coronavirus

The Week In Photos: Arlington Adapts to a New Normal

By Jay Westcott
1/24

If this were a Navy deployment, we’ve reached the part where “scuttlebutt” starts to spread throughout the ship.

Rumors and innuendo on where we are going and what the mission might be run rampant, especially through the lower ranks and the people who are the least likely to actually know what’s going on.

In times like this, the captain of the ship would address the crew and reassure all the sailors under his command that things would be alright. We would get through the tough times together, and he would tell us we needed to stay focused on what is important. He would remind us to stay safe, follow our procedures and protocols, and listen to our leadership and follow orders.

Some of that leadership seems to be lacking at the federal level, and at the state level things vary so drastically from state to state that it’s hard to make sense of what to do. Here in Arlington, cases are going up though the rate at which they are going up is declining ,at least for now.

The CDC recommends wearing face masks when going out in public places, where maintaining six feet distance from others is difficult and unlikely. If everybody wears masks, the rate of transmission drops. And as this Atlantic article points out, “If 80 percent of the people wear masks that are 60 percent effective… that’s enough to halt the progress of the disease.”

We can’t be complacent, we can’t look at this and say “let’s get back to what was” or “we need to re-open.” Until there is a vaccine that eradicates this virus, we have to learn how to adapt to living with it as a potential risk to each of our lives.

A training mantra in the military is “adapt and overcome.” In this case, until there is adequate testing and contact tracing, we have to adapt our routines and wardrobes to include staying away from people you don’t live with by at least six feet and wearing a face mask. It’s really that simple. This is the “adapt” part. Let’s do our part to adapt until those at the helm of our research find a vaccine that can overcome this.

This past week, in my observations, more Arlingtonians seem to be wearing masks. People are keeping six feet apart from each other, mostly. The cost of the flyover by the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds last weekend can be debated ad nauseam, but it was nice to share in a collective moment, together. As long as you were six feet away from strangers.

Jay Westcott is ARLnow’s staff photographer. See more of his work on our Instagram account.

APS Considering Early End to School Year

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools is considering ending the school year a week early.

The proposal was announced at the School Board meeting Thursday night, in which APS also announced its new superintendent.

The plan, if approved at a May 21 School Board meeting, would set June 12 as the last day for all grade levels. The current 2019-2020 school calendar lists June 17 as the last day for high schools and June 19 as the last day for middle and elementary schools.

The plan also proposes virtual graduations for Arlington’s comprehensive high schools on Thursday, June 18.

APS has refrained from teaching new material since schools closed in mid-March and were later ordered closed through the end of the academic year. The use of online learning to reinforce existing material, rather than teach new material, has proven controversial.

In a press release, below, APS said the extra week of staff time would be used to prepare for an assumed resumption of in-person schooling in the fall. The press release also addresses the possibility of summer school classes being held online.

At last night’s School Board meeting, APS announced a proposed modification to the end of year calendar for 2019-20. The proposed last date is June 12. The School Board is expected to take action on May 21.

Ending instruction on June 12 will allow APS teachers and staff to engage in professional development during the week of June 15 to prepare for a strong re-entry to school in fall 2020. Required virtual staff training will focus on planning for the return to physical school with an emphasis on social emotional support for students; distance learning best practices; preparing to teach 4th quarter content and pacing the rest of the school year; and planning for the possible expansion of continuous learning in the event that schools cannot reopen.

Key dates for students and families:

  • Friday, June 5 – Last day for Seniors (no change)
  • Thursday, June 11 – Virtual Graduation for Arlington Career Center
  • Friday, June 12 – Last day for Elementary, Middle and High School; Virtual Shriver Graduation
  • Wednesday, June 17 – Virtual Middle School Promotions; H-B Woodlawn Virtual Graduation
  • Thursday, June 18 – Virtual Graduation for Washington-Liberty, Wakefield and Yorktown
  • Friday, June 19 – Virtual Graduation for Arlington Community High School and Langston High School Continuation

In June, staff and families will be given time to retrieve items from schools, and 5th, 8th and 12th grade students will be able to return devices. Additional end-of-year guidance for families will be shared soon.

