coronavirus

Animal Shelter Ends ‘Paws’ on Adoptions With Virtual Dates

By Vernon Miles

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is opening its shelter up to virtual adoptions.

“Although we are closed to the public, we still want to give the animals in our care the opportunity to find their new families while still adhering to social distancing,” the shelter said on its website. “To do that, we’ll be setting our shelter pets up on virtual ‘dates’ with potential adopters!”

To sign up, applicants should submit their paperwork to [email protected] with the name of the pet in the subject line and an attached photo of a driver’s license or valid ID.

Adoptions counselors will contact applicants to discuss the animal’s medical history, personality, etc. to make sure it’s a good match, then set up a virtual meet and greet via Zoom between the applicant, the counselor, and the pet of choice.

If the applicant decides to move forward, the counselor can set up a time to pick up the pet at the shelter with all paperwork and payment handled via email or phone.

The shelter has pages set up for full lists of dogs, cats and other small animals, though at the time of writing only the cats page seems operational.

Adoption fees range from $275 for puppies to $175 for older dogs. Fees for cats range from $300 for a pair of kittens to $100 for a senior cat.

Adoptions include:

  • A certificate for a free exam with a participating veterinarian. Fees for other services performed will be paid by the adopter to the veterinary hospital.
  • Spay/neuter surgery
  • A heartworm test for dogs older than four months
  • Age-appropriate vaccinations
  • A personalized I.D. tag
  • A microchip
  • A free phone consultation or $30 off any training service from Fur-Get-Me-Not
  • An information packet

The website notes that the spay and neuter surgery may not be available during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Fur-Get-Me-Not page notes that the company has suspended animal training services.

Photo via Animal Welfare League of Arlington

Introducing ARLnow’s One-Click Local Takeout and Delivery List

By ARLnow.com

It’s been one month since Arlington’s first coronavirus case was announced, and part of adjusting to stay-at-home life for many has eating a lot more meals from the grocery store.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Arlington’s restaurants are open and ready to serve you delicious food in the comfort of your home.

That is why ARLnow, in partnership with our friends at Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, has compiled the ultimate Arlington takeout and delivery guide.

The list includes one-tap links to menus, delivery apps and the phone number for more than 150 locally-owned Arlington restaurants.

So go ahead — indulge a bit while supporting a small local business and its employees. You’ll also be helping to reduce food waste in the process.

See anything that needs to be updated? Email ARLnow’s Turquoise Jackson at [email protected]. Happy dining!

Spring Blooms at Bill’s True Value Hardware Amid Pandemic

By Vernon Miles

Before you ask: no, Bill’s True Value Hardware (2213 N. Buchanan Street) does not have any face masks.

Every day, Mark Ploskina — son of owner William Ploskina — says he gets around 100 to 200 calls with people asking whether or not he has masks. He gets one of those calls in the middle of an interview about the number of calls.

Mark said as the pandemic was getting started, the store was buzzing with activity as people rushed to get supplies.

“Before the mandatory shutdown, it was insanely busy in here,” Mark said. “People were looking for everything. Emergency related stuff — toilet paper, paper towels, masks. Since the shutdown it’s been about normal.”

While many food, retail and service locations across Arlington are struggling, Mark said the store — considered an essential business under Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s emergency orders — has had a steady stream of customers. Occasionally on weekends it gets too busy and Mark said they have to limit the number of people in the store, but so far they’ve been able to manage.

At first, the main items were coronavirus-related, but as spring has started to bloom Mark said that’s beginning to change.

“Everybody wants to congregate in the same area: plants, seeds and gardening,” Mark said. “[People go for] everything garden related. People are so bored.”

Mark said he’s happy people are coming in, but feels slightly guilty when he sees customers going out and buying non-essentials during the stay-at-home order.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” he said. “I want to serve the community, but there’s a lot of people coming in and these are not emergency supplies.”

As the pandemic set in, Mark said the store got a box full of masks — about $150 worth — but they sent the box straight to the hospital for use by healthcare workers.

“It was the right thing to do,” Mark said. “I want customers to be safe, but the hospitals need it.”

Photo via Bill’s True Value Hardware/Facebook

Coronavirus Cases in Arlington Now Above 250

By ARLnow.com

There are more than 250 known coronavirus cases in Arlington.

