vaccine

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Enters N. Va. Police Pact –“The Northern Virginia Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Committee is pleased to announce the creation of the Northern Virginia Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT). The purpose of this team is to investigate critical incidents involving law enforcement officers within the cooperating jurisdictions.” [ACPD, DCist]

Dems Staying in Arlington for Inauguration — “Since most won’t be traveling into the District of Columbia due to public-health restrictions, members of the Arlington County Democratic Committee are being asked to take part in special events in Arlington to mark the Jan. 20 inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.” [InsideNova]

Amazon to Open HQ2 to Teachers — “Amazon.com Inc. is taking a new step toward building up its future workforce, offering D.C.-area teachers the opportunity this summer to tour its second headquarters and shadow HQ2 staff while completing a graduate-level computer science course with George Mason University.” [Washington Business Journal]

Amazon Wants to Vaccinate Va. Workers — “Amazon.com Inc. has offered to aid Virginia in inoculating the masses by vaccinating its tens of thousands of employees deemed essential during the health crisis… The company said it has the infrastructure to provide vaccinations to its more than 25,000 full and part-time laborers at fulfillment centers, warehouses and grocery stores across the state.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Candidate for 45th House District — “Alexandria Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker will not seek reelection and is running for the 45th District [state House of Delegates] seat currently held by Del. Mark Levine as he runs for Virginia Lieutenant Governor.” [ALXnow]

Nearby: No Go for MoCo Schools — “Montgomery County students’ return to schools will be pushed back again as local COVID-19 cases continue to surge. During a meeting on Tuesday, the Montgomery County Board of Education voted 7-1 to delay its reopening plan for the third time, pushing back the Feb. 1 start date until at least March 15 — more than a year after buildings closed.” [Bethesda Magazine]

JUST IN: Coronavirus Cases Pass 10,000 Mark in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

More than 10,000 coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in Arlington since the start of the pandemic.

The county passed that milestone this morning, as 120 new cases were reported, bringing the cumulative total to 10,117.

Arlington’s one-week trailing average of new daily cases also reached a new pandemic peak today: 118 cases per day. One new COVID-related death and 16 new hospitalizations were reported today in the county.

New coronavirus records are also being set statewide.

“Virginia reported new single-day and seven-day records for new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, and hospitalizations for the virus hit another high,” InsideNova reported. “The Virginia Department of Health also reported 69 new deaths related to COVID-19 on Saturday, the second-most ever, behind 96 on Sept. 15, when a backlog of death certificates were recorded. Overall, the state has recorded 264 deaths over the past seven days, making it one of the deadliest weeks ever since the pandemic began.”

The rate of vaccinations in Arlington, meanwhile, has picked up a bit since last week. VDH reported 303 new vaccinations in the county today, bringing the total number of doses distributed locally to 3,294.

Arlington is among the Virginia jurisdictions entering Phase 1b of vaccine distribution this week. That priority group includes “Persons aged 75 and older; Police, Fire, and Hazmat; Corrections and homeless shelter workers; Childcare/K-12 Teachers/Staff; Food and Agriculture (including Veterinarians); Manufacturing; Grocery store workers; Public transit workers; Mail carriers (USPS and private); Officials needed to maintain continuity of government.”

The county is currently pre-registering employers of those in the Phases 1b and 1c groups. Arlington is also partnering with Virginia Hospital Center to set up a new vaccination clinic. More from social media:

DoD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

ACPD Salutes Fallen Officer — “ACPD Officers honored fallen @CapitolPolice Officer Brian Sicknick as his procession traveled through Arlington County. In Valor, There is Hope.” [Twitter, Twitter]

M.J. Stewart Makes Splash in Upset Win — “Former Yorktown HS standout M.J. Stewart was one of NBC’s players of the game in the Cleveland Browns’ playoff upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight.” [Twitter]

National Award for County Naturalist — “Alonso Abugattas, natural resources manager for Arlington County, VA, received a Regional Environmental Champion award at the 2020 Natural Latinos conference.” [Bay Journal]

Cristol to Chair NVTC Again — “Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol will go another round as chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) for 2021.” [InsideNova]

