coronavirus

New Virus Cases Up By More Than 100 Since Friday

By ARLnow.com

An additional 108 coronavirus cases, 60 hospitalizations and 5 deaths have been reported in Arlington since Friday.

The latest figures from the Virginia Dept. of Health show a continued upward trajectory of cases in the county, with the steepest one-day rise in reported cases (55) yet on Sunday.

There are currently 593 COVID-19 cases, 110 hospitalizations and 20 deaths reported in Arlington, with 2,437 coronavirus tests completed. Statewide, there are 8,990 known cases, 1,500 hospitalizations, 300 deaths and 56,735 tests completed, according to VDH.

Public health officials, meanwhile, are urging people to continue social distancing, frequently washing hands, avoiding touching one’s face and wearing a mask while out in public.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Another Sewage Release in Four Mile Run — “Avoid contact with Four Mile Run Creek downstream of 7th St S until further notice due to a sanitary sewage release. County Water/Sewer/Streets is responding.” [Twitter]

ACFD Rolls Out New Medic Unit — “As we progress through the COVID-19 pandemic, ACFD continues to adjust our response to ensure the best service and safety for our community. Yesterday we deployed a new resource that will provide rapid on-scene assessment to identify non-critical patients with potential or confirmed #COVID related complaints.” [Facebook, NBC 4]

Former Police Chief Dies — “On Friday, April 17, 2020, retired Chief of Police William K. ‘Smokey’ Stover passed away of natural causes. He was 89 years old… Chief Stover was known for his integrity, character and straight talk, no-nonsense style.” [Arlington County]

Hotel Heart Turns to Hope — “If you’ve driven the 14th Street Bridge from DC to Virginia over the past few weeks, you’ve seen it: a giant illuminated heart on a Crystal City building… Thursday night, the hotel broadcast a new message: ‘HOPE.'” [Washingtonian]

YHS Dad Photographing Seniors — “Matt Mendelsohn’s Instagram feed is a veritable who’s who, featuring portraits of Stephen Hawking, Ray Charles, Nicole Kidman, Bill Clinton, Chris Rock and countless other famous figures… Now he’s set an ambitious goal amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 crisis: to photograph every member of Yorktown High School’s Class of 2020.” [Arlington Magazine]

Superintendent Slashes $54 Million from APS Budget Proposal

By ARLnow.com

The coronavirus pandemic will mean big changes to the Arlington Public Schools budget.

Interim Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Cintia Johnson presented her revised budget to the School Board via video conference last night, detailing plans to slash $54 million from what was once an ambitious budget calling for $725.8 million in expenditures.

The new budget assumes a drop in projected revenue from $698 million to $660.6 million. To balance the budget, Johnson proposes eliminating all across-the-board pay raises, nixing other planned expenditure increases, increasing class sizes at all grade levels by one, furloughing all staff for one day next spring, and using $14 million in reserve funds.

The school system’s reserves would drop from $26.5 million to $12 million, and would eventually need to be replenished in future budgets.

“We are using a significant amount of reserve funds to balance the budget, but we believe this is the best option for APS in order to preserve our team, maintain our high quality staff, and continue our tradition of excellence,” Johnson said. “”This is an extremely unusual year that has brought increased budget pressures. as a result, we have had to make some very tough decisions.”

Johnson presented two scenarios to the Board for employee pay raises, but said neither was viable for achieving a balanced budget.

The budget also calls for eliminating the Foreign Language in Elementary School program, eliminating tuition reimbursement for staff for the year, cancelling six planned school bus purchases, delaying purchases of furniture and technology for APS administration headquarters, delaying a planned athletic field renovation at Kenmore Middle School, and delaying a number of hires.

“We have preserved, as much as possible, our quality programs and services,” Johnson told the School Board last night.

The budget includes enough staffing to absorb a 4% increase in student enrollment — projected to be 29,142 at the beginning of the school year — and increased funding for English learners and students with special needs, as mandated by a settlement with the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

APS’ cost per pupil, currently the highest among D.C. area suburbs, would drop from $19,921 to $19,624.

Johnson says there are some unknowns that may yet affect the budget, including whether APS might see any boost in funding from federal coronavirus stimulus programs like the CARES Act, or reduced funding from the state. She said the furlough day should be scheduled as late in the next school year as possible, so that it can be eliminated should additional funding become available.