The county has 254 reported cases, according to Wednesday’s data from the Virginia Dept. of Health. That gives Arlington the second-highest per-capita rate of infections in the state (107.24 per 100,000 people), and the highest per-capita rate in Northern Virginia, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

It has been a month since the first confirmed coronavirus case in Arlington.

Statewide, there are now 3,645 reported COVID-19 cases, 615 hospitalizations, 75 deaths, and 30,645 people tested. Of the fatalities, 23 have been in Northern Virginia.

Local, state and federal officials are continuing to urge people to wear masks to slow the spread of the disease. The virus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets, which masks help to mitigate. Even those without symptoms may have and be spreading the disease, making it more important for everyone to wear masks while out.

In just the past couple of weeks there has been a notable uptick in mask wearing among customers in local grocery stores, ARLnow has observed.

Photos: Hearts Across Crystal City at Local Hotels

By ARLnow.com
1/5

The hotel industry has been hit hard by coronavirus crisis. Huge hotels are now only hosting a handful of guests while most of the country hunkers down at home.

But that hasn’t stopped some local hotels from showing their community some love during tough times.

The DoubleTree Hotel in Crystal City, one of the first buildings you see when driving into Arlington via the 14th Street Bridge, has turned one of its now-vacant wings into a large, lighted heart.

The hotel’s general manager, who together with another manager turns the 52 lights on at night, told WJLA that the gesture is intended to “help everybody recognize that they are not alone and that there’s a little bit of love and hope out there.”

“We’re going to get through this together and we will be here to welcome them back when the time comes,” he told the station.

Other hotels in the Crystal City area, as seen in the following social media post from Arlington County, have followed suit.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

VHC Has Supplies, Extra Beds — “Virginia Hospital Center officials said not all of their 394 beds are full at the moment and that the hospital could expand above 400 in the case of a surge… Melody Dickerson, chief nursing officer at VHC, said thanks to changes such as extending the life of personal protective equipment (PPE), under new CDC guidelines, they expect to have enough for at least next month, assuming shipments continue as expected.” [Washington Post]

Bayou Bakery Owner on CNBC — While working to give away food to those in need, Bayou Bakery is facing its own challenges. Chef and owner David Guas appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box Tuesday morning and discussed his decision to close and lay off all of his staff, while also working to apply for loans and eventually reopen. [CNBC]

Pile Driving Starting Soon at HQ2 Site — “Clark Construction Group, the lead HQ2 contractor, is planning to start a particularly noisy bit of work this week… It does have a solution, of sorts, for those nonessential workers who are sheltering in place. ‘They have provided us with ear plugs to help us deal with the noise, knowing that many of you are working from home,’ Aura management wrote.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Grocery Store Changes — Harris Teeter and Giant stores will be limiting the number of shoppers in their stores, in the interest of social distancing. Giant is also implementing one-way aisles. [Washington Business Journal, WTOP]

Beyer Wants Temperature Checks at Airports — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today wrote to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf urging the adoption of stricter measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at American airports… such as enforcing social distancing, implementing temperature checks for travelers, providing guidance on how to self-quarantine for exiting travelers, and protective equipment for staff.” [Press Release]

‘Virus Vigilantes’ on the Lookout — ARLnow has been getting a deluge of emails, tips and tweets from locals concerned about other people not maintaining social distancing. Surreptitious photos of teens on sidewalks, construction workers at jobs sites, and even unsuspecting people in parks have been sent our way. It’s apparently part of a national trend of “virus vigilantism,” as people take it upon themselves to enforce health guidelines.

Glebe Elementary Choir Performs Online — Barrett Elementary got a shout out from Sir Elton himself for its staff dance video, but Barrett is not the only Arlington school creating music videos. Glebe Elementary made its own video recently, featuring the school’s fifth grade choir together performing “We Want to Sing” from their homes. [YouTube]

County Officials Reminding Residents to Stay Out of Closed Parks, Maintain Distance on Trails

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Arlington officials are reminding residents that it’s okay to go outside during the pandemic — as long as they maintain social distancing and stay out of closed facilities.

The county closed parks, playgrounds, athletic courts, tracks, dog parks and other outdoor places where people congregate late last month. Despite that, there have been repeated examples of people still using such facilities, necessitating more stringent measures and — in some cases — a response from Arlington County Police.

