coronavirus

AFAC Braces for Increased Need Akin to Government Shutdown

By Vernon Miles

As the coronavirus outbreak results in closed businesses and lost jobs, the Arlington Food Assistance Center is preparing for a decrease in donations and an increase in demand.

“We’re just going to try to operate as normally,” said Jeremiah Huston, communications manager for AFAC. “We serve 2,100 or 2,200 families every week and we’re going to continue to do that as an essential need in the community.”

Huston said with the grocery stores raided and shelves emptying, AFAC is not getting the donations from stores it usually receives and is instead relying on food purchased from wholesalers to give out milk, egg and frozen proteins with the organization’s food budget.

“It’s hard to tell right now if there’s an increased need, it’s early,” Huston said. “Some of those families might be coming in more often. Right now it’s once a week but they might have to come in more often to replenish their shelves.”

The effect of the coronavirus on the paychecks of working class residents is of particular concern.

“Those are people who didn’t need our services but might now,” Huston said. “[It’s] similar to last year’s government shutdown, but this one seems like it will be extended longer.”

On Instagram, AFAC put out a message noting that donations from grocery stores were starting to decline sharply. Huston said AFAC is still seeking donations — both food donations and money for the organization to buy food.

Meanwhile, Huston said the center is following CDC guidelines and trying to keep things safe and sanitary. Spray paint is being used on a temporary basis, to show people how far six-feet apart is, and fewer clients are being seen at any given time. Anyone with a referral from the county’s Department of Human Services who can prove Arlington residence can come in to receive assistance.

The organization is also still evaluating its volunteer needs.

“The situation has changed where a lot of daytime volunteers are seniors so we’re telling them to take more caution,” Huston said, “but we’ve gotten a lot of emails from people who were working who aren’t now [to come volunteer]. More volunteers aren’t needed yet but we’ll let people know.”

For now, Huston said the organization is going to have to see how things turn out over the next couple of weeks.

“We’re looking at numbers over the next couple weeks and it’s going to take time to see the effect this will have,” Huston said. “We can’t tell day-to-day. Today it seemed kind of normal.”

Photo via AFAC

Police Dept. Asks Public to Report Many Non-Emergency Incidents Online

By ARLnow.com

Fraud, theft, vandalism and harassing phone calls — those are a few of the things that Arlington County Police say should only be reported online, for now.

ACPD is trying to keep its officers healthy and on the beat during the coronavirus outbreak, but responding to too many non-emergency calls increases the risk of infection. As a result, the police department is asking members of the public to file reports for a number of non-emergency incidents online.

Going forward, police officers may also be seen wearing protective gear like “gloves, masks or eye protection to help reduce exposure,” the department said.

More from ACPD:

All police operations remain fully functional. Public access points including the police front counter and the property unit remain open during normal business hours.

The Arlington County Police Department will divert some non-emergency incidents to the online reporting system. This will help reduce cross contamination within our community while ensuring department maintains a healthy workforce to address emergency calls for service and in-progress crimes. Officers will continue to respond to in-progress crimes and emergency calls for service where there is an immediate threat to life, health or property. Details

The following non-emergency crimes should be reported online:

  • Credit card fraud
  • Fraud/false pretenses
  • Harassing phone call or email
  • Identity theft
  • Larceny/theft
  • Theft from motor vehicle
  • Suspicious circumstances
  • Vandalism
  • Vehicle tampering

Arlington County Police Officers are adhering to the advice of the CDC and, whenever possible, practicing social distancing. Reporting parties and witnesses of emergency calls for service may be asked to step outside to speak to responding officers. The public may also observe officers wearing protective gear such as gloves, masks or eye protection to help reduce exposure.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Mass Cancelled at Catholic Churches — “On Monday, March 16, 2020, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Diocese of Arlington… announced that the public celebration of all Masses in the Diocese is suspended until further notice.” [Press Release]

Food Donations Needed — “We have already seen a sharp decrease in food donations from our local grocery stores. AFAC has begun to purchase more food to offset the drop of food available on our shelves. Please think about making a donation to AFAC to help us keep our warehouse full for our families in need.” [Arlington Food Assistance Center]

Regional Park Facilities Closed — “While park and facilities are open for individual use, programs organized by NOVA Parks are canceled. All NOVA Parks facilities and buildings will be closed beginning at the close of business on March 16 and remaining closed for at least two weeks. Many parks will remain open for passive use – trails, general visitation, etc.” [NOVA Parks]

