coronavirus

Coronavirus Outbreaks, Deaths and Cases Rise in Arlington, But There’s One Hopeful Sign

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:25 a.m.) The latest coronavirus data for Arlington seems like more bad news, though there’s at least one sign of possible light at the end of the tunnel.

As of Monday, the Virginia Dept. of Health reported 836 COVID-19 cases in Arlington, along with 32 deaths, 144 hospitalizations and 11 outbreaks. That’s up from 722 known cases, 120 hospitalizations, 24 deaths and 10 outbreaks on Friday.

The 8 additional deaths reported over the weekend represented an increase of 33%.

The additional outbreak was at another long-term care facility. As before, neither the state nor the county is revealing where the outbreaks have happened, nor providing other, more granular data.

Though Arlington’s case count keeps going up and there’s no sharp bend in the curve, at least one indicator is pointed in the right direction. A trailing 7-day tally of new cases, calculated by ARLnow, has gone down two days in a row. While that’s a potentially good sign, that figure has pointed down in the past before going back up.

On Friday Gov. Ralph Northam outlined a “blueprint” for a gradual reopening of business in Virginia, though at least one group urged more drastic actions to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Board Candidates So Far — “Announced Arlington County Board special election (to replace Erik Gutshall, who sadly was forced to resign while being treated for brain cancer) Democratic candidates… so far are: Barbara Kanninen; Chanda Choun; Nicole Merlene.” [Blue Virginia]

Arlington Allocates $300k for Emergency Help — “Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz has allocated $300,000 from the FY 2020 budget to meet increased demand for emergency financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will be provided from the FY 2020 budget contingency fund to Arlington Thrive, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to County residents who experience sudden crisis.” [Arlington County]

Gov. Northam’s Reopening Conditions — “Gov. Ralph Northam offered what he called a ‘blueprint’ Friday for easing business restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lifting of restrictions will include a phased approach based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Beyond a steady decline in new cases, the state will also have to increase testing and contact tracing, while ensuring hospitals have the necessary capacity, Northam said.” [InsideNova]

Group Urges Northam to Take More Action — “We respectfully request that you immediately implement the following low-cost, high-impact actions: Empower local governments… Maximize social distancing… Expand mask usage… Deploy approaches that have worked elsewhere to cheaply scale up testing… Leverage volunteers to cheaply scale up contact tracing… Convert unused college dormitories into voluntary isolation facilities… Implement ‘safe travel’ rules to prevent importation of new cases.” [EndCoronavirus.org, Google Docs]

Arlington History Jigsaw Puzzles — “In Arlington County there are locally-designated historic districts, which provide the greatest protection for our historic resources… In order to celebrate these locally designated districts AND to provide some relief during the COVID-19 quarantine/stay-at-home order from our local and state governments, Preservation Arlington has put together two collections of online puzzles.” [Preservation Arlington, Jigsaw Planet]

History of Arlington Meteor Caper — A dull black meteorite, found in Murray, Kentucky, in 1950, had gone missing from a Vanderbilt observatory display case, replaced by a suspicious-looking black-painted papier-mache rock… law enforcement sleuths had found fingerprints traced to former observatory employee and student Hugh Heefner Howard, 24. The perpetrator had brought it to his Arlington River House apartment at 1111 Army-Navy Dr., where our cops arrested him for grand larceny.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Arlington Coronavirus Cases Now Above 700, Assisted Living Facilities Still a Major Concern

By ARLnow.com
1/5

There may be initial talks about planning for a limited reopening of the regional economy, but coronavirus cases are still rising in Arlington at a steady clip.

According to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data, there are now 722 known cases of COVID-19 in Arlington, 120 hospitalizations, 24 deaths and 2,784 test results received. That’s up from 686 cases yesterday (Thursday) and 485 cases a week ago.

Statewide, the Commonwealth has 11,594 reported cases, 1,837 hospitalizations, 410 deaths and 69,015 people tested.

The number of reported outbreaks in Arlington has remained steady at 10, with half of those at long-term care facilities. Nursing homes, retirement communities and similar settings have been a major source of infections and fatalities nationwide, though states and localities have been reluctant to reveal which facilities have outbreaks.

ARLnow previously reported cases in at least 2-3 local assisted living facilities and has continued to receive tips about outbreaks, but has not been able to receive confirmation from local authorities.

An Arlington Dept. of Human Services declined another request rom ARLnow this week for more granular data, but did provide some additional information about the county health department’s response.