With the weather turning warmer, the Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation yesterday posted a reminder to Twitter about the closures and the need to maintain a 6-foot distance from others, including on increasingly crowded local trails. It has also been posting signs about social distancing around local parks.

“It’s hard, but social distancing saves lives,” Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said in a video accompanying the parks department’s social media post. “We must do all we can to flatten this curve.”

Not everyone thinks that limiting people’s outdoor recreation options is a good thing, though. While sports that require contact with a shared object, like a ball, are riskier, there is less evidence that being in moderately populated parks is dangerous.

Some believe, in fact, that measures encouraging people to stay inside rather than enjoying the outdoors is harmful. Among them is writer and academic Zeynep Tufekci, who was among the first to prominently question official health guidance against wearing masks (which is now being encouraged) earlier in the outbreak.

Arlington County is trying to strike a balance between the two, closing parks but also encouraging outdoor, individual exercise.

The Dept. of Parks and Recreation’s guidance is below, after the jump.

(more…)

Local Catholic Church Needs Groceries and Volunteers for Food Pantry

By Vernon Miles

The food pantry for an Arlington church is starting to run dangerously low on supplies for their weekly food distribution.

Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church (2700 19th Street S.) runs a food pantry that, once a week, provides a full bag of groceries. With Catholic churches in the Arlington Diocese no longer meeting on Sundays, Father Timothy Hickey sent a letter on Sunday to the congregation saying the situation with the food pantry has become increasingly dire.

“The number of families we serve has increased each of the past several weeks, and we anticipate that will only continue to grow,” Hickey said. “At the same time, with in-person masses suspended, our donations (both monetarily and food items) have considerably decreased. Combine those two factors and it is not difficult to appreciate the challenge we are facing.”

The church is not alone in this. Local organizations like the Arlington Food Assistance Center have also seen increasing needs and decreasing access to the traditional sources of donations.

“While everything else in our parish has scaled back and otherwise paused during this pandemic, our entire parish leadership very strongly feels it is vital to keep the Food Pantry open and continue to serve this community in need,” Hickey said. “We have a small but mighty staff and volunteers that are committed to keeping this ministry going to the best of our abilities.”

Hickey said there were three ways to contribute to the food pantry.

Monetary donations can be made online. A general donation will include the food pantry as well as money to pay for church staff salaries, but there is also an option to just donate to the pantry.

Food can also be dropped off at the shelter. Hickey said a bin will be placed behind the church from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is also a list of specific foods requested for donation:

  • 1 bag of rice, any size (bigger ones will be split into a 1 lbs. bag)
  • 1 bag of dry beans, 1 lbs. or two cans of beans (prefer black, pinto or small red beans)
  • 1 pack of long or short pasta
  • 1 jar of pasta sauce approx. 24 oz. (any flavor is great)
  • 1 box of low sugar cereals (eg. Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Cheerios)
  • 1 can of corn approx. 16 oz
  • 1 can of green vegetables approx. 16 oz (eg. green beans, sweet peas)
  • 1 can of fruit in light syrup or in its own juices
  • 2 cans of tuna or packs of tuna in water or oil
  • 1 bottle of oil, 48 oz.
  • 1 bag of Tortimasa (no cornmeal)

The church, in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood, is also requesting help from volunteers to help break food into smaller servings for individual grocery bags.

To this end, the following are our current volunteer needs.

  • 2 Food Sourcing Volunteers — These volunteers will be calling the list of stores and other food sources (eg. Costco, BJ’s, Restaurant Depot) each week to determine which of the Food Pantry needed items are in stock. Ultimately, these volunteers will be coming up with the shopping list and location for the volunteer grocery shoppers. Because so many stores are running out of items, the ideal volunteer for this role will have plenty of patience and persistence. When Plans A, B and C don’t work out because the stores can’t meet the demand, we are looking for creative and resourceful personalities who thrive on figuring out the plan even if that means getting all the way down to Plans X, Y and Z. The ideal volunteer for this role can commit to weekly or every other week outreach through mid-June.
  • 4 Bulk Grocery Shoppers — For this role that involves receiving the grocery list and completing the grocery run for bulk items, the ideal volunteer will have a large car, be able to carry large amounts of heavy items and would be able to commit to weekly or every other week grocery runs through midJune.
  • 1 Signage Volunteer — Any budding artists among us? Signs are needed to clearly mark the bins where in-person donations will be received. This is a short term and immediate need. Perhaps ideal for one of our Religious Education families?
  • 1 Admin Assistant — This ideal volunteer is someone with strong computer skills to help organize various aspects of this effort such as creating volunteer lists, organizing team calls and various other types of simple items that come up. Ideally would be able to commit through mid-June.