McAuliffe Picks Up Local Support — “Four of the seven members of Arlington’s legislative delegation, including all three state senators, have announced their support for Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s bid for governor. McAuliffe ‘has the bold vision and proven track record we need to push Virginia forward,’ said state Sen. Adam Ebbin.” [InsideNova]

Nearby: Fairfax Vaccinating Teachers — “Starting as early as Saturday, Jan. 16, the Fairfax health department has partnered with Inova to vaccinate an estimated 40,000 teachers and staff of public and private schools and childcare programs across the health district.” [InsideNova]

Arlington Still Focusing on Vaccinating Healthcare Workers, Nursing Home Residents

By Jo DeVoe

(Updated at 3:45 p.m.) Vaccine distribution in Virginia started three weeks ago, and in Arlington County, the focus remains on healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

Officials say widespread distribution is still months away.

“We certainly share the enthusiasm about the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine in Virginia, and we appreciate everyone’s patience during this initial rollout,” Ryan Hudson, the acting public information officer for the Arlington County Public Health Division, told ARLnow in an email.

“As quantities are limited, [the vaccine] may not be widely available to the general public until at least mid-2021,” he said.

As of this morning, 2,216 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Arlington County, according to Virginia Department of Health statistics. At the current vaccination rate — around 150 per day — it would take more than three years to vaccinate Arlington’s adult population. The county, meanwhile, saw 121 new coronavirus cases reported today.

Statewide, 116,247 doses of the vaccine have been administered.

Gov. Ralph Northam acknowledged during a press conference on Wednesday that the state could be going faster. To that end, he announced a state goal of administering 25,000 vaccine doses a day in the coming weeks.

Virginia is planning for a weekly allocation of about 50,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines apiece, Hudson said. The actual amount received, however, depends on “when and how quickly vaccination doses are manufactured,” he said.

Arlington County is following the vaccine prioritization list that Northam outlined. The focus through the spring will be on people categorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state authorities into Phases 1A, 1B and 1C.

The state is currently in Phase 1A, immunizing doctors, EMT workers, nurses, and those who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

A Virginia Hospital Center spokeswoman said its allotment of doses of the vaccine have been allocated to staff or an affiliated frontline health worker.

“The first wave of over 2,000 VHC physicians and employees are receiving their second dose of the vaccine this week,” she said. “The second wave of staff received their first dose in late December and will return for the boost in late January.”

The hospital downplayed reports that some members of the general public are being given the chance to receive excess vaccine doses that would otherwise go to waste.

Doctors affiliated with VHC were told that the hospital received excess dosage that would made available to the general public, and several people successfully scheduled appointments, a reader who wishes to remain anonymous told ARLnow. The reader was able to successfully make an appointment to get the vaccine, which was confirmed with a screenshot.

Maryanne Boster, director of corporate communications at VHC, affirmed Thursday afternoon that the hospital is following VDH guidelines for vaccine distribution.

“The scheduling system referenced is intended for healthcare providers and their staff,” she said in a statement. “Individuals accessed the site and scheduled appointments. We have since corrected the issue. Virginia Hospital Center continues to offer the vaccine to those who meet the criteria defined as the highest priority in Phase 1A and is committed to using all of our allotted vaccines.”

In Arlington, distribution will expand to 1B as supplies and resources increase, Hudson said.

Phase 1B includes those who are 75 years and older, as well as: firefighters, police officers, teachers, hazmat workers, grocery store workers, food processing plant workers, agriculture workers, mail carriers, and those who work in transit and corrections.

Teachers make this bracket because “they’re critical to getting schools open and getting people back to work,” Northam said.