“A core team of Aging and Disability Services and Public Health administrative and clinical staff work collaboratively to provide routine COVID outreach to each of the Arlington long term care communities,” said DHS spokesman Kurt Larrick. “These communities include 4 nursing homes and 6 Assisted Living and 5 Independent Living Senior Residences.”

“A Public Health Nurse checks in each day (or more as needed) with the high risk COVID communities to provide guidance, education, and resource linkages,” Larrick continued. “We have developed electronic tools to closely track, monitor symptoms, and follow up accordingly across all the communities. The two DHS divisions work closely together to push out vital COVID information and resources weekly. There is also a daily PPE tracking tool to monitor the PPE needs across the communities. We have been successful in proactively supporting each community through this collaborative effort.”

Among the local assisted living facilities with confirmed outbreaks is Brookdale Arlington, in the Virginia Square neighborhood. A tipster described to ARLnow a significant outbreak in the high-rise facility that has resulted in multiple deaths.

A spokeswoman for the publicly-traded company previously confirmed multiple COVID-19 cases in the facility, but did not provide confirmation of the latest figures as of publication time.

“Brookdale’s top priority is the health and safety of our residents and associates,” the spokeswoman said previously. “We are diligently monitoring our residents and associates for signs and symptoms, and we continue to work directly with local health officials to help ensure our residents and associates have the appropriate and necessary medical support. We will continue to follow the guidance of the Arlington County Public Health Division throughout this situation.”

On Thursday, signs posted on the front door of the facility said no visitors were allowed, people in the lobby could be seen wearing personal protective equipment, and note from family members to a resident was taped to a window.

Jay Westcott contributed to this report

Morning Poll: Close Roads for Pedestrian Zones and Socially Distanced Outdoor Cafes?

By ARLnow.com

There’s growing evidence that the outdoors are, other than one’s home, the safest place to be during the pandemic.

A study in China revealed that the vast majority of outbreaks reviewed were the result of indoor transmission of the coronavirus. Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discussed the findings on social media and on CNBC Thursday.

“I think local governments, state governments should be looking at what activities we can move outside, because things can be done outside,” Gottlieb said. “You want to have religious services, you should think about moving them outside. Gym classes, restaurant tables, anything that we can move outside heading into the warm months I think you’re going to have a safer environment for doing things.”

The coronavirus is a highly contagious and deadly disease that is not going away anytime soon. There are no miracle cures at this point, just ways to slow the spread.

Staying quarantined until a vaccine comes, if a vaccine ever comes, might be necessary for those most at risk — those over 65 and with certain chronic health conditions — but it’s not a viable long-term option for the entire population. Many months of home isolation would likely lead to an economic calamity and, well, human nature seems to suggest that lots of people would eventually rebel against it.

Thus, some level of opening up is coming. As Bill Gates wrote on his blog yesterday:

Most developed countries will be moving into the second phase of the epidemic in the next two months. In one sense, it is easy to describe this next phase. It is semi-normal. People can go out, but not as often, and not to crowded places. Picture restaurants that only seat people at every other table, and airplanes where every middle seat is empty. Schools are open, but you can’t fill a stadium with 70,000 people. People are working some and spending some of their earnings, but not as much as they were before the pandemic. In short, times are abnormal but not as abnormal as during the first phase.

The rules about what is allowed should change gradually so that we can see if the contact level is starting to increase the number of infections. Countries will be able to learn from other countries that have strong testing systems in place to inform them when problems come up.

Urbanists have been calling for closing some streets to cars to allow better social distancing for pedestrians and cyclists for weeks now. So far, Arlington has not responded with any solid plans to do so. But what if closing some streets not only allowed safer outdoor recreation, but boosted local small businesses?

Such a scenario might be possible as the curve bends and growth of new COVID-19 cases goes down.

Imagine Clarendon and Wilson Blvds closed in Clarendon, at least on weekends, allowing restaurants and shops to spread out tables and store shelves while pedestrians strolled in the street — a giant sidewalk cafe. Gyms could get in on the action as well. And that could be repeated in Ballston, Crystal City, Westover, and other business districts.

Sure, you would have to have a way to ensure it doesn’t get too crowded. And those who are not dining should be wearing masks to help prevent spreading disease to others, even if it’s less likely to happen outside. Also, such activity would be weather dependent, labor intensive (for businesses, police and county officials), and wouldn’t necessarily be the salve that keeps restaurants in business through the end of the pandemic, whenever that may be.