After a two work sessions and public hearings, the School Board is set to adopt the final Fiscal Year 2021 budget on Thursday, May 7.

Vast Majority of Arlington Small Businesses Report Significant Disruption During Pandemic

By ARLnow.com

More than 90% of Arlington small businesses have had their business “very” or “extremely” disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

That’s according to the results of a preliminary survey conducted by Arlington Economic Development, revealed in a county press release Thursday evening. With many businesses shut down by emergency order, revenue has slowed to a trickle for a wide swath of the local business community.

“While the pandemic is impacting numerous segments of the Arlington business community, it is particularly difficult for those that are customer-facing, specifically small retail, hospitality and personal services businesses, which have reported significant sales declines as well as employee layoffs,” the county noted.

To make matters worse, the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program loan fund, part of the $2 trillion stimulus package passed late last month, has run out of money — before many small businesses could get their applications processed by swamped banks.

A delay in replenishing the program, amid partisan bickering in Congress, could lead to business closures.

(ARLnow’s parent company, which employs 9 people, applied for a PPP loan from PNC Bank on April 6. As of this morning it was still “under review.”)

Arlington County, meanwhile, is launching its own relief program for small businesses. The county says it will provide grants of up to $10,000 for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 50 employees. The application for the program is expected to open in early May.

The funds for the program are being reallocated from elsewhere in the current Fiscal Year 2020 budget.

More from Arlington County:

Arlington County has created the Arlington Small Business Emergency GRANT (Giving Resiliency Assets Near Term) Program, to provide immediate financial assistance to Arlington’s small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The GRANT program is designed to bridge the gap to provide near-term relief for businesses, some of whom have experienced delays or limitations with Federal relief initiatives. The program was approved during a County Board budget work session Thursday, April 16.

“Small businesses contribute to the character of our community,” said Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey. “What’s more – they are a vital component of our community’s economic health. More than 90 percent of our businesses are small businesses – and right now, they need our help more than ever before.”

The GRANT Program would provide grants of up to $10,000 to businesses and non-profits with less than 50 employees. Businesses may use the grants for employee salary and benefits as well as for other business capital and operating expenses directly related to the immediate impacts of COVID-19. Funding for the program is being reallocated from existing grant funds in the FY2020 budget.

“This pandemic has been truly devastating to the Arlington business community, particularly our customer-facing small businesses,” said Arlington Economic Development Director Telly Tucker, who reported that more than 9 out of 10 small businesses called the pandemic extremely or very disruptive to business operations. “In our outreach to our business community, we’ve heard that access to financial assistance was what they needed more than anything. We’re hoping these funds can bridge the gap for businesses and help them stay afloat during this challenging time.”

Eligibility and Applications Process 

Eligible businesses and non-profits are those located in Arlington County with fewer than 50 employees that can demonstrate revenue losses of 35 percent or more as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications will be evaluated through a competitive process involving a weighted scoring system, looking at considerations like the number of jobs retained or supported with funds, length of time the business has operated in Arlington, whether it is women and/or minority-owned, demonstrated need, and how the funds will be used. Applications for Federal programs will not impact County GRANT eligibility. The goal is to have the application process up and running in early May.

Local small businesses and get notified about the grant application opening here and find more COVID-19 resources from Arlington Economic Development here.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

County: ‘More Work Lies Ahead’ to Keep Coronavirus in Check

By ARLnow.com

Coronavirus cases continue to rise in Arlington, though county leaders are applauding residents for helping to slow the spread.

As of Friday there were 485 reported COVID-19 cases in Arlington, and signs that the growth in new cases may have peaked locally.

The latest data from the Virginia Dept. of Health also shows 53 hospitalizations in Arlington and a total of 2,159 test results reported in the county. Statewide, there are 7,491 known cases, 1,221 hospitalizations and 231 deaths, with 48,997 people tested.

In a press release Thursday, Arlington County said residents were doing a good job of slowing the spread of the virus, but emphasized that we’re by no means out of the woods yet.

Arlington’s Public Health and Emergency Management leaders are applauding community members’ efforts to help limit the spread of Coronavirus thus far — while reminding them that more work lies ahead.