Summer School Plans
APS is also currently developing contingency plans for Summer School based on multiple factors, including guidance from state officials. Plans under consideration include:

  • In-person Summer School in August, if social distancing requirements have been lifted and schools can safely open; or
  • Hybrid in-person and online Summer School in August, if schools can safely open with multiple contingencies to maintain social distancing (e.g. rotating live and online instruction, offering staggered morning and afternoon sessions, doubling sites to allow for social distancing); or
  • Online Summer School in July, if stay-at-home orders persist or if conditions are still unclear in early June, when the decision needs to be made.

“We are committed to offering a modified summer school program for students who need it most, either in person or online,” said Bridget Loft, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning.

At the elementary level, summer school would be available for students who are below grade level in reading or math. At the secondary level, summer school would available be for students who have a final grade of D or E in any class and a documented reason for not being able to access Canvas during the final quarter of the school year. Additionally, New Work for Credit courses would be offered for high school students.

Summer School would be free to those students who are recommended to take a course. Students taking New Work for Credit would pay for the class they enroll in.The School Board will take action on the school year calendar change at the May 21 School Board meeting. APS expects to make a final decision on Summer School in early June, based on guidance from state officials and the best available information at that time. Community members can submit questions regarding the calendar changes through APS Engage at [email protected].

JUST IN: Zip Code Data Shows Elevated Case Level Along Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

The highest relative proportion of coronavirus cases in Arlington is along the Columbia Pike corridor, new data shows.

As of Friday morning, there were 1,281 known COVID-19 cases in Arlington, with 227 hospitalizations and 57 deaths. That’s an increase of 277 cases, 58 hospitalizations and 15 deaths compared to one week prior, and continues a slowing of new cases over the past few days.

The latest Virginia Dept. of Health data shows 22,342 total cases, 3,059 hospitalizations, 812 deaths and 143,220 tests conducted statewide.

In Arlington, the Columbia Pike corridor — the 22204 zip code — had 486 reported cases. That’s 38% of all cases in the county, though the area has only 23% of Arlington’s population. By comparison, the 22201 zip code — part of the the Orange Line corridor and neighborhoods around Courthouse and Clarendon — has 123 cases, or just under 10% of the county total, while containing 16.1% of the population, according to 2010 Census data.

The test positivity rate for 22204 is 35.6%, compared to 16.6% for 22201.

The zip code breakdown, newly related by the state health department and compiled by ARLnow, is below.

  • 22201 (Courthouse, Clarendon, Lyon Park; 16.1% of pop.): 123
  • 22202 (Crystal City, Pentagon City, Arlington Ridge; 10.9% of pop.): 103
  • 22203 (Ballston, Buckingham, Arlington Forest; 10.5% of pop.): 162
  • 22204 (Columbia Pike corridor; 22.8% of pop.): 486
  • 22205 (Westover, Tara-Leeway Heights, East Falls Church; 8.2% of pop.): 68
  • 22206 (Shirlington, Fairlington, Long Branch Creek; 9.2% of pop.): 98
  • 22207 (Cherrydale, Country Club Hills, Yorktown; 14.9% of pop.): 176
  • 22209 (Rosslyn, Radnor-Fort Myer Heights; 5.9% of pop.): 44
  • 22213 (portion of Arlington’s northwest corner; 1.4% of pop.): 10

Zip code map via Arlington County

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Unease About Va. Reopening — “Local leaders and business owners in Northern Virginia were uncertain about Gov. Ralph Northam’s announcement that parts of the state could begin reopening as soon as May 15. ‘Our first reaction was whoa wait a minute, talk to us,’ said Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey. David Guas, the owner of Bayou Bakery in Arlington County, said the state’s guidance on reopening business is becoming unreliable.” [NBC 4]

Republican Candidate Running for County Board — “The Arlington County Republican Committee, which in recent years has found it challenging to field candidates, announced May 7 that retired attorney Bob Cambridge had won the GOP nod for the special-election ballot. ‘Bob will bring a robust discussion of important local issues to this race – focusing on fiscal accountability, government transparency and planning for the future,’ GOP chairman Andrew Loposser said.” [InsideNova]

