coronavirus

Arlington Coronavirus Cases Up 135 Since Friday

By ARLnow.com

Coronavirus continues to spread in Arlington, as the rate of increase continues to rise steadily.

Over the weekend an additional 135 COVID-19 cases were reported, including 62 new cases on Sunday, Arlington’s highest one-day tally so far. There are now 1,139 known cases in Arlington, plus 194 hospitalizations, 47 deaths and 12 outbreaks, according to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data.

That’s an increase of five deaths and one additional outbreak — in a long-term care facility — since Friday.

Of Arlington’s 1,139 cases, 263 are associated with outbreaks at long-term care centers, congregate settings and healthcare facilities, according to VDH. Healthcare workers account for 44 local cases.

While Arlington County has repeatedly declined ARLnow’s requests for additional information on the outbreaks, other jurisdictions have been reporting a preponderance of deaths involving senior care centers.

On Friday, the City of Alexandria revealed that 58% of COVID-19 deaths in the city were associated with long-term care facilities, higher than the statewide average of 54%. In Illinois, nursing homes now account for 44% of coronavirus deaths, according to WBEZ.

Last week ARLnow reported that one long-term care center in Virginia Square accounted for 7 deaths, according to information provided to families. Another such facility, Regency Care of Arlington in the Pentagon City area, also has suffered several deaths, according to tipsters.

“A nurse there told me there are over 30 positive resident cases, multiple deaths and their administration staff are not telling families about staff cases,” one family member tells ARLnow.

Statewide in Virginia, there are now 19,492 reported COVID-19 cases, 2,700 hospitalizations, 684 deaths and 122,788 tests administered.

Officials, meanwhile, are urging residents to keep taking precautions to slow the spread of the virus, including continued social distancing, frequent handwashing, and wearing face coverings when out of the house.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County May Get Million from CARES Act — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam “is considering a plan to distribute $3 billion of CARES cash using a formula that considers in economic need, a way to send more money to places like Lee County or Petersburg and less money to places like Alexandria and Arlington.” [@MichaelLeePope/Twitter, WVTF]

Arlington Trail Usage Way Up — “Trail counts are up 50% above average, on the weekends. Try an alternative route. Protect yourself and others by avoiding crowded trails.” [@BikeArlington/Twitter]

Dems Hold County Board Forum — Blue Virginia has video and notes from Sunday’s County Board special election candidates forum, held by Arlington Democrats. [Blue Virginia]

ACPD: Man Threw Brick Through Car Window — “At approximately 12:10 p.m. on April 30, police were dispatched to the report of destruction of property just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was driving on Columbia Pike when the suspect allegedly threw a brick through the rear window of the vehicle, causing it to shatter. The victim was not injured. Arriving officers located the suspect in the area and took him into custody without incident.” [Arlington County]

Marymount Faculty Member Makes ‘Fashion Masks’ — “Marymount University faculty member William Allen, an award-winning fashion designer, is using his creative talents and those of his students to help boost the amount of crucial PPE available at the Arlington Free Clinic.” [Press Release]

Sen. Kaine Volunteering at AFAC Today — “On Monday, May 4, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine will visit the Arlington Food Assistance Center, where he will meet with staff, tour the center, and volunteer to distribute food. The center has seen increasing demand amid the coronavirus pandemic and currently distributes groceries to over 2,400 families each week in Arlington.”

TSA Workers Create Food Bank at DCA — “Transportation Security Administration employees at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) have established a free food and toiletries pantry to assist employees in the airport community who have been laid off or seen their work hours and paychecks reduced due to the significant decrease in travelers as a result of the pandemic.” [Press Release]

Photo courtesy @EthanDevries_/Twitter

Photos: The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds Fly Over Arlington

By Jay Westcott
1/10

Our military’s flight demonstration teams, the Blue Angels of the Navy and Thunderbirds of the Air Force, flew over Arlington and the D.C. area on Saturday.

The flyover was intended to honor frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic and to inspire national unity.

Arlingtonians came out to watch the unique spectacle — from a safe distance from each other, of course — and share in this collective moment together.