Health Director and Public Health Division Chief Reuben Varghese said that, overall, residents have adopted the key behaviors needed to slow the spread:

  1. Keeping at least six feet from other people
  2. Washing hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds
  3. Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of the elbow
  4. Cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces every day
  5. Wearing cloth face coverings in public
  6. Staying at home and going out only for permitted activities when absolutely necessary

“These measures have helped to limit the spread of coronavirus and I thank everyone who is taking these important actions,” Varghese said. “However, the coronavirus is present in Arlington and across the region. We are sharing a new guide to help those who are ill successfully isolate at home.”

To help navigate this next phase, the County is sharing instructions called Steps to Slow the Spread of COVID-19, which tells residents what to do if they or family members are sick or have symptoms. In addition, the guide provides instructions about how to identify people who came into close contact with you while you were sick.

“We need ill residents to tell their close contacts to stay home and quarantine, so we further prevent the spread of this virus in our community,” Varghese said.

Use the Buddy System 

If you become ill or need to isolate or self-quarantine, you may need help from other people–and other people may ask you for help. Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management Director Aaron Miller says now is the time to put plans in place.

“Plan ahead and reach out–safely–to friends, neighbors, social and work networks, faith groups, and school and neighborhood associations to have people who can help and put a buddy system in place,” Miller said. “This will make it easier to get things like food and medicine if you are unable to leave your home. We recommend that every household has two ‘buddy’ households to call upon for help if needed.”

For people who have difficulty identifying buddies, there is a new online tool. The Arlington Community Corps includes listings by Arlington neighborhood and is designed to link people who need help with nearby volunteers willing to help out–by delivering groceries and medication to other residents at higher risk from COVID-19. For more information or questions, email [email protected].

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Local Business Owners Still Waiting for Loans — “Like many business owners across Northern Virginia, Cyrille Brenac is still waiting to hear back from his bank about his application to the Paycheck Protection Program… For Brenac, who lives in the Cherrydale neighborhood of Arlington, the money would help him rehire about 50 employees of his two French restaurants he laid off when the economy abruptly shut down as the result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.” [Connection Newspapers]

County Board Salary Raise Unlikely — “The COVID-19 health pandemic and resulting economic downturn have snagged another victim – big pay raises for Arlington County Board members. Raises totaling more than $50,000 spread across the five board positions, which were included in County Manager Mark Schwartz’s pre-virus budget proposal in February, have been red-lined out.” [InsideNova]

Bearded Goat Barber Dies During Home Isolation — “We’ve already had quite a tragedy of our own — a barber who was in recovery from heroin addiction. He told us a couple times in the first few weeks, ‘It’s not good for me not being busy like this… not being able to work.’ We didn’t know just how bad it would be for him. He relapsed and got a bad batch and died.” [InsideHook, Facebook]

Campaign to Help Nurses, Restaurants Raises $30k — “The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) began its ‘Buy a Nurse Lunch’ initiative several weeks ago to raise money for restaurants along Columbia Pike in Arlington, while simultaneously providing meals for nurses and medical staff at the Virginia Hospital Center. In just two weeks, the organization says that over $30 thousand was raised, providing much-needed revenue for small, locally-owned restaurant.” [WJLA]

County to Consider More Retail Conversions — “For many years, county officials were insistent that retail be placed in office and residential buildings in certain areas. The problem – as developers apparently knew but county leaders seemed to miss – is that retail spaces are dependent on visibility and foot traffic, which each can vary widely even within the same building. (At one business-organization meeting years back, developers simply shrugged their shoulders, saying they often penciled in ‘zero’ for the expected revenue.)” [InsideNova]

Local Man Recounts Coronavirus Experience — “He had been in the hospital for seven days when doctors declared he might not make it out alive. His blood oxygen levels sank. His lungs struggled. The ventilator helping him breathe, doctors at Virginia Hospital Center said, did not seem to be doing much good. Nurses called his family. His family called a priest. They wanted to make sure Francis Wilson, 29, received last rites before the end.” [Washington Post]

Raccoons Rescued from Trash Can — “Officer Cameron got a surprise yesterday when she responded to a call about a raccoon stuck inside a bag inside a trash can. After she ‘unstuck’ the raccoon, she found 2 raccoon kits with her! Officer Cameron made sure they were all safe, releasing them to a quiet place nearby.” [Animal Welfare League of Arlington]

Arlington Musicians Play Mozart From Self-Isolation — A group of Arlington musicians joined those from elsewhere to perform Mozart: Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525 ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ (1st movement) remotely. [YouTube]

Falls Church Senior Care Centers Face Outbreaks — “Three Falls Church area senior homes are now confirmed to be fighting outbreaks of the coronavirus, with Chesterbrook Residences telling the News-Press today that a total of 17 of its residents and staff have tested positive for COVID-19.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Flickr pool photo by P Ranfone

Arlington County Board Meeting Delayed

By ARLnow.com

This weekend’s Arlington County Board meeting has been postponed.