Arlington Startup Secures More Funding — “Stardog, the leading Enterprise Knowledge Graph platform, today announced it has expanded its Series B round to $11.4m, securing an additional $3 million from new investors Contour Venture Partners, Dcode Capital, and Presidio Ventures… The additional capital will be used to scale go-to-market operations.” [Stardog via Potomac Tech Wire]

CPRO Launches ‘Feed Our Families’ Initiative — “As the pandemic continues to impact every aspect of our daily lives, access to fresh food has become the most urgent need for many families along Columbia Pike. That’s why we’re partnering with our Columbia Pike Farmers Market vendors to assemble weekly produce boxes that can be distributed to families in need.” [Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization]

Lee Highway Pharmacy Homebrewing Hand Sanitizer and Buying Kabobs for the Hospital

By Vernon Miles
1/3

An Arlington pharmacy and a neighboring kabob restaurant have partnered to help feed hospital workers.

Preston’s Pharmacy (5101 Lee Highway) sits directly across the street from Arlington Kabob (5046 Lee Highway). While business during the pandemic has been active at Preston’s, an essential business, pharmacy owner Frank Odeh said he could tell it’s been hard on Arlington Kabob.

“They’re a small business struggling during COVID-19,” Odeh said. “We decided to work with them. They would supply the food, we’re trying to give them some business and exposure. The owner, Susan, is an entrepreneur and a hard worker. We’re working with them and working with [Virginia Hospital Center] every week, picking a different department. Last week it was the ICU, next week it’s the emergency department.”

Odeh said that while the pharmacy is paying for the food to help keep Arlington Kabob in business, the kabob restaurant has been giving them a significant discount.

Preston’s Pharmacy has remained open, but Odeh admitted that business is still slower than it normally is.

“Business is down, although we’re fortunate not having to lay off or furlough any employees,” Odeh said. “It’s down, but because we’re a pharmacy, people still need chronic medication. People like those who are HIV positive, or diabetics, still need their medicine.”

Odeh said the decline has been in acute business, like treatment for smaller issues that Odeh said are likely overlooked during the pandemic, with many doctor’s offices closed down, social distancing cutting down on colds and flu, and hospitals focused on COVID-19.

Hand sanitizer, on the other hand, has been flying off the shelves so quickly that Preston’s Pharmacy has started making their own.

“We have a lab in the pharmacy and we’re able to produce hand sanitizer,” Odeh said. “We’re selling that and donating a portion of that [to local senior centers].”

Odeh said the mixture is 70% alcohol, which they buy in bulk from different vendors and can be hard to come by, mixed with methocel to give it a thickness.

“It’s relatively new for us,” Odeh said. “In the past, we haven’t needed to because it’s been available from manufacturers like Purell, but because of COVID-19 it has become in very short supply. We’ve ordered bottles and labels. It looks like a professionally made product.”

Odeh said the state board, CDC and FDA have all given them the green light to compound in bulk, a process that’s been fast-tracked due to COVID-19.

The other big seller, Odeh said, has been vitamins.

“[We] sold out on things like Vitamin C and elderberry,” Odeh said. “Vitamin sales have gone through the room. Vitamin D, C and elderberry have immune-boosting properties. People are following trends. There was a study recently about using Pepcid and ulcer medication [to fight coronavirus] and we sold out of that.”

To keep customers and employees safe, Odeh said everyone in the store wears masks and there are plexiglass shields at the registers. Customers are routed through the pharmacy along arrows on the floor and asked to stay six feet apart.

Photos courtesy Preston’s Pharmacy

Some Arlington Inmates Freed Amid Continued Coronavirus Concerns

By ARLnow.com

At least six inmates in the Arlington County jail have been released ahead of schedule, following the announcement that a sheriff’s deputy tested positive for coronavirus.