But as we discussed around the 40 minute mark of last night’s Zoom chat with local business owner Scott Parker, it could be a start and a source of hope and normalcy.

What do you think?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Blind Triplets Have Coronavirus — “The blind Virginia triplets who defied the odds and made history when they became Eagle Scouts in 2017 are facing another challenge. All three young men have now been diagnosed with COVID-19 and their father is praying they continue to beat the odds.” [WUSA 9]

Wakefield Seniors to Get Yard Signs, Too — “Through donations from teachers, alumni, and community members, every senior gets a yard sign!” [Twitter]

New Food Drop-off Boxes in Ballston — “FLARE, an electric shuttle service, has partnered with the Ballston Business Improvement District to collect and deliver food donations for the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) every Friday beginning on April 24.” [Press Release]

CPRO Hosting Biz Listening Session This AM — “Our speakers will discuss the challenges local small businesses are facing as well as the opportunities that have arisen and the resources available to assist our business community, including financial assistance.” [Zoom]

Civ Fed Backs Crystal City Growth Plan — “Delegates to the Arlington County Civic Federation on April 21 agreed to support efforts by three civic associations adjacent to Amazon’s new HQ2 in providing a road map for handling growth in the corridor. The resolution, which garnered support from more than 80 percent of voting delegates during an online meeting, puts the Civic Federation behind the ‘Livability 22202’ action plan.” [InsideNova]

Beyer Wants Help for State, Local Gov’ts — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), during House Floor debate on the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, urged his colleagues to send urgently-needed federal aid to state and local governments on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.” [Press Release, Twitter]

Clarendon Cafe Delivers Coffee to First Responders — “A Turkish small business owner is giving free coffee to health care workers and first responders fighting the coronavirus in the US state of Virginia. East West Coffee Wine, which has been opened in Arlington County since 2017, says it is now time to give back to those ‘who are tirelessly working to protect us.'” [Anadolu Agency]

Video: Talking Small Biz with Scott Parker — “ARLnow talked with Scott Parker — of Don Tito, BASH Boxing, Bearded Goat Barber and other local businesses — about the state of local business in Arlington during the coronavirus pandemic.” [Facebook]

BREAKING: Sheriff’s Deputy Tests Positive for Coronavirus

By ARLnow.com
1/3

An Arlington sheriff’s deputy has tested positive for COVID-19, raising fears of a wider outbreak in the county jail.

In a press release Thursday night, the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office said the ailing employee is “is doing well and managing the illness at home, with the full support of family and the office.”

The Sheriff’s Office performs a number of law enforcement functions in Arlington, the most prominent of which is running the Arlington County Detention Center.

“Public Health officials have initiated contact tracing of the individual to determine any potential spread to other personnel, inmates or the community whom they have come into close contact with,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “Individuals will be contacted directly if Public Health officials determine you may have been exposed. ACSO and Public Health will continue to monitor the individual’s condition and take necessary steps should any other agency personnel or inmates present symptoms.”

There have been calls nationwide — including by Arlington’s reform-minded top prosecutor —  to release non-violent offenders from jails and prisons due to the risk of rapid outbreaks in such facilities.

There are currently 225 inmates at the jail, according to ACSO spokeswoman Maj. Tara Johnson. That’s well below its capacity, which is currently in the mid-500s, Johnson said.

The Sheriff’s Office said it is taking a number of steps to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including daily temperature checks and symptom screening of staff and inmates, plus everything from daily cleanings to using disposable trays for meals.

“The steps the Sheriff’s Office has taken are continually reviewed by the Command Staff, which follows recommendations by the Virginia Department of Health,” the agency said. “These steps have and will continue to be modified regularly in order to best combat COVID-19. The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office takes the health and welfare of staff, the public and those placed into custody in the highest regard, treating every individual with dignity and respect and taking great pride and care in all work.”

School Board Candidate Blasts APS Distance Learning Decision

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools is holding off on teaching new material until the fall, a decision that has raised the ire of some parents — and now one candidate for School Board.

APS made the announcement over spring break that fourth quarter material would be held until September, “as part of our commitment to ensuring equity of access to new learning for all students.” Instead, following the closure of all Virginia schools for the remainder of the academic year, students are engaging in distance learning that reinforces existing concepts.

In an email to supporters, School Board candidate Steven Krieger said that’s the wrong move.

The APS decision to stop teaching new content for most courses for the remainder of the school year and propose a vastly diminished schedule for younger students was provided without adequate justification.