More photos and videos are below, via social media.

https://twitter.com/ABC7TimBarber/status/1256614737791594498

https://twitter.com/Reagan_Airport/status/1256621220939915266

Arlington Planning Walk-Thru Coronavirus Testing Center

By Vernon Miles

During an online town hall discussion today, county officials announced that a new walk-thru testing center for COVID-19 is coming to Arlington.

Assistant County Manager Jim Schwartz said the county is currently planning to open the site somewhere on the southern side of Arlington County. The site would be an addition to other drive-thru locations currently operating in Arlington.

“We are currently planning to open a walk-thru site,” Schwartz said. “It should be open by May 11. We have a site in mind on the south side of the county but we’re working to cement that.”

Schwartz said people could drive to the location, but they would park and walk into the site to have a sample collected for testing.

“Right now, all samples being taken are under a doctor’s orders,” Schwartz said. “[People being tested] needs to have a doctor provide the order, usually over the phone or by email. Present that at the testing site.”

Schwartz said those being tested now are symptomatic. The virus can be carried and spread by people exhibiting no symptoms, but Schwartz said the county does not have enough tests for asymptomatic cases.

The walk-thru testing site — conducted in partnership with Virginia Hospital Center, like the county’s drive-thru testing site — will help fill what County Board member Katie Cristol identified as a gap where those most vulnerable to the disease may also be low-income workers who don’t have access to car transportation.

“The walk-in site is part of a recognition that those most vulnerable to the disease are those who might not have a car,” Cristol said.

Schwartz also said the County is working on a partnership with the Arlington Free Clinic to help test and treat people who are uninsured.

In the same town hall, public safety officials said calls for service have gone down. Echoing ARLnow’s previous reporting, the Arlington County Fire Department said there has been a 25 percent reduction in overall call volume, but the work has not eased because each call requires asking people to step out of the house or away from a group setting, or to put on a mask.

“There is less volume of calls,” Fire Chief David Povlitz said, “but we’re spending more time on those calls.”

Police Chief Jay Farr said that his department has seen a similar reduction in call volume, while online reporting has gone up 50%. The most common calls that Farr said police have been responding to are calls from residents reporting groups congregating in local parks, which are closed.

“The challenge to date has been around parks,” Farr said. “With weather changes, people have been trying to get out and social distancing rules get harder to deal with… Our mission to date has been to see compliance. We’re not there to write summons, we’re reminding people.”

Farr said there have been some calls for people congregating at residences, but most have been to parks and open areas. There has also been some issues with businesses not complying with state restrictions, but Farr said those have been settled so far with warnings.

“We’ve been to a few businesses where we have gone out more than one time, and gave them the governor’s order and explanation of compliance,” Farr said. “It starts with a warning. So far we haven’t had any citations, but the heavy stick here is a misdemeanor for violating the governor’s order.”

Tipsters have told ARLnow of nail salons and other businesses deemed non-essential that have nonetheless been serving customers during the governor’s stay-at-home order.

Like the fire and police departments, Candice Lopez, manager of local domestic violence prevention organization Project PEACE, said calls for domestic violence have gone down. But she cautioned against seeing that as a good sign.

“Domestic violence calls are down, but we know domestic violence isn’t down,” Lopez said. “We assume people aren’t using the hotlines.”

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

Petition Against Amazon HQ2 Noise Attracts News Coverage

By ARLnow.com

A petition calling for Amazon to halt construction on its $2.5 billion HQ2 project in Pentagon City due to noise has attracted a raft of local media coverage.

The Change.org petition, which as of noon Friday had just over 275 signatures, says the massive construction project should stop as long as a stay-at-home order is in effect in Virginia.

Under ordinary times, the work by Clark Construction in Arlington County to build Amazon HQ2 can be considered excessive, unreasonable and unsafe.

These are not ordinary times — we are all grappling with the severe shock to our daily lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as many are working from home, and many are with children juggling with competing demands. […]

In addition to the noise issues, there is neither oversight nor accountability in ensuring that Amazon and Clark Construction are maintaining public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The petition attracted coverage from a number of local broadcast outlets this week. WJLA reported that it was started by a resident whose fourth floor apartment faces the construction site. WTOP and Fox 5 quoted County Board member Matt de Ferranti and chair Libby Garvey, who both expressed empathy for residents working at home amid the noise, but stopped short of promising action.

“Now that many people are home during the day, it is especially difficult for them to tolerate the noise and disruption of construction,” Garvey told Fox 5.