The releases came after the public defender’s office filed motions with Arlington Circuit Court to reconsider the sentences of around 20 inmates, a day after the April 23 announcement. Public Defender Brad Haywood says he also petitioned Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam for clemency for 63 local inmates, though that request is still pending.

“We have spoken with the administration and they appear to be taking the request seriously,” Haywood said of the petition. “We are providing more detailed information to them at their request. No movement yet, but we remain optimistic.”

Jails and prisons across the U.S. have been especially vulnerable to spread of the virus, with around 5,000 infections and more than 100 deaths attributable to correctional facilities, according to the CDC.

Coronavirus “spreads easily and aggressively from person to person,” Haywood noted in an April 24 letter to the circuit court. “While there are no reported cases of COVID-19 among the Arlington County Detention Facility’s incarcerated population, because of and as evidenced by the Arlington Deputy Sheriff’s positive test, infiltration is inevitable.

“The risk to inmates is going to persist regardless of how effectively the pandemic is dealt with in the community,” he added. “This is a problem that cannot be avoided, and it is quite literally a matter of life and death.”

Haywood has been assisted in his efforts by Arlington’s top prosecutor, who took office at the beginning of the year after running on a criminal justice reform platform, and the Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail. All three have been working to reduce the inmate population during the pandemic.

“Pretty early on, the public defender and I, and the Sheriff and I, got together and realized that what we really needed to do was thin out the jail population, both for the safety of the people who were incarcerated and also for the safety of the Sheriff’s deputies,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, during an online town hall about a week ago.

“We started going through the lists to ask the question, for each person do they really need to be there? So we were pulling files and proactively calling defense attorneys and suggesting they file motions for reconsideration,” she continued. “The public defender was doing this at exactly the same time. We’re lucky that we have a good relationship and so we were talking about the cases and collaborating.”

Despite concerns for the incarcerated, Tafti said it’s not realistic to empty the jails completely.

“Obviously we can’t let everybody out, but trying to get as many folks, and to be as surgical as possible — to ask the question: is this person really going to flee or is this person really going to reoffend?” said Tafti.

There has been a 25-30% reduction in prison population “over the past few months,” according to Tafti. Judges, meanwhile, haven’t always been as receptive to the idea of releasing inmates as the prosecutor’s office. The Washington Post reported in March that at least one Arlington judge was pushing back against recommendations to release certain inmates.

Arlington County police are contributing to the thinning of the jail population, Tafti said, in part by being more selective about who is held in jail and who is released pending trial.

“[Police] are actually issuing summonses more than arresting people, so they’ve tried to pull back that way,” she said. “In the initial bond hearings we’re still trying to be as surgical and careful as possible, and make sure as many people [get bail] as possible.”

Tafti said her office no longer asks for cash bail, but depending on circumstances still has to ask for some detainees to be held. It’s a tough decision, though, given the health risks in jail.

“It’s important that we don’t put them in a position where they’re likely to get sicker when they haven’t been convicted of a crime yet,” she said.

Coronavirus Closes Saffron Dance Studio Near Clarendon

By Vernon Miles

The show has ended Saffron Dance, a belly dance studio at 3260 Wilson Blvd in the Clarendon area, at least for now.

Founder and owner Saphira the studio said in an email that it would be going “on a hiatus” at the end of its current semester. After the last classes on June 7, Saphira said the studio’s leadership will take the summer months to consider their future.

In April, Saffron Dance closed the dance studio it operated from since 2007.

We've come to the end of a chapter. Join us on Facebook Live in a few minutes at 5pm EST to bid farewell to our beloved dance home of 13 years.

Posted by Saffron Dance on Wednesday, April 15, 2020

“When you become your own ally and your own best resource, it’s really hard for life to beat you down,” Saphira said. “I am so incredibly proud of the fight we’ve put up against COVID-19. Our staff, faculty, and students have barely skipped a beat during this major disruption to our lives.”

Saphira said she and the others running Saffron Dance did everything they could to to keep going, but it wasn’t enough.

