

Bakeshop Closes Due to COVID Case — Bakeshop in Clarendon is temporarily closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The store is now being cleaned and other employees testing. The bakery’s Falls Church location remains open. [Twitter]

How Hotel Manager Chose ‘KIND’ Message — “He kept coming back to one night, in particular, when a Southwest Airlines pilot approached the front desk. He brought a woman with two children from the airport who had been stranded for the night, their connecting flight canceled. The pilot offered to pay for their room and then pulled out his wallet, handing the woman cash for a meal. ‘The woman started to cry and asked the pilot, ‘Can I give you a hug?”” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Restaurant Fire Causes Significant Damage — “On Thursday, May 21 at approximately 11:23 a.m., units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Arlington County Fire Department and the City of Alexandria Fire Department were dispatched for a reported building fire in the 5200 block of Leesburg Pike in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County… Damages as a result of the fire were approximately $350,000.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Photo courtesy Dennis Chiappetta

Local Urgent Care Clinic Falls Victim to Coronavirus

By ARLnow.com

MidAtlantic Urgent Care is closing after nearly nine years in business, citing a big financial hit from the pandemic.

The locally-owned clinic at 3301 Wilson Boulevard first opened in 2011. It is closing permanently at the end of May.

In an email to patients, the clinic said it cannot continue meeting its expenses while COVID-19 keeps patients away.

To Our Dear Patients,

It is with mixed emotions that we announce that we will be closing our urgent and primary care practice: MidAtlantic Urgent Care LLC at 3301 Wilson Blvd. effective May 31, 2020. We simply cannot sustain the financial loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been a great pleasure to assist you with your health care needs during the nine years that we have practiced in the Arlington, VA area.

During this pandemic, we are aware of the difficulty of renewing medications and finding a new practice; therefore, we will continue to use our phone mail, patient portal, and telehealth for communication.

We encourage you to stay within the Privia Medical Group system – this will allow easy access to your medical records which are shared within this impressive group of health care providers. Locally there is Pulmonary and Medical Associates, Arlington Primary Care, and Premier Primary Care Physicians – to name a few.

Other urgent care clinics nearby, along the Orange Line corridor, include Ballston Urgent Care and AllCare Family Medicine and Urgent Care.

Photo via MidAtlantic Urgent Care. Hat tip to Dave Schutz.

JUST IN: Distance Learning to Start School Year ‘Very Probable,’ APS Says

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools will “likely” start the new 2020-2021 school year with students staying at home, the interim superintendent told families Friday afternoon.

In a School Talk email, Cintia Johnson — who is soon to be succeeded by newly-hired superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán — said that APS is planning for three scenarios to start the fall: in-home distance learning, a return to classrooms, or a hybrid of the two.

Distance learning is “a likely scenario,” Johnson wrote, noting that APS is awaiting expected guidance from the Virginia Dept. of Education next month. A presentation linked in the email describes distance learning, at least to start, as “very probable.”

“Starting the school year with distance learning, should public health officials advise us it is not safe to reopen. Based on current conditions, this is a likely scenario, and we are preparing for a distance learning model that includes synchronous instruction of new content,” wrote Johnson.

By contrast, “reopening schools as normal with in-person instruction… is the least likely scenario.”

ARLnow previously reported that the school system was gearing up to teach new material via online classes in the fall, if need be, after facing criticism over holding off on teaching new things once the pandemic closed schools. One concern that prompted the decision to hold off on teaching new material — that of equitable access — is getting addressed: Arlington County is spending some of its federal grant from the CARES Act to provide free broadband internet access to households that currently lack it.

The new school year is slated to start Aug. 31.

The full email from the interim superintendent is below, after the jump.

(more…)

BREAKING: Arlington Parks to Partially Reopen Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Exactly two months after closing amid the pandemic, Arlington’s parks are partially reopening in time for Memorial Day weekend.

Arlington County made the announcement shortly before 1 p.m., noting that a number of park amenities will remain closed.

“While parks will reopen, amenities in the parks such as playgrounds, picnic shelters, athletic courts, restrooms and dog parks will remain closed,” said a press release. “The County’s nearly 49 miles of trails and community gardens remain open, as they have throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Spraygrounds, tracks and skate parks are also still closed, the county said in a Q&A page. Some facilities may reopen early next month.

“Arlington anticipates a phased reopening of its Parks and Recreation facilities, with open spaces as a first step,” county officials wrote. “In early June, the County plans to reopen athletic fields (with restrictions), batting cages, dog parks, pickleball courts, shelters (with restrictions), tennis courts and outdoor tracks. As the County looks towards reopening additional park amenities, we will continue to monitor guidance from the national, state and local health officials.”

Summer camps and programs, however, remain cancelled.

Park-goers are being asked to maintain physical distancing — staying at least 6 feet apart — and groups of visitors should not exceed 10 people. Organized sports are still banned.