The primary noise generator thus far has been pile driving at the HQ2 site along S. Eads Street, for which contractor Clark Construction Group has offered residents of nearby highrises ear plugs.

Clark, meanwhile, said in a construction update that it “is taking every precaution to minimize the risk of infection on our jobsites… as part of our overall COVID-19 management plan.”

Amazon, which has seen its sales and stock soar during the coronavirus crisis, plans to eventually hire 25,000 employees for its second headquarters, and currently has more than 500 job listings in Arlington.

Pupatella in Bluemont Closes Temporarily Due to COVID Case

By ARLnow.com

The original Pupatella Pizza location at 5104 Wilson Blvd in Bluemont has closed temporarily after an employee tested for COVID-19.

The popular pizzaria announced the closure “for a deep cleaning” this morning on social media.

“We’re doing everything we can to support our staff and community during these trying times,” the restaurant said.

Pupatella’s new S. Walter Reed Drive location remains open for pickup orders.

Even with its dining room closed, Pupatella says it has been selling hundreds of pizzas a day. It has also been donating pizzas, including to local first responders.

Blue Angels, Thunderbirds to Fly Over Arlington on Saturday

By ARLnow.com

The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds will conduct a flyover of Arlington and the D.C. area around lunchtime tomorrow.

The Navy and Air Force demonstration squads will fly over the county twice between around 11:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m. on Saturday. A planned flightpath puts the jets over I-66 for the first flyover, and over Columbia Pike and the Pentagon for the second leg.

Other flyovers of Baltimore and Atlanta are planned Saturday, as part of the ongoing “America Strong” series of demonstrations over U.S. cities, promoting national unity. The photo above shows flyovers of Philadelphia and New York earlier this week.

“America Strong is a collaborative salute from the Navy and Air Force to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, military, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the military said.

“Residents… will be able to see the flyover from the safety of their home-quarantine and should maintain all social distancing guidelines during this event.”

More from a Navy press release:

The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, and the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, will honor frontline COVID-19 responders and essential workers with formation flights over Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Atlanta May 2.

“America Strong is a way for both teams to show appreciation to the thousands of doctors, nurses, first responders and essential workers out there serving on the frontline day-in and day-out,” said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, U.S. Navy Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader for the flyover. “This is an extraordinary and unprecedented time but we will get through this. We are all in this together.”

A formation of 6 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and 6 F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft will conduct these flyovers as a collaborative salute to healthcare workers, first responders, military, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are honored to fly over these cities in a display of national unity and support for the men and women keeping our communities safe.” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird commander and lead pilot. “These flyovers are a gesture of goodwill on behalf of the entire Department of Defense to the heroes of the COIVD-19 pandemic.”

This mission, the second of several planned over the coming weeks, is the culmination of more than a month of planning and coordination between the two teams and numerous city and government offices.

Residents along the flight path can expect a few moments of jet noise as the aircraft pass overhead, along with the sight of 12 high-performance aircraft flying close in precise formation.

Flyovers in Baltimore will start at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) and last approximately 15 minutes.

Flyovers in Washington D.C. and surrounding communities will start at 11:45 a.m. (EDT) and last approximately 20 minutes.

Flyovers in Atlanta will start at 1:35 p.m. (EDT) and last approximately 25 minutes.

Residents in these areas will be able to see the flyover from the safety of their home-quarantine and should maintain all social distancing guidelines during this event. They should also refrain from traveling to landmarks, hospitals and gathering in large groups to view the flyover. A detailed flight route will be released on the day prior to the flyover.

JUST IN: Coronavirus Cases in Arlington Top 1,000

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s confirmed coronavirus case count topped the 1,000 mark Friday morning.

New data from the Virginia Dept. of Health reports 1,004 cases, 169 hospitalizations and 42 deaths in the county. That’s an increase of 37 cases, 2 hospitalizations and 1 death from Thursday.

The new numbers mean that at least 0.42% of Arlington’s population of 236,842 are infected. That compares to hard-hit New York City, where about 2% of the population has confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Some experts believe the actual number of infections in the U.S. are 10-20 times higher than reported.