Community Centers Closed — The following Arlington rec centers are closed: Aurora Hills Community Center, Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center, Carver Community Center, Charles Drew Community Center, Gulf Branch Nature Center, Gunston Community Center, Hendry House, Lee Community Center, Long Branch Nature Center and Madison Community Center. The Fairlington, Walter Reed, Arlington Mill, Thomas Jefferson and Langston-Brown community centers remain open with modified hours. [Arlington County]

Pentagon City Mall: Before and After — Photos of the Pentagon City mall food court before and after the coronavirus outbreak shows a stark difference: bustling before vs. nearly deserted after. [Twitter]

White House: Avoid Gatherings of 10+ — “The White House’s coronavirus task force announced tougher guidelines on Monday to help slow the spread of the disease, including limiting social gatherings of more than 10 people.” [Axios]

It’s St. Patrick’s Day — Enjoy a Guinness at home because most places to celebrate are closed, or at least should be. [Old Farmer’s Almanac]

Arlington Urging Restaurants to Close Dining Rooms

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9 p.m.) More than 80% of respondents to our poll this morning think Arlington restaurants should close for everything other than takeout or delivery.

Arlington County’s top officials agree.

Monday night, the county sent out a statement acknowledging that while it does not have the legal authority to force closures, it is urging restaurants to “take responsible action and switch from dine-in service to only offering carryout and delivery.”

The full statement is below.

States across the Country, including DC and Maryland have ordered all bars and restaurants to close for dine-in service as of 10:00 P.M.tonight (March 16). Arlington County does not have the legal authority to order the same.  However, we ask that Arlington bars and restaurants take responsible action and switch from dine-in service to only offering carryout and delivery. We have seen some restaurants get very creative with how to do carryout with social distancing. Encouraging carryout service is a good way to help these small businesses and their staffs make it through this challenging time.

We thank all those that have already done so, but we plead with all our bars and restaurants that have NOT yet closed their dining rooms; to do so as of 10:00 PM tonight (March 16) and not reopen until we can all work out safe ways for patrons to be served in person. Otherwise, we will likely be overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases and the health of everyone in Arlington will be in jeopardy.

We appreciate your partnership in keeping our community safe.

Libby Garvey. Arlington Board Chair
Mark Schwartz. Arlington County Manager

Among the restaurants in Arlington to close completely or offer takeout and delivery only are Ireland’s Four Courts, Jaleo, and — just announced tonight — The Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall, and Northside Social.

It’s unclear how long local restaurants will be able to survive on takeout and delivery alone. Delivery apps take a large percentage of sales, while alcohol sales to dine-in customers make up a sizable portion of a restaurant’s profit margin.

Some are predicting an apocalyptic outcome.

“Many of the restaurants that close during the pandemic will not reopen their doors,” predicted an Eater article today. “Diners should also brace for a restaurant landscape that will be entirely different by the time — however near or far off it may be — they can be safely encouraged to enjoy a crowded night out again.”

Photos: Empty Streets, Metro Stations and Businesses Around Arlington on Monday

By ARLnow.com
1/13

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, much of the usually bustling places around Arlington seemed like a ghost town this morning.

The Clarendon Metro station and Reagan National Airport were eerily empty at times. Only a handful of people could be wandering Ballston Quarter mall and eating at local restaurants. Other than grocery stores, drug stores and Costco, many stores were quiet.

At Bearded Goat barber shop in Ballston, barbers were serving their last clients before closing for at least the next two weeks.

On I-395 and other heavily-traveled highways, traffic volumes that could be mistaken for Christmas morning could be seen.

Ultimately, it’s a good sign: only social distancing and staying at home will slow the spread of the virus. But it may be a new normal that stretches into the summer.

Jay Westcott contributed to this report

JUST IN: Arlington Coronavirus Cases Now Up to Nine

By ARLnow.com

The number of known coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Arlington have risen to nine.

That’s up from five as of Friday afternoon. The figures are being reported by the Virginia Dept. of Health, which as of noon on Monday reported 51 cases statewide, with only 489 people tested.

Arlington was third among Virginia jurisdictions in terms of coronavirus cases, with Fairfax and James City counties each reporting 10 cases.

“VDH is no longer reporting the pending number of tests as testing capacity has expanded to include commercial laboratories,” the health department said. “Commercial laboratories report all results to VDH. Information will be updated daily, Monday-Friday at noon; and will be updated daily on weekends.”

Over the weekend, Arlington County declared a local emergency in response to the ongoing outbreak. The county has been listing changes to county government services and events, along with tips for prevention and testing.

Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

Arlington Transit Shuts Down All But Seven ART Bus Routes

By Vernon Miles

At a time when coronavirus concerns are hitting public transportation hard, Arlington’s ART service has announced widespread closures.