“Arlington County Police, park rangers, and park rovers will be monitoring parks, trails, playgrounds and fields to ensure people are social distancing and that groups are no bigger than 10 people,” the county said.

A growing scientific consensus suggests that the risk of coronavirus transmission outdoors is very low, though those who cannot maintain a safe distance from others are still encouraged to wear masks. Brief exposure from walking and jogging is likewise thought to carry few risks, though talking or singing in close proximity to one another for a sustained period of time may still be risky, even outdoors.

More on the park reopening from the county press release, below.

(more…)

Arlington Releases Guide for Handling Mental Stress of Social Distancing

By Vernon Miles

Among the ripple effects of COVID-19 is the psychological strain of isolation. While Arlington works to combat the health and economic impacts of the pandemic, the county is also launching initiatives to address the mental impact.

“We have a lot going on in terms of mental health programs and supports as we navigate through coronavirus,” said Kurt Larrick, assistant director of Arlington’s Department of Human Services.

Larrick said coronavirus has forced the DHS to adapt to new methods of checking in and helping those in need. Therapy and case management are being provided via telehealth tools. Day programs, like Clarendon House, Arlington Weaves, and Arlington Adult Day Program, cannot meet in person so staff is checking in with clients on a daily or weekly basis, Larrick said.

“We just started to pilot a friendly caller program (staring with Meals on Wheels recipients) where we get callers to check in on individuals in the program to help combat loneliness and isolation,” Larrick said. “Since Meals on Wheels switched to weekly deliveries instead of daily deliveries, there isn’t as much interpersonal interaction for people in the program. The friendly caller program addresses this issue.”

Larrick also said DHS has also started Monday-Thursday free online meditation for clients.

For the general public, Larrick said Arlington County has put together a new webpage devoted to connecting people to mental wellness resources and self-care tips during the pandemic. That’s in addition to the county’s updated “Get Help Guide.”

“At DHS we haven’t really shut down at all, instead switching to the Assistance from a Distance model to continue to serve clients,” Larrick said. “We have implemented a number of new techniques to stay connected with people and adjusted programs as needed. For people who were facing challenges before COVID — whether that’s employment, food, housing, health, anxiety, substance use, or other behavioral health issues — it’s been an even greater challenge during the pandemic.”

Larrick said people should feel free to call the Arlington Behavioral Healthcare Services Emergency Line at 703-228-5160 or the Children’s Behavioral Healthcare Outpatient Services at 703-228-1560 to seek help.

“We are working hard to support community members and encourage everyone to reach out to friends, family, loved ones, co-workers, neighbors, etc. (safely, of course) to stay connected and remind people that while they may be physically distant, they are not alone,” Larrick said. “For those who need us, we are open and ready to help.”

New Cases, Hospitalizations Continue Pointing Slightly Down in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) Two of the key metrics to track the coronavirus epidemic in Arlington are pointing in the right direction, but only modestly so.

Both new cases and hospitalizations are down, following the release of Friday’s COVID-19 data by the Virginia Dept. of Health.

Arlington now has 1,795 reported cases, 346 hospitalizations and 91 deaths, according to VDH. That’s an increase of 32 cases and two deaths since Thursday. There were no new hospitalizations, though Arlington’s hospitalization data is full of periodic peaks and valleys.

The new figures follow a downward trend in cases and hospitalizations, though the rate of decline in cases is relatively modest and the 7-day trailing hospitalization rate this week held mostly steady.

Testing, another metric that Arlington officials say is key to allowing the county to reopen, has shown little growth over the past two weeks, remaining steady around 150 PCR-based tests per day.

Across the Commonwealth, the picture is rosier, with the number of new daily cases continuing to fall, tests performed continuing to rise and the average test positivity rate now below 15%. In all, Virginia is reporting 34,950 cases, 4,145 hospitalizations, 1,136 deaths, and 223,433 PCR tests performed statewide.

National Guard Conducts Mass Testing at Local Senior Care Facility

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A contingent of National Guard members, some in camo and others in full protective gear, descended on the Sunrise at Ballston Park senior living center today for mass testing of staff and residents.

The coronavirus testing comes amid a worsening outbreak at the facility, located at 5910 Wilson Blvd. While Sunrise had for weeks avoided the kind of large outbreak that has sickened dozens at Regency Care of Arlington in Pentagon City and Brookdale Senior Living in Virginia Square — and possibly others — on Tuesday the facility’s executive director informed families that it had just confirmed the first cases among residents.

“We unfortunately need to report that we currently have three (3) residents who have tested positive for COVID-19,” Sunrise said in an email, obtained by ARLnow. “We continue to serve residents in our community and are working closely with impacted families to support them during this challenging time.”

“We now have had a total of four (4) team members who have tested positive for this virus, 2 more than from our last update,” the email added. “We continue to have ample staff to appropriately serve our residents and are following CDC guidelines to determine when a team member is free to return to work following any exposure, symptoms or diagnosis.”