Statewide, VDH is reporting 16,901 total cases, 2,416 hospitalizations, 581 deaths and 105,648 people tested. There was some good Virginia news overnight, with the number of people currently hospitalized for COVID-19 across the Commonwealth appearing to go down by more than 100.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

VHC Staff Honored by NYSE — Two radiation therapists at Virginia Hospital Center, Melinda Mack and Amanda Sprecher, were honored during the opening bell ringing at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. [Twitter]

Tomorrow is Arlington’s ‘Community Day’ — “A beloved Arlington tradition, Neighborhood Day brings communities together to enjoy the great outdoors and strengthens ties between neighbors.  In our currently socially-distant world, Neighborhood Day 2020 (May 2) is swapping out the traditional outdoor get-togethers and focusing on how Arlingtonians can build community while staying apart.” [Arlington County]

Fundraiser for Shelter Employee Bonuses — “I’m raising money to benefit four emergency shelters in Arlington County. The front line staff at these organizations are heroes who risk their personal health and wellness for those most vulnerable. I want to offer each front line staff member a $5/ hour bonus for their selfless work for at least two weeks.” [GoFundMe, Facebook]

Courtland Towers Store to Become Apartments — “It’ll soon be ‘bye, bye, bodega,’ as Arlington County Board members are allowing the owner of the Courtland Towers apartments in the Courthouse area to replace its longstanding ground-floor convenience store with four additional residential units and other amenities for residents. The proposal had generated pushback from nearby residents and garnered formal opposition from the Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Federation.” [InsideNova]

Roots Closing at Pentagon City Mall — “Toronto clothing retailer Roots Corp. said Wednesday it will close both its stores in Greater Washington. The closure of outposts in Georgetown and at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City come as part of the liquidation of the apparel company’s U.S. subsidiary through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing — a measure being taken to close the stores quickly and in a cost-effective manner, the company said.” [Washington Business Journal]

Fund Created for Local Immigrants in Need — “The Dream Project, a nonprofit organization offering educational assistance to immigrants in Northern Virginia through scholarships and mentoring, has established an emergency relief fund to help immigrant students and families who are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” [Press Release]

Hotel Donates Rooms to County — An unnamed hotel in Arlington has donated rooms to the county to serve as Permanent Supportive Housing for up to 16 people, reducing their risk of COVID-19 exposure. [Arlington County]

Electric Bills Going Down This Month — “Dominion Energy says Virginia customers will see a $6 discount on their billing each month starting on May 1. ‘The cost of fuel has gone down and we’re passing the savings directly on to customers,’ Dominion Energy said.” [NBC 12 Richmond]

New County Initiative Tackling Hunger — “Arlington County announced a new initiative for the coronavirus era: the Cooperative for a Hunger Free Arlington. We talked to those heading the group — Abby Raphael, Diane Kresh and Amy Maclosky — about what it is and how they plan to help during these tough times.” [Facebook, Apple Podcasts]

County Board Adopts New, No-Frills Budget

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Board today adopted a budget for the coronavirus era.

Gone is the good budget year and the idea of expanding programs and services. In its place is a focus on preventing service reductions while supporting the most vulnerable members of the community.

The adopted Fiscal Year 2021 budget leaves the property tax rate where it was, which means a tax increase for the average homeowner, given rising property values. Following County Manager Mark Schwartz’s recommendations, it largely maintains service levels from the current budget, while providing just over $10 million in coronavirus-related relief for residents, small businesses, nonprofits and county employees.

The opening of two major new facilities — the Lubber Run Community Center and Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center — will be delayed at least a year. County employees won’t get raises, a hiring freeze will remain in effect, and the county will tap into some of its budget reserves to prevent further cuts.

More from a press release:

The Arlington County Board today adopted a $1.3 billion balanced General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2021 that reflects the novel coronavirus’s impact on County revenues and priorities and includes no increase in the tax rate for Calendar Year 2020.

“In just three short months, our budget priorities have been upended,” Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said, “and we know that the budget we adopted today will likely need revision in the coming months. Our focus in the coming year will be on supporting residents and small businesses hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic, preserving essential services and maintaining a strong financial foundation.”

Noting the uncertainty surrounding revenues and expenditures in FY 2021, The Board approved a $10.2 million contingent fund that includes $2.7 million for housing grants, permanent supportive housing, emergency food assistance, and other emergency needs and $7.5 million to assist small businesses and nonprofits, aid service delivery recovery, provide employee support, and offset any further revenue loss.