APS rationalized this decision by claiming it will ensure equitable learning outcomes. Why does APS believe that “equitable” means settling for no new instructional content? Our schools should be focused on finding opportunities and solutions for ALL of our students to excel through distance learning — including students with disabilities and English Language Learners. Teaching nothing new to all students is equal, but not equitable.

Instead of following the guidance of the Virginia Department of Education and exploring every possible innovation and solution to offer an equitable learning experience to all students, regardless of their needs, the school district decided not to introduce any new material.

I wholeheartedly commend our dedicated teachers who are ready to teach our children new material. We shouldn’t punish their hard work by forcing them to spend valuable time next school year making up for lost time now. We shouldn’t add to student stress by forcing them to learn more content in less time next year.

Schools across the country are teaching new material. Arlington should be more transparent about why we cannot do the same or find a way to provide equitable education to all students instead of using equity as an excuse to avoid introducing new material.

Among nearby school systems, Alexandria worked to ensure that all secondary students have laptops and school-provided wireless internet access, if they didn’t already have internet access at home, to make sure they could participate in online classes.

Fairfax County attempted a more robust distance learning curriculum, but major technical and security problems resulted in a fiasco and yesterday’s resignation of a top school official.

Contacted by ARLnow, the four other candidates for the Democratic School Board endorsement, now being conducted via mail, were more understanding of the APS decision.

“Arlington Public Schools’ decision to not introduce new material this quarter aligns with recommended best practice and is what most districts are doing across the country,” wrote Cristina Diaz-Torres. “This choice allows teachers and staff time to build the foundational skills necessary for students to recover and thrive next year while avoiding placing additional stress on students and families.”

“That said, I believe now is the best time to build the district’s capacity to deliver quality distance instruction that is equitable and at scale for the fall,” she added, hinting at worries that students may not be able to return to classrooms in the fall should a second wave of infections happen.

“As we can observe from the experiences in Fairfax County, this isn’t easy,” said another candidate, Sandy Munnell, a long-time APS teacher. “Teachers, students and families each need training, practice and facilities to make distance learning on this scale successful. Presentation of content is different than in a classroom, pacing of instruction is different, feedback and interaction is different — everything is at least a little unfamiliar for everyone. So there is a certain logic to starting with the familiar.”

“I know that APS’ decision to not teach new material via its distance learning program was not an easy one,” said Terron Sims, adding that he believes technological access played a role in the decision. “There was no plan for a crisis of this magnitude, and to be fair, how could there have been.”

“Keep in mind that students in our community have different access, learn in different ways, and have different levels of parent involvement depending upon their work situation,” echoed David Priddy. “As a parent, I also understand our collective desire to keep our children’s education moving forward. However, it is important that we are flexible, patient and continue to communicate as we figure out our ‘new normal.'”

Krieger, meanwhile, said that the APS decision is emblematic of what he wants to change in the school system.

“It is decisions like this and the lack of transparency which motivated me to run for School Board,” he said. “APS routinely makes decisions which neither prioritize our most vulnerable students nor serve as pragmatic solutions for the school system.”

The full responses from the other School Board candidates are below, after the jump.

(more…)

Metro to Close Silver Line This Summer

By ARLnow.com

With very few people riding Metrorail during the coronavirus pandemic, Metro announced today that it will expand its previously-planned closures and shut down the Silver Line over the summer.

Metro has already been planning to close Arlington’s East Falls Church station, along with the Vienna and Dunn Loring stations, for platform reconstruction work. It’s now also closing the West Falls Church station, which had previously been slated to remain open during construction.

Additionally, Metro says it will be combining the platform work with a separate project to link up the current Silver Line with the new “phase II” stations.

As a result, all stations west of Ballston will be closed from Memorial Day weekend through the fall, and several new shuttle bus lines will replace the rail service.

A number of station closures are already in place as a result of the pandemic and low ridership, including the Clarendon, Virginia Square and East Falls Church stations. Though the normally-busy Ballston station is now the only open station in Arlington west of Courthouse, Metro says ridership is way down.

“As a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency, ridership at stations west of Ballston totals about 1,200 customers per weekday — less than 5% of normal ridership,” the transit agency said.

More from a Metro press release, below.

(more…)

Crystal City BID to Launch a Series of Musical Fridays Tomorrow

By Vernon Miles

People singing and playing music from their balconies has been something of a trend during the quarantine, and the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) wants to get it started in Arlington.

The Crystal City BID is starting Front Porch Fridays tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.