It’s a rare step during unprecedented times. The announcement was made today less than 48 hours before the Saturday morning meeting.

In a press release, County Board Chair Libby Garvey said all items on the agenda are being deferred a week and the meeting will now be held on Saturday, April 25. The Board’s Tuesday recessed meeting is also being postponed by a week, and is now set for April 28.

The reason for the delay: to allow the state legislature to act to make it legal to hold meetings virtually.

“We have items that need to be taken up in our April meeting, but that do not, under current Virginia law, qualify to be taken up virtually. We have been assured that the Virginia legislature will vote to allow local governments to meet virtually for all business during the coronavirus when it meets next week on April 22,” Garvey explained. “Therefore, we decided that it would be good to delay our meeting by a week to enable the Regular and Recessed sessions to occur virtually, which is in the best interests of everyone’s health. We regret any inconvenience this change causes.”

The full county press release about the rescheduling is below.

Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey announced today that the County Board plans to defer all items on its April 18 Board Meeting Agenda for a week, until after the General Assembly’s April 22 veto session. Legislators are reconvening to act on amendments and vetoes sent down by Gov. Ralph Northam, including an item that clarifies and confirms the authority of public bodies to meet virtually during emergency declarations.

“We have items that need to be taken up in our April meeting, but that do not, under current Virginia law, qualify to be taken up virtually. We have been assured that the Virginia legislature will vote to allow local governments to meet virtually for all business during the coronavirus when it meets next week on April 22. Therefore, we decided that it would be good to delay our meeting by a week to enable the Regular and Recessed sessions to occur virtually, which is in the best interests of everyone’s health. We regret any inconvenience this change causes.”

Regular Meeting set for Sat., April 25, Recessed for Tues., April 28

The Board will convene its meeting virtually on April 18 at 8:30 am to take a vote to defer all agenda items originally scheduled for the April 18 Meeting to 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 25, and to defer all agenda items on the April Recessed Meeting, originally scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, to Tuesday, April 28, starting at 3 p.m.

The April Board Meeting agendas and staff reports are available on the County website.

Public comment

The County Board will meet virtually on both April 25 and April 28 and will take no in-person public comment. The Board will publish procedures for virtual public testimony on the County Board website once they are finalized.

The public may email comments on April agenda items for the Board’s consideration until Friday, April 24, 2020, for the April 25 Regular Meeting and until Monday, April 27, 2020, for the April 28 Recessed Meeting, to: [email protected]

Police, Fire Personnel Show Up to Hospital to Cheer Workers On

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Being a police officer or firefighter during the coronavirus outbreak is not easy.

Every day public safety personnel are out in the community doing their jobs, they risk exposure to the deadly virus. Even taking all the safety precautions, cops and firefighters in Arlington and elsewhere are getting sick.

But that didn’t stop ACPD and ACFD personnel from showing up at Virginia Hospital Center last night and cheering on those other heroes of the pandemic — healthcare workers — amid growing hospitalizations in the county.

“Our healthcare personnel are working tirelessly on the front lines of the #COVID19 pandemic,” the police department said in a social media post. “To show our support and appreciation, we saluted Virginia Hospital Center staff during tonight’s shift change. Thank you for all you do!”

The hospital responded with gratitude in its own Facebook post.

“Thank you to all of our incredible partners who came out to show your support tonight,” said the hospital. “We are honored to work alongside you in protecting our community! #StrongerTogether”

The show of support from Arlington’s public safety community follows another heartwarming scene: residents across the county giving healthcare workers and caregivers a round of applause from their homes on Monday night.

Coronavirus Hospitalizations in Arlington Reach 50

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:05 a.m.) At least 50 people have now been hospitalized in Arlington due to complications from the coronavirus.

New data from the Virginia Dept. of Health reports 453 overall COVID-19 cases in the county, along with 50 hospitalizations and 15 deaths. That’s up from 12 deaths, 36 hospitalizations and 401 known cases on Tuesday.

Statewide, VDH is reporting 6,889 total cases, 1,114 hospitalizations, 208 deaths and 46,444 people tested.