The budget reflects an estimated loss of $56 million in anticipated revenue in FY 2021, resulting in a loss of $34 million for County government and $21.6 million for Arlington Public Schools. The projected losses are in sales, meal, business license and transient occupancy taxes, Parks & Recreation fees, development fees, parking meter & parking ticket revenue, and more.

The Board voted 4 to 0 to adopt the budget, with no increase in the Calendar Year 2020 tax rate. The tax rate will remain at $1.026 (including the sanitary district tax) per $100 of assessed real estate value. Because assessments increased, the average homeowner, with a home valued at $686,300 will see an increase in the taxes and fees they pay the County, up from $9,023 in FY 2020 to $9,399 in FY 2021.

The budget maintains current levels of service, foregoes salary increases for all staff, continues a hiring freeze put in place in March, places many projects on hold, delays the opening of the Lubber Run Community Center and Long Bridge Park Fitness & Aquatics Center until Fiscal Year 2022 and uses $4.0 million in funds from the Stabilization Reserve to close the gap between revenues and expenditures.

$524.6 million will be transferred to Arlington Public Schools for its FY 2021 Budget, a slight increase over the FY 2020 ongoing funding level.

Also left on the cutting room floor in the new county budget were a series of new programs and staff positions:

  • Traffic Control Officers to assist with traffic enforcement
  • Courthouse library expansion
  • Online marriage license portal
  • Foster care housing pilot program
  • New planners, arborist, real estate appraiser, and other positions
  • Library collection expansion
  • Additional support for Housing Arlington initiative
  • Additional tree maintenance

The county noted in its press release that dozens of residents participated in virtual budget sessions and the Board received hundreds of comments on the budget, which were made part of the public record.

Moving forward, the Board instructed Schwartz “to develop a plan in the early months of Calendar Year 2021 that would identify, quantify and develop strategies to address food insecurity in Arlington, with an emphasis on child hunger.”

Schwartz was also asked to make progress on the potential launch of a curbside food waste collection service, “in keeping with the County’s 2015 Zero Waste Resolution’s goal of diverting 90 percent of solid waste from landfills and incineration.”

With the county’s budget and the Arlington Public Schools transfer now set, the School Board is scheduled to adopt its FY 2021 budget next Thursday, May 7.

APS Changing Grab-and-Go Meal Schedule

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools is adjusting the schedule for distributing meals to family in need, starting next week.

The school system will go from offering grab-and-go meals five days per week to three days per week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The change is being made to mitigate potential coronavirus exposure.

“Five days of meals will still be available each week, but families will no longer need to come to the meal sites daily,” APS said in an email to parents Thursday afternoon. “APS is making this schedule change based on feedback to make meal pickup more convenient for families and to limit the exposure to families and staff.  ”

More from a press release:

Beginning May 4, the grab-and-go meals, for all children aged 2-18, can be picked up at the following locations on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

  • Barrett Elementary School — 4401 N. Henderson Rd.
  • Campbell Elementary School — 737 S. Carlin Springs Rd.
  • Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School — 3500 S. 23rd St.
  • Hoffman-Boston Elementary School — 1415 S. Queen St.
  • Key Elementary School – 2300 Key Blvd.
  • Kenmore Middle School — 200 S. Carlin Springs Rd.
  • Randolph Elementary School — 1306 S. Quincy St.

Families can pick up meals at the grab-and-go site closest to them.

APS reminds the community that meal pickup is safe and there are procedures in place to ensure there is no contact during meal preparation or pickup. APS Food and Nutrition Services staff are taking every precaution to provide a safe environment for families picking up meals. Staff are wearing the proper PPE (masks and gloves) and social distancing measures are in place for staff and families. Surfaces are cleaned frequently and bags of food are placed on tables for families to pick up, limiting contact.

Families who are unable to get to the meal sites can also designate a neighbor or family member to pick up food for their child(ren) by providing the name(s) and student ID number(s) for their child(ren) as well as the location they will pick up their meal from in advance. Families can either email this information to [email protected] or call 703-228-2129. The same procedure applies for families wishing to pick up meals without children present. Families need only email or call one time.

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