“It is only through your generosity that we are able to continue to help supplement their food needs,” Hickey said, “especially in this time of crisis.”

Photo via Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church

JUST IN: Another Big Jump in Arlington Coronavirus Cases as County Encourages Masks

By ARLnow.com

Arlington has confirmed another 34 COVID-19 cases since Monday, the county’s second-largest increase in cases since the outbreak began.

There are now 237 known coronavirus cases in Arlington, up from 104 cases a week ago.

Statewide, the Virginia Dept. of Health is reporting 3,333 cases, 563 hospitalizations, 63 deaths and 28,645 people tested as of Tuesday.

As the numbers continue to increase, Arlington County is urging residents to follow the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidance regarding wearing masks while in public.

Especially while in places like grocery stores and pharmacies, the county says, residents should wear a cloth facemask. Such masks can be made at home, as Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey demonstrated in a new video.

The county says masks — which are commonly worn in Asian countries, especially during flu season — are a way to prevent the spread of disease.

“The cloth face covering is to protect people around you if you are infected but do not have symptoms,” the county said. “To be clear, this is not meant as a replacement to staying at home, handwashing or maintaining six feet of distance — those remain the cornerstones in the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.”

There remains a stigma around wearing masks in public in the U.S., however. Just this morning, someone called Arlington County Police to report a “suspicious” man wearing a mask and supposedly pushing an empty baby stroller while looking into car windows. Arriving officers found that the man was a resident of the caller’s building and that there was a baby in the stroller

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is also pushing residents to wear masks, assuring those with concerns that a law that makes wearing masks in public in public a felony will not be enforced due to his declaration of a statewide emergency.

The full county press release is below.

Arlington County is encouraging all Arlingtonians to wear cloth face coverings when in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

This directive is in accordance with a new recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which encourages the cloth face coverings in public (e.g. grocery stores and pharmacies).

To be clear, this is not meant as a replacement to staying at home, handwashing or maintaining six feet of distance – those remain the cornerstones in the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Why Do You Need to Wear Cloth Face Coverings?

There is now evidence that people with coronavirus can transmit it to others before showing symptoms (“asymptomatic” or “pre-symptomatic”). The use of a cloth face covering can help to slow the spread, particularly among those who have the virus and do not know it.

To be clear: the cloth face covering is to protect people around you if you are infected but do not have symptoms.

What Type of Cloth Face Covering Should be Worn?

The suggested cloth face coverings, fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials, are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators – those are critical supplies needed by healthcare workers and other medical first responders.

The CDC offers three types of cloth face coverings for use:

  • Sewn Cloth Face Covering
  • Quick Cut T-shirt Face Covering (no sew method)
  • Bandana Face Covering (no sew method)

All cloth face coverings should:

  • fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
  • be secured with ties or ear loops
  • include multiple layers of fabric
  • allow for breathing without restriction
  • be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

All cloth face coverings should be cleaned routinely in a washing machine. Individuals should avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth when wearing or removing their face covering and wash hands immediately after removing.

For more information about the COVID-19 coronavirus and how you can help protect yourself and those around you, visit arlingtonva.us/Coronavirus.

For questions about COVID-19, call the Arlington County COVID-19 Information Line at 703-228-7999.

Arlington Dems to Conduct Voting via Mail for School Board Race

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Democrats say they’re planning to conduct the upcoming School Board endorsement caucus via the mail, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“This extraordinary procedural change supports Virginia’s stay-at-home order and recommended social distancing measures necessitated by the global coronavirus pandemic,” the local party said, in a press release.

Starting today, Arlington Democrats can request a ballot online. The ballot request deadline if May 7, and the deadline for submitting the ballots is May 30.