It will take “well into the spring” to immunize Phases 1A and 1B, roughly 2 million people, he said.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Beyer: Trump Must Be Removed — Rep. Don Beyer: “Donald Trump is a danger to our democracy. I continue to support his impeachment and removal from office, and am looking carefully at new articles of impeachment being drafted and offered by my colleagues… Congress must ensure Trump’s removal from office by the swiftest and surest method available: confirmation of the American people’s will as expressed in the 2020 election.” [Press Release]

Bishop: ‘Saddened and Appalled’ — From Bishop Michael Burbidge, of the Arlington Diocese: “Today, I was saddened and appalled to see the violence at the US Capitol that disrupted a constitutional process. I ask all people to pray for unity and healing in our nation. May God bless and protect this great country and grant us the peace for which we long.” [Twitter]

Northam: ‘Virginia Will Be There’ — Gov. Ralph Northam: “I continue to pray for the safety of every member of the House and Senate, all the staff, the journalists, everyone who works in the Capitol. And I commend the Virginia National Guard and Virginia State Police for quickly stepping up in this time of great need. Let me be clear: Virginia will be there for as long as it takes to protect our nation’s capital and ensure the peaceful transfer of power.” [Gov. Ralph Northam]

Lopez Discussed Capitol Chaos on BBC — Del. Alfonso Lopez appeared on BBC’s Newsnight, discussing the insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol: “This is an extreme group that have bought into the misinformation from the Trump family,” he said. [Twitter]

State to Speed Up Vaccinations — “Governor Ralph Northam today announced new actions to support the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution program and accelerate the pace of vaccinations across Virginia.” [Gov. Ralph Northam]

Now for Something Completely Different — “About this time yesterday I posted a video of an Arlington fox playing with dog toys — I’m just gonna re-post now for anyone who needs a break from today’s news cycle.” [Twitter]

Ballston Cybersecurity Startup Combats Vaccine Misinformation

By Jo DeVoe

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Shirlington Gateway. The new 2800 Shirlington recently delivered a brand-new lobby and upgraded fitness center, and is adding spec suites with bright open plans and modern finishes. Experience a prime location and enjoy being steps from Shirlington Village.

Ballston-based cybersecurity startup GroupSense is helping governments fend off targeted attacks on COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

The vaccine action plan, a modified version of GroupSense’s 2020 election plans, is a pivot that CEO and founder Kurtis Minder never envisioned when he established the company in 2014.

“We didn’t go seeking this out — it came to us,” he said.

Today, GroupSense helps a handful of local governments combat vaccine misinformation and negotiate with hackers targeting manufacturers in the vaccine’s supply chain. The company anticipates working with these municipalities for one year, but could extend that work if the protections are still needed later on.

During the 2016 and 2020 elections, GroupSense worked with municipalities, website hosts and social media companies to take down misinformation. After the 2020 elections, Minder said local governments asked GroupSense to secure their vaccine rollouts.

“It occurred to us that you could use this technology on vaccines,” Minder said.

GroupSense reports “disinformation” to local governments, which decide whether to take down or refute the claims, he said.

“If someone on Reddit starts a thread, it gives City Hall the opportunity to get into that conversation and post links to debunk that particular narrative,” Minder said.

While rumors run rampant on Reddit, bad actors working for foreign governments or themselves are taking advantage of the increased cybersecurity risks of remote work, he said.

“The remote-work problem has actually made ransomware easier,” he said. “Eighty percent of the time, the way the bad guy gets in, it’s because the company did not secure the network properly for work-from home.”

Government-led attacks are originating from countries including Russia and Iran, he said. They are often aimed at stealing intellectual property related to vaccines, and are harder to detect and stop because they have more resources.

Meanwhile, hackers looking to make a buck are demanding ransoms of small-scale businesses, such as refrigeration companies, which keep the vaccines cold, Minder said.

These hackers, from Russia, Moldova or Belarus, get access to a network, shut it down and demand a ransom, Minder said. They target “low-hanging fruit,” or businesses that are less likely to be secured against cyber threats and more likely to pay a ransom because the vaccine is in high demand.

“It just reinforced something we already knew: The security of the supply chain is really important to the outcomes of an organization,” he said.

GroupSense keeps tracks of these reports in a dashboard that it developed, Minder said. Federal law enforcement agencies have access to this dashboard, and use it to track attack trends, he said.

The CEO advises companies and governments to secure their remote access, teach employees about phishing, and ensure they only use private emails to sign up for non-work-related accounts.

This year, the company — located at 4040 Fairfax Drive, in the Marymount University building — reported 65% year-over-year growth, despite the pandemic.

Arlington Has Received a Shipment of the COVID-19 Vaccine

By ARLnow.com

Five new COVID-related deaths were reported in Arlington overnight as the county’s average daily caseload continues to climb.