Starting today, only the following seven ART bus routes will be operating, out of the usual 16 routes:

  • 41 — Along Columbia Pike
  • 42 — Ballston to Pentagon
  • 45 — Columbia Pike to Rosslyn
  • 51 — Ballston to Virginia Hospital Center
  • 55 — East Falls Church to Lee Highway and Rosslyn
  • 77 — Shirlington to Lyon Park and Courthouse
  • 87 — Pentagon to Army Navy Drive and Shirlington

Each bus line will be operating on its respective Saturday schedules. Most of the routes connect high population areas without direct Metro access to Metrorail stations.

Arlington Transit said that real-time schedule information will not be available for most of those bus lines.

Hand sanitizer will be distributed to each employee with dispensers installed at all facilities, Arlington Transit said on its website.

“Deep clean and sanitize all buses thoroughly at the end of each night by using approved disinfectant to wipe down all stanchions, hand rails, passenger seats, windows and all components in the driver’s area,” the bus service said.

STAR service, which caters to elderly or disabled Arlington residents who have difficulty with traditional public transit, will continue operating.

“Passengers are requested not to schedule medical trips if showing signs of illness,” Arlington Transit said on its website. “Please speak with your medical provider first and make other transportation arrangements for avoiding public transportation.”

File photo

Morning Poll: Should Restaurants Be Closed in Arlington?

By ARLnow.com

Over the weekend, in the midst of a pandemic, some local restaurants and bars were surprisingly crowded.

With sports leagues, recreational programs, major events, schools and many other facets of everyday life suspended or cancelled, in an effort to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, the sight of revelers crowding D.C. area bars and restaurants prompted some outrage on social media.

While Gov. Ralph Northam banned public gatherings of 100 or more people on Sunday, that’s below new guidance from the CDC to nix any gathering of 50 or more people.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made the rounds on the Sunday morning talk shows and urged young people to stop flocking to bars.

“Remember that you can also be a vector or a carrier,” he said, according to Axios. “And even though you don’t get seriously ill, you could bring it to a person, who could bring it to a person, that would bring it to your grandfather, your grandmother or your elderly relative. That’s why everybody has to take this seriously, even the young.”

Some states and cities are taking the spread of disease through bars and restaurants seriously.

New York, Los Angeles and the District, along with states like Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Massachusetts, California and Washington, have imposed varying degrees of restaurant and/or nightclub closures. In most cases, takeout and delivery are still allowed.

Elsewhere, Arlington’s pseudo sister city of Hoboken, New Jersey has imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., for all but those required to be at work.

Some Arlington restaurants, including Ireland’s Four Courts and Jaleo, have already closed.

Unfortunately, restaurant closures will have a devastating effect on all but the strongest restaurant businesses — read: mostly chains — at a time when restaurants in the D.C. area, along with their employees, are already hurting. On Saturday, restaurant reservation website OpenTable reported that across Virginia, reservations on its platform were down 39% and continuing to fall.

While Arlington may be limited in what it can do by the Dillon Rule, ideally what do you think the county should do?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

List of County Gov’t Changes — “With cases in the region, including Arlington, we are taking critical steps to slow down the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), as the health and safety of our employees and our community is our top priority. While we will be making changes to some programs and services, we will continue to operate essential government services for our residents and businesses.” [Arlington County]

Visits Cancelled at County Jail — “All Professional Visits will be non-contact for a minimum of 30 days. All Personal Visits will be cancelled for a minimum of 30 days. All programs will be cancelled for a minimum of 30 days.” [Arlington County]

Jury Trials Postponed — “As of March 15, the Circuit Court has postponed all jury trials & released witnesses from subpoenas through March 31. Other hearings & sentencing dockets are also postponed. See attached. Arraignments & bond motions will still be heard.” [Twitter]

Metro Reduces Service — “As of 2 p.m., Friday, March 13, Metro has further escalated its response to Phase 3 of its Pandemic Flu Plan. Phase 3 is the highest level of response and will include all subsequent mitigation steps required during the public health emergency… Monday-Friday: Trains will operate every 12 minutes on each line throughout the day. The rail system will maintain normal hours, opening at 5 a.m.” [WMATA]

Visitor Restrictions at Va. Hospital Center — “Effective March 12, we have implemented new visitation restrictions to protect the health and safety of our patients and staff from the spread of COVID-19.” [Instagram]

Restaurant Delivering Free Meals — “Between the empty grocery store shelves, scary headlines, and mass closures, it’s hard not to feel like the world is ending. Which is why Medium Rare owner Mark Bucher wanted to do something to make people’s lives a little easier. So yesterday, he posted a message on Twitter: If anyone over the age of 70 needed a meal, his restaurant would make sure they got one.” [Washingtonian]

Few Crowds at Pentagon City Mall — The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall was “almost dead” at noon on Saturday as most shoppers sayed away. Meanwhile, a reader took a video of people in full body suits in the Victoria’s Secret store; it’s unclear whether they were cleaning the store or otherwise. [Twitter, Twitter]

Crash on N. Glebe Road Saturday — A crash at N. Glebe Road and Pershing Drive sent a car careening into a lamp post, over a sidewalk and smashing into the parking lot of the Buckingham Center strip mall on Saturday. [Twitter]

Ireland’s Four Courts Temporarily Closing Tonight, Just Before St. Patrick’s Day

By ARLnow.com

How seriously are people in Arlington taking the coronavirus outbreak?