Here are just some of the things we’ve done in the past few weeks to defend our community:

  • We applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance. Like so many businesses, we’ve heard nothing in reply.
  • As independent contractors, our staff has applied for relief under the Paycheck Protection Program. Again, they’ve heard nothing in reply.
  • We’re waiting for applications for the Arlington Small Business Emergency GRANT Program to go live, so we can pursue that avenue as well.
  • In sum, we’ve done everything we can and have been frustrated at every turn.

Several members of the core staff are planning to move on to different careers, according to the email, from farming to interior design. Several said that the last few weeks of managing dance classes remotely were some of the most stressful times of their life.

“That weekend was one of the most difficult 48 hours of my life,” said Jenna Shear, artistic director of the program. “It was the start of a new semester. I had new staff to onboard, and I had no idea how I was going to pull the whole thing off.”

Shear said it was the support and encouragement of her students in the program who helped get her through the stress of the pandemic, but afterward, she’s ready to step down as artistic director and step away from teaching.

“Since COVID-19 reared its ugly head, I have had lots of time to think about what Saffron means to me,” said Linda, the Saffron Dance studio manager. “Obviously, it has brought me the joy of dance. It has exposed me to a group of women that I couldn’t imagine my life without. It has taught me a lot about who I am and what I am capable of in a professional capacity. Most of all, when I think about what Saffron has done for me, I keep coming back to the idea that Saffron has allowed me to be me.”

Photo via Saffron Dance/Facebook

Hope Calls for State to Release More Outbreak Data

By ARLnow.com

Del. Patrick Hope, who represents parts of Arlington in the Virginia House of Delegates, is pushing the state to be more transparent about coronavirus outbreaks.

Hope, an attorney who works in the medical field, went on a tweetstorm last night, calling out the Virginia Dept. of Health for keeping the location of individual outbreaks — particularly hard-hit long-term care facilities — confidential, while also failing to scale up testing in vulnerable communal settings.

“We should be reporting which facilities that have an outbreak and we should be testing 100 percent of residents and staff,” he said.

While Arlington County officials have repeatedly declined to release more information about outbreaks in response to inquiries from ARLnow, Hope said it’s the state that is blocking the release of such information

“VDH is not allowing anyone to report, citing anonymity of the patient and confidentiality,” he told ARLnow.

In Arlington, at least seven residents of Brookdale Senior Living have died after contracting COVID-19, we reported last week. NBC 4 has reported 26 cases at ManorCare, on S. Carlin Springs Road in Arlington. Local outbreaks have also been reported at Sunrise Senior Living and Recency Care of Arlington.

Regency Care, in Pentagon City, has been particularly hard hit, according to multiple tipsters. One said a relative who was a Regency Care resident died on Sunday.

“She had a fever for a week before Regency Care told her family. Her children were calling to check on her and being told she was fine,” the tipster said. “They finally sent her to the hospital where her care greatly improved, but her condition did not improve. By the time Regency Care transferred her to Virginia Hospital Center she was dying.”

Another tipster described quitting in protest of a managerial decision, along with difficult working conditions at the facility.

“People are dying,” the self-described former employee said. ARLnow is aware of at least one additional death at Regency Care on Wednesday.

As of publication time, administrators at Regency Care did not return a call placed by ARLnow this morning. On its Facebook page, Regency Care has been lauding its employees as “super heroes” providing compassionate care at a difficult time.

Statewide, outbreaks at long-term care facilities account for 3,109 of Virginia’s 21,570 COVID-19 cases, and 59% of the state’s 769 deaths, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.

In Arlington, there have been 282 coronavirus cases associated with 12 outbreaks in the county, 7 of which are at long-term care facilities. As of Thursday, there were 1,248 reported COVID-19 cases, 222 hospitalizations and 52 deaths in Arlington. Fourty-eight of the people infected have been healthcare workers.

VDH does not break down the number of deaths in long-term care facilities by locality, though last week Alexandria revealed that a majority of fatalities in the city were associated with such facilities.

Maryland, by contrast, recently made public a database of coronavirus cases at assisted care facilities, showing where the state’s more than 6,000 cases and 804 confirmed COVID-related deaths at long-term care facilities happened.  The District has been releasing similar data since mid-April.