An additional 101 local cases were reported this morning, bringing the seven-day moving average to about 90 cases per day, the highest point in nearly two weeks. Five new deaths were reported, bringing Arlington’s cumulative COVID fatality count to 174, which is less than a tenth of a percent of the overall population and just over 2% of cases (8,222).

Three new hospitalizations were also reported overnight, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data, but the seven-day trailing hospitalization total dropped to 10. Yesterday the seven-day total was 21, largely due to a big spike in reported hospitalizations on Dec. 16.

Encouragingly, Arlington now has its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Arlington County Board got the news on Tuesday, about an hour after the Arlington Health District received an allotment from the state health department. The first doses will be given to healthcare workers, nursing home residents and staff.

(Virginia Hospital Center has already started vaccinating its employees.)

“This is, I think, one of the brightest spots in this long nightmare of the pandemic,” Board member Katie Cristol said. “I can’t imagine that I am the only Arlingtonian who just breathed a sigh of relief listening to you describe what it means that our health care workers at Virginia Hospital Center and surrounding facilities are finally being reached by this vaccine.”

Arlington Public Health Director Dr. Reuben Varghese predicted that the general public could be inoculated as early as mid-2021, and that the timing for the next phase is up to VDH. He also said that the next phase of inoculations will likely be for essential workers, including first responders, law enforcement and grocery store workers.

“This will take time to put into place,” Varghese said. “Even though we know how to vaccinate, vaccinating with six foot distances with appointments is not something that we’ve all done before. So, we ask for your patience.”

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have 95% efficacy rate, but have not been tested on anyone under the age of 16. Side effects include muscle aches, soreness and fever.

Varghese also said that the health department will not collect citizenship information from those receiving vaccines.

“We’re not collecting that in any of our databases about who’s getting it and what their immigration status [is],” he said. “If you do that you will send infection underground, and you will not be able to control the spread. That principle has been maintained, and I’ve actually registered in the vaccine system and there was no status question.”

James Cullum contributed to this report. DoD photo (top) by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II.

Virginia Hospital Center Employees Are Getting Vaccinated

By ARLnow.com

Vaccinations are underway at Virginia Hospital Center.

Healthcare workers at Arlington hospital are receiving some of the first does of the recently-authorized Pfizer vaccine.

The hospital at 1701 N. George Mason Drive administered 500 COVID-19 vaccines yesterday, with another 1,450 doses expected to be administered through Saturday.

“VHC was one of 18 hospitals in Virginia to receive a portion of the initial Pfizer vaccine shipment,” according to a press release, adding that it “was one of the first hospitals in Northern Virginia to secure the necessary equipment to store and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.”

In all, Virginia is receiving an initial vaccine distribution of nearly a half-million doses, set to go to healthcare workers, first responders and those in long-term care facilities.

“Virginia Hospital Center is thrilled to have this opportunity to vaccinate our front-line workers,” said Rohit Modak, MD, the hospital’s infectious disease chief, in a statement. “While we are definitely not out of the woods just yet, and people should remain vigilant about masking and social distancing guidelines, the arrival of this vaccine brings us hope that we are approaching the end of this pandemic.”

More vaccine is on the way, the hospital says.

“VHC expects to receive an additional shipment of vaccine before the end of the year and will distribute the doses in accordance with CDC and state guidelines,” the press release notes.

On social media, hospital workers expressed their appreciation.

VHC released the following video of the vaccine distribution.

Arlington Prepares for First Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine

By James Cullum

Arlington could have the COVID-19 vaccine as early as the end of this month, but the first shipment of doses won’t be available to the general public.

Nearly a half million healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents across Virginia at risk of being infected will get the first doses from the Virginia Department of Health, and it is not yet known when the rest of the public will get the vaccine.

Arlington’s Public Health Director Dr. Reuben Varghese told the County Board on Tuesday that there is still a lot of unknown information regarding the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines that are undergoing Food and Drug Administration approval. He said that the number of vaccine doses that will arrive in Virginia (estimated at 480,000) is a moving target, that both vaccines require recipients to get booster shots within a month, and the effect on children and pregnant women is still unknown.