Sunrise said in the email that it was participating in a state program to test everybody, all at once, at nursing homes and senior living centers that request it.

“We are pleased to confirm that we will be participating in the State of Virginia’s Point Prevalence Survey this Thursday, May 21,” the company told family members. “Virginia’s National Guard will administer COVID-19 testing for all residents and team members… The results are expected back in approximately 72 hours and we will be reaching out to any families where a COVID positive outcome is the result.”

The Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) program was announced by Virginia officials last month as an early intervention tool for slowing outbreaks that spread quickly at long-term care facilities. PPS testing has been conducted in at least one other such facility in Northern Virginia, as reported by NBC 4. A county spokeswoman declined to say whether other facilities in Arlington have received the wide-scale testing.

“The Commonwealth receives and approves the requests for point prevalence surveys at facilities,” said Cara O’Donnell. “Arlington Public Health has encouraged all facilities to conduct point prevalence surveys, and submits the requests from the facilities to the state. We cannot provide information on which facilities have requested this due to health privacy laws.”

As of this morning, the Virginia Dept. of Health reported 14 known COVID-19 outbreaks in Arlington, including nine in long-term care facilities and three in healthcare settings. The county has 1,763 known cases, 346 hospitalizations, and 89 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the latest VDH data.

Nearly half of the 89 deaths were among those ages 80 and above.

(more…)

Cafe Pizzaiolo in Shirlington Auctioning Off Furnishings, Equipment

By ARLnow.com

The future of Cafe Pizzaiolo in Shirlington is in doubt, with most of its equipment and furnishings listed on a commercial auction website.

Everything from light fixtures to kitchen equipment to trash cans are on the auction block. The auction website says the restaurant, which is not named but is clearly Cafe Pizzaiolo in photos, “is closing and will make a liquidation.” The auction closes on Wednesday, June 3.

Still, it’s unclear whether this will mean a permanent or a temporary closure for the pizzeria at 2800 S. Randolph Street, which has a sister location nearby on Fern Street in Alexandria. The latter remains open for delivery and takeout.

“Is Cafe Pizzaiolo in Shirlington closing for good or just moving/downsizing?” asked a tipster who sent a link to the Rasmus Auctions site.

Owner Larry Ponzi tells ARLnow that no decision has been reached quite yet.

“The pandemic has caused us to pivot and rethink all of our businesses,” he said. “We have not made any final decisions about [what] our business in Shirlington will look like/function as when the time is right. We are using the time to strip down, clean, and rethink what the future of the business may be.”

Ponzi and wife Christine own Cafe Pizzaiolo, St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, Market to Market, and the future replacement of Catch on the Ave — all in Alexandria.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

No Word Yet on N. Va. Reopening — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday he has not decided whether Northern Virginia can enter Phase One of reopening on May 29. Northam last week delayed the region’s entry into the first phase of easing restrictions designed to slow the spread of coronavirus until at least midnight on May 28. Most of the rest of the state began easing restrictions on Friday, May 15.” [InsideNova]

Nam-Viet Back Open — Long-time Clarendon restaurant Nam-Viet is back open, starting today, for takeout. “The last two months have been the most challenging time for our restaurant since we first opened our doors 34 years ago,” Nam-Viet said on social media. [Facebook]

County to Restart Commission Meetings — “The Arlington County government’s ability to jumpstart its board and commission process in a social-distancing environment remains, in part, at the mercy of technological and scheduling challenges… The Arlington government has dozens of advisory panels on subject areas ranging from aging and the arts to historic preservation and sports.” [InsideNova]

DCA Passenger Volume Plummets — “DCA overall is registering barely 1,500 passengers a day. The slowest day since the coronavirus outbreak brought just 641, Potter said… Overall, passenger volume at Reagan and Dulles is down 97%.” [Washington Business Journal]

Dumpster Fire at Grocery Store — “Scanner: Firefighters working to extinguish a dumpster fire behind the Giant at the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center (2901 S. Glebe Road).” [@ARLnowDOTcom/Twitter]

County Resuming Bulk Trash Collection Next Week

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s residential waste collection crews will be gradually resuming their collection of bulk items, starting next week.

“Limited curbside bulk item trash collection returns the week of May 25 but to avoid overwhelming the crews and system, residents must call 703-228-5000 to schedule a bulk pickup on their trash day,” the county said on its website. “Limited to 100 customers per day the week of May 25 (regular Monday trash routes on Memorial Day); 150 customers per day the week of June 1.”

“Normal unscheduled bulk collection resumes the week of June 8,” the county says.

Bulk items collected curbside include things “that are too bulky to be bagged, bundled or put in the trash cart (e.g., large furniture like sofas, mattresses, box springs, futons or home construction debris).” Those who receive residential trash collection service — mostly those in single-family home neighborhoods — are eligible to have such items picked up.

Collection of yard waste remains suspended amid the pandemic. The suspensions were necessary “due to truck crew health/staffing during coronavirus,” the county said.

View More Stories