Probably not seriously enough, in some cases, but at least enough so that Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse is cancelling St. Patrick’s Day.

The venerable local Irish pub announced tonight (Sunday) that it would be closing indefinitely after the close of business, just two days before St. Patrick’s Day.

Despite a presumably massive loss of business as a result, Four Courts said in a message to customers that it’s the right thing to do, given the need for social distancing to stop the spread of the disease, known as COVID-19.

“The safety and well-being of our customers and staff is our greatest concern,” the restaurant said. “We will reopen again when the time is right.”

Four Courts did, at least, hold a “St. Practice Day” event on Saturday. Amid the crowds at bars across the D.C. area this weekend, there were calls to put an end to such gatherings.

Several states — including California, Illinois, Ohio and Massachusetts — have ordered restaurants and bars closed, though with allowances for take-out and delivery. On Sunday night the Centers for Disease Control recommended that all gatherings of 50 or more people be cancelled for the next 8 weeks.

APS to Offer Grab-and-Go Meals During Closure

By ARLnow.com

Update at 3/23/20 — The number of meal distribution locations has been expanded to five.

Earlier: Arlington Public Schools will be offering free breakfasts and lunches to those who need them during the month-long school closure.

APS announced Friday evening that meals will be provided for pickup from Kenmore Middle School and Drew Elementary, starting Monday, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The meals will be available to any child ages 2-18, but children must be present to receive the meals.

The program will help fill a need in the community, particularly among those eligible for free or reduced price lunches at school, as families hunker down during the worsening coronavirus outbreak. For some families, the outbreak will mean a loss of hourly wages for an extended period of time.

More from APS:

Beginning Mon, March 16, APS will provide free grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches at two school sites – Kenmore Middle School (200 S. Carlin Springs Road) and Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School (3500 S. 23rd Street). Meals will be set up on a table outside the building for distribution from 11 a.m.to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday.

APS will provide one (1) lunch for that day and one (1) breakfast to take home for the following day. These meals will be free to any child aged 2 to 18. Children must be present to receive the meals; no meals will be given to parents without their child or children present. We will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and make adjustments as needed.

Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Meals will be provided Monday-Friday beginning 3/16/2020, at the sites and times as follows:

Kenmore Middle School
200 S. Carlin Springs Road
11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School
3500 S. 23rd Street
11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Also on Friday, APS announced that it would be offering instructional activities for students during the school closure, via a combination of hard copy materials and electronic means.

The school system provided the following guidance to families:

We have prepared to deliver instruction to our students during this period. Please note the last day of the third-quarter grading period has been altered due to the school closure. All teachers will now complete their grading of third-quarter content by March 20, and it will only include student work submitted by that date. Report cards will still be sent home to families at the end of April as previously scheduled.

  • For Early Childhood and Elementary students (PreK-Grade 5), instructional materials have been prepared and should have been distributed by individual schools either in hard copy or electronically. If you have questions about how to access the instructional materials for your child, please contact your student’s teacher.
  • Secondary students (Grades 6-12) will be able to access assignments using Canvas. Teachers will spend the week of March 16 fulfilling their normal duties and working to transition course content, assignments and activities online.
    We want to acknowledge that we can never replace the work our teachers do with students in our classrooms; no one expects learning to be as effective as what teachers accomplish directly with students. These activities are meant to help our students maintain their existing skills and knowledge, extend their learning, and prepare a foundation for topics and concepts to come in the fourth quarter.

During our school closure, teachers will provide instructional activities that both review previously taught information and introduce new topics and concepts. While teachers have been instructed not to grade assignments or quizzes of newly-introduced topics or concepts, they may offer assessments to inform their teaching. These formative assessments will be used to monitor student progress and evaluate the effectiveness of instructional activities.

Teachers will be able to grade assignments assigned prior to Friday, March 13, for use when calculating third-quarter grades. It is important to note that the last day for students to submit third-quarter assignments is Friday, March 20, unless otherwise arranged with the teacher.

View More Stories