(more…)

Ireland’s Four Courts Reopening for Takeout

By ARLnow.com

Ireland’s Four Courts will once again be serving shepherd’s pies and fish and chips, starting Friday.

The long-time Courthouse watering hole closed on March 15, devastatingly just before St. Patrick’s Day. But customers have rallied around the pub and donated nearly $35,000 via a GoFundMe campaign to benefit Four Courts and its laid off employees.

“The closing of the doors is like closing the doors on a family, placing unwelcomed economic burdens and stress on its members,” the GoFundMe page said. “So please raise your glass and give a donation in honor of Ireland’s Four Courts and its staff members that have given so much to this community. All donations will go directly to help support the staff during this time of uncertainty.”

Yesterday, a month and a half since the closure, came word on the fundraiser page that Four Courts will be reopening Friday for takeout.

“We are pleased to announce that everyone has been offered their position back and that we plan to open for to-go orders on Friday, May 8,” Four Courts manager Dave Cahill wrote. “We are awaiting further instruction from the our Governor in regards to reopening our bar and restaurant for dine in customers… Ireland’s Four Courts has served the people of Arlington for over two decades and we have never been more excited to open our doors again!”

The announcement comes amid a wave of restaurant reopenings around the D.C. area, though one prominent local restaurant owner cautions that many are due to business receiving PPP loans. The doors might not stay open past the Fourth of July, he suggested.

The full announcement from Four Courts is below, after the jump.

(more…)

Morning Poll: Should Arlington Parks Reopen for Passive Recreation?

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Arlington County’s parks are closed, a safety precaution intended to prevent overcrowding and the spread of the coronavirus.

While trails are open, the closure of parks has reduced recreation options for those seeking to get outside as the weather gets warmer. That, along with the county deciding against closing vehicle lanes for extra space, may be factors contributing to more crowded sidewalks and trails.

“While we recognize how important our parks are to our community, we also recognize the trust the community has in us to do the right thing,” Dept. of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish said. “Arlington parks remain closed for play; crossing through parks to get to a trail or non-park destination is allowed. Our trails and community gardens are open as long as people practice social distancing.”

Kalish said that the county is working with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to arrange a safe reopening of amenities on a regional level.

“It is essential that we continue to coordinate across borders to combat this virus and plan for our economic recovery,” Kalish said.

In Maryland, state parks and beaches are reopening today. Parks have reopened recently for passive recreation — walking, sitting, etc. — in parts of New Jersey and Florida.

In Arlington, the park closures are being lightly enforced, with police issuing warnings and working to remind residents about the closures instead of making arrests.

Might it be time, however, for Arlington to consider loosening the park closures? Specifically, do you think it would be a good idea to open parks for passive recreation?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Amazon Orders Thousands of Meals from Freddie’s — “Amazon has hired Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant, which is widely known as an LGBT establishment, to prepare and deliver 10,000 meals in the month of May for front line healthcare workers and first responders in Arlington and nearby Alexandria who are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement released to the Washington Blade, Amazon said it was investing $200,000 to pay for the 10,000 meals.” [Washington Blade]

VRE Ridership Down 97% — “First, the good news, such as it is: Ridership on Virginia Railway Express stabilized in April as the public-health pandemic rolled on. The bad news: The ridership decline is now averaging 97% compared to normal times.” [InsideNova]

Meat Section Bare at Local Costco — A photo posted Wednesday evening shows the Pentagon City Costco store’s meat section picked clean, amid a worsening meat shortage in the U.S. [@dccelebrity/Twitter]

Arlington Getting Big Check via WMATA — “The Arlington County government can expect a check for $7.2 million at some point in the future from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, as federal COVID-19 relief funding makes its way among government agencies. The funding will be part of $110 million that WMATA plans to reimburse to its member localities, so they can support non-Metro local transit systems, such as Arlington’s ART buses.” [InsideNova]

Army Navy Drive Project Pushed Back — “Anticipated completion of the Army Navy Drive Complete Streets project quietly slips an entire year with no explanation.” [@alongthepike/Twitter]

View More Stories