There are five candidates — Steven Krieger, Cristina Diaz-Torres, David Priddy, Sandy Munnell, and Terron Sims — seeking the Democratic endorsement in the race for the School Board seats being vacated by incumbents Tannia Talento and Nancy Van Doren. A sixth candidate, Symone Walker, is no longer seeking the Democratic endorsement and is instead running as an independent.

The full press release about the vote-by-mail change is below.

After consulting with the five candidates seeking the endorsement of the Arlington County Democratic Committee to fill two open seats on the Arlington School Board, Arlington Dems today launched a process to conduct its endorsement caucus by mail. This extraordinary procedural change supports Virginia’s stay-at-home order and recommended social distancing measures necessitated by the global coronavirus pandemic.

“We had lengthy internal discussions about how to run our endorsement caucus responsibly during the coronavirus pandemic,” Arlington Dems Chair Jill Caiazzo said. “We determined that, given our available resources, the only safe and reliable option for a large-scale caucus is to conduct the vote by mail.”

The caucus will take place in four phases:

  1. Voter Validation and Ballot Request. Effective today (April 7) at 9 a.m. EDT, Arlington Dems will launch a secure online ballot request form via the Arlington Democrats website at www.arlingtondemocrats.org/school-board-caucus. To begin the process to receive a ballot, prospective voters will provide standard identifying information that will allow Arlington Dems to validate that they are Arlington County registered voters. Although online submission of the form is strongly preferred, a PDF version will be available for downloading and mailing to Arlington Dems. All ballot requests must be received (not postmarked) by May 7.
  2. Ballot Mailing. Registered voters whose requests are received by the May 7 deadline will receive their ballots by U.S. Postal Service mail. Ballots will be mailed on a rolling basis. Arlington Dems will include stamped, self-addressed envelopes with ballots, which voters are strongly encouraged to use to return their ballots. They will be returned to a post office box exclusively devoted to receiving School Board Caucus ballots.
  3. Voting. The deadline for receipt (not postmark) of completed ballots by Arlington Dems is May 30. Voters are strongly encouraged to immediately complete and return their ballots to ensure they are received by the deadline. Candidate representatives will be able to watch ballots being retrieved from the post office box and secured through live video-conferencing or in person, the latter provided they observe recommended social distancing measures. No ballots will be counted until all are collected after the May 30 deadline.
  4. Counting and results. Arlington Dems will begin counting the ballots the morning of May 31, or as soon as possible after that date. Observing recommended social distancing measures, Caucus leadership will open envelopes and validate the authenticity of enclosed ballots. Candidates or their representatives may observe the process via live video conferencing. Arlington Dems will use a process to anonymize ballots during the ballot counting, which will be conducted using a virtual procedure.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Three COVID Cases at Pentagon City Apartment — “Three residents of the largest apartment building in Arlington — The Bartlett owned by JBG Smith Properties — have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to messages sent to Bartlett tenants.” [Washington Business Journal]

Elton John Tweets About Barrett Elementary Video — “The staff at @BarrettAPS recorded their own music video to @TaronEgerton’s version of ‘I’m Still Standing’ and it’s so much fun!” [Twitter]

Library Launches ‘Quaranzine’ — “Liz Laribee, the programs and partnerships librarian at Arlington Public Library, says she thinks in puns. So, when the word ‘quaranzine’ popped into her head a little over a week ago, it gave her an idea. On April 3, the library published the first issue of Quaranzine, a weekly online collection of works by local artists responding to the coronavirus pandemic.” [DCist, Arlington Public Library]

Dems See Few Refund Requests After Event Cancelled — “Arlington County Democratic Committee leaders say the party did not take a big financial hit due to the cancellation of its Blue Victory Dinner, which traditionally brings in about a third of operating revenue for county Democrats each year. ‘We had very few folks ask for refunds,’ party chair Jill Caiazzo said… Democratic leaders offered those, who were willing to let the party keep the ticket prices, access to an online event.” [InsideNova]

ACFD Accepting Donations of Food But Not Supplies — “Thank you all for the generosity. You are amazing!! We have have been getting a lot of questions about donating PPE (masks, gloves, respirators, etc). At this time we are NOT collecting any supplies.” [Twitter, Arlington County]

View More Stories