Virginia Hospital Center has remained mum publicly about the COVID-19 cases it is treating, declining requests from ARLnow to release additional figures and information, but an Instagram post by the hospital reveals a bit more about what’s going on inside the hospital.

The post shows a sign in the hospital indicating that 10 patients have been successfully taken off ventilators and 205 patients have been discharged and are “on their way to recovery.”

A hospital spokeswoman did not respond to a request yesterday for more information. Previously, the spokeswoman said the hospital does not release such information.

“Virginia Hospital Center is committed to protecting the privacy of our patients and complies with all applicable laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA,” said Maryanne Boster, VHC’s Director of Corporate Communications, after ARLnow sought to find out how many COVID-19 patients it was treating and how many were on ventilators. “As always, the Hospital does not share patient-specific information without prior authorization.”

The Arlington County Fire Department has also declined to give specific information about COVID-19 cases and quarantines among department personnel.

On Wednesday ARLnow sought to confirm a tip we received that three firefighters have tested positive and another 37 were in quarantine.

“Arlington’s public safety personnel, like other populations experience fluctuations in staffing throughout the year due to varying of circumstances,” the spokesman said in response. “The County always monitors our workforce capacity and continues to be able to maintain adequate staffing levels for the services needed for Arlington residents”

The head of Arlington’s fire and EMS union, IAFF Local 2800, also did not respond to a request for comment. After the announcement on March 24 of the first member of the department testing positive for COVID-19, the union released a statement calling for ACFD to allow members who have had close contact with an infected colleague to self-quarantine.

“This shows the risks that your firefighters are taking to keep the community safe on the front lines of this public health emergency,” Brian Lynch, President of Local 2800, said at the time. “Despite risks to our health and the concern of bringing this virus home to our families, we will continue to respond when the community needs us.”

The IAFF Local 2800 statement also asked that Arlington residents “only utilize 911 for true emergencies, notify dispatchers if anyone at the location is experiencing flu-like symptoms, [and] practice social distancing and frequent hand washing.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Governor Extends Business Closures — “Governor Ralph Northam today announced that he will extend Executive Order Fifty-Three for two weeks, through Friday, May 8, 2020. Executive Order Fifty-Three originally signed on March 24, bans crowds of more than 10 people; closes recreation, entertainment, and personal care businesses; and limits restaurants to offering takeout and delivery services only.” [Gov. Ralph Northam]

Wi-Fi Available in Two Library Parking Lots — “Arlington residents who lack reliable internet service at home during the COVID-19 pandemic can now benefit from two new free County Wi-Fi hotspots. Access to the ArlingtonWireless network is now available at the Central Library and Columbia Pike Library parking lots.” [Arlington County]

Lane Closures on I-66 This Weekend — “Extended lane closures will occur this weekend beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 17, on I-66 East between the Dulles Connector Road and Sycamore Street for bridge work and other construction for the I-66 Eastbound Widening Project.” [Press Release]

Buses to Toot Horns in Unison — “[Today] at 3 p.m., ART buses will join transit agencies around the country in honking their horns to honor transportation and other essential workers. Thank you to the ART bus drivers and staff, and all essential workers, for your work!” [Twitter]

Police Warn of Coronavirus Scams — “FRAUD ALERT: Be aware of COVID-related scams and know how to protect yourself. ACPD reminds you that the IRS will not call, text, email you or contact you via social media to request money or personal information related to economic impact payments.” [Twitter]

Disastrous Debut for Fairfax Distance Learning — While Arlington Public Schools catches flak for deciding not to teach new material until the fall, Fairfax County public schools have cancelled online classes for the rest of the week after the school system’s distance learning technology suffered a series of major failures. [Fairfax County Public Schools, Washington Post]

Photos: A Month of Social Distancing in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/35

It has been one month since local restaurants started to close and social distancing took hold in Arlington amid the coronavirus pandemic.

During that time our staff photographer Jay Westcott, along with Flickr pool contributors Kevin Wolf, Erinn Shirley, Tom Mockler, Dennis Dimick, John Sonderman and others have been documenting what everyday life looks like in our 26 square miles.

The gallery above highlights some of the photos showing desolate local streets, closed parks, and people keeping their distance, plus businesses and institutions trying to adapt and survive under difficult circumstances.

Thank you to all of the photographers out there who are helping those staying at home see what’s going on around the community.

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