“We may not all have a front porch — we may not all even have a balcony — but what we do have is our community,” the Crystal City BID said on the event page. “Music has always brought people together and now is no different. We can still gather together to listen (virtually)!”

The BID is encouraging residents to open their windows or bring a radio to their porch or balcony, tune to the same station and crank up the volume.

This week, the station is Hot 99.5 at 4:20 p.m. Next week it’s DC 101.1 at noon.

“The station will change each week, but the party atmosphere stays the same,” the BID said. “And best of all — we want you to select the playlist! Visit our Facebook page each week Monday-Wednesday to vote on the songs you want to hear. Then listen in on Friday to see if your pick made the cut!”

The music will be commercial-free, courtesy of the BID.

Videos of people singing in the streets went viral early on in the pandemic, though results to replicate that have sometimes been mixed.

Separately, the BID announced Thursday that it would be donating $100,000 to Arlington’s small business grant fund.

“Small businesses throughout National Landing have adjusted their operations to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Just as they have supported us, we are focusing our efforts on ways to assist and enhance the long-term viability of these businesses,” Crystal City BID President Tracy Sayegh Gabriel said in a statement. “We are pleased to contribute to Arlington County’s GRANT Program, which will enable countless small businesses to stay afloat, retain their staff and continue to serve the community.”

File photo

Arlington County Supports Planning for Regional Reopening

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County says it “strongly supports” a planning effort to “develop a coordinated, safe, and scientifically-informed strategy” to reopen the D.C. region.

In a statement Wednesday night, officials said there needs to be a unified plan for emerging from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Working with our regional partners in a coordinated, intentional way is critical to ensuring the health and well being of everyone in Arlington and the region,” Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said. “We want to ensure our staffs work together so we are aligned on criteria and next steps when the time comes to reopen our County and the region.”

The effort is being coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which released the following statement (emphasis added).

While COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across our region, it is also clear that staying at home and practicing social distancing have been working to reduce the spread of the virus. The best estimates still show that it will take more time before we can return to our daily routines, so we urge everyone to continue following the advice of public health experts and staying home.

In the interim, we are committed to working together to thoughtfully plan for the reopening of the National Capital Region when the time comes. It is our collective desire to work in close partnership with the leaders of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia to ensure a safe and effective reopening strategy informed by and consistent with the sound guidance of our health officials. Any strategy to reopen must be cautious and deliberate and must consider conditions across our entire region, including the number of new cases being reported, the availability and reliability of testing, the capacity of our health system to accommodate patients, and the ability of the region to take immediate action should a resurgence of the virus occur.

We live in an interconnected region where our residents cross our city, county, and state jurisdictional boundaries daily to live, work, learn, and play. We know that the unprecedented actions taken to respond to this public health emergency have exacted a tremendous economic toll for workers and businesses. It is essential that we continue to coordinate across borders to combat this virus and implement a reopening strategy for our communities that leads to a sustained economic recovery.

As we work through this difficult situation, we thank area residents for staying home, avoiding crowds, and practicing social distancing during the past several weeks and urge everyone to stay committed to these important actions. Your efforts and sacrifices are helping slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. And while we ask for you to continue doing your part, know that your leaders in local government are doing everything we can to protect your health and serve you during these challenging times.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Country Club Files Layoff Notice — Arlington’s Washington Golf and Country Club has filed a WARN Act notice of potential layoffs. The club said it may lay off up to 188 employees due to the coronavirus pandemic. [InsideNova]

Local Eye Doctor Sees Big Decline in Business — “Dr. Nicole Renaud, an Arlington, Virginia, ophthalmologist, said she had a full schedule of patients and worked long hours before the pandemic. Now, she sees a few patients a week, mostly through telemedicine… As a result, her practice’s income has fallen by a stunning 90%.” [WTOP]

SUVs Stolen from Koons Toyota Dealership — “At approximately 1:44 p.m. on April 21, police were dispatched to the report of several stolen vehicles. Upon arrival, it was determined that during an inventory of vehicles, four 2020 silver Toyota Highlanders were determined to have been stolen between April 7 and April 21.” [Arlington County]

Civ Fed Zooms into Virtual Future — “For 104 years, the Arlington County Civic Federation held its monthly meetings in a group setting. But on April 21, to address the COVID-19 public-health situation, the organization conducted its proceedings in a ‘virtual’ setting. ‘We are experimenting,’ Civic Federation president Allan Gajadhar said at the opening of the meeting, held on the online platform Zoom.” [InsideNova]

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