“The plan is that those health care personnel that directly care for COVID-19 patients, or are in support of that will receive top priority first,” Varghese said. “VDH is working with the Virginia Hospital and Health Care Association to prepare the health systems that have the ultra cold chain storage ability to receive these first shipments, because it has to be done safely and you don’t want to go through the expense of creating all of this, and then not maintain the vaccine at the appropriate temperature.”

On Saturday, the County Board will consider accepting $660,000 in state grants to prepare for mass vaccine distribution. The funds would pay for the hiring of temporary medical and non-medical staff, and cover travel costs, facility rentals and clinic operations, according to Arlington Public Health.

The vaccine will eventually be available at grocery stores, as well as chain and independent pharmacies, according to the VDH COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

Mass vaccine distribution will not necessarily mean that COVID restrictions will be quickly lifted in Arlington, however.

“The fact that we are going to enter a period where vaccination will be available doesn’t mean in any way that all the other precautions for COVID hygiene are going to be relaxed,” County Board member Takis Karantonis said.

There have been 7,062 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Arlington since the pandemic began in March, along with 162 deaths and more than 600 total hospitalizations.

Below is Tuesday’s County Board work session discussing vaccination plans.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Yet Another New Coronavirus Caseload Record for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s cumulative coronavirus case count has passed the 7,000 mark, only two weeks after it crossed 6,000.

By contrast, it took more than 70 days over the summer to go from 2,000 to 3,000 cases.

Over the past two days, the county has reported 158 additional cases, 7 new hospitalizations and 4 COVID-related deaths. Arlington’s seven-day trailing case count is now 645, or an average of 92.1 cases per day, a new record.

The county’s test positivity rate currently stands at 8.4%, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.

Disproportionately, the growth in cases in Arlington over the past month has been among those under the age of 40. In total, patients 39 and younger account for 63% of new local cases since Nov. 9.

With the U.S. as a whole experiencing record hospitalizations, Arlington’s hospitalization rate — 11 new hospitalizations over the past seven days — may seem relatively low. That’s at least partially explained by demographics, but the raw hospitalization figure from VDH does not seem to tell the whole story.

At Virginia Hospital Center, a tent used as a “secondary ER waiting room” was set up outside the hospital last week, for the first time since the spring. The number of coronavirus patients at the hospital is rising, according to ER chief Mike Silverman, in a weekly public social media post.

“As a hospital, our inpatient census continues to climb, hitting levels that we haven’t seen since May,” Silverman wrote on Friday. “We have almost double the number of positive cases in every way we look at data — symptomatic, asymptomatic, and total patients… Our positivity rate has almost doubled compared to any week in the recent past.”

In the Emergency Department, “the number of patients we put under COVID isolation protocol, is 15-20% more than we’ve seen the last several weeks,” Silverman added. “We’re admitting slightly more of these patients than the last few weeks.”

Silverman said the hospital is likely to start rolling out vaccinations for front line healthcare workers shortly after an Emergency Use Authorization is granted, perhaps as early as this week.

“Although the vaccine gives us hope and shows the light at the end of the tunnel, we likely have 6 months until there is mass vaccination,” he write. “Hospitals are full. This time everywhere. Every hospital. People are dying. I’m very worried about the number of COVID patients that we’ll take care of over the next couple of months as the surge continues. This is the time to remain diligent and safe.”

Coronavirus Cases Hit New Peak in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

More than 600 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Arlington over the past seven days.

The county’s average COVID-19 caseload has hit new highs, just over a week after Thanksgiving weekend, though incongruously hospitalizations have ticked down.

More than 100 new cases have been reported in Arlington in each of the past three days, including 152 new cases on Sunday, a one-day record. The seven-day trailing rate of new cases is now 605, or 86.4 per day. The county’s cumulative case count stands at 6,904.

Also on the rise: Arlington’s test positivity rate, which is now 8.5%, up from 4.9% on Thanksgiving day.

One new hospitalization and one new COVID-related death were reported over the weekend. After hitting 21 last week, the highest point since the spring epidemic, Arlington’s seven-day hospitalization count has dropped to eight.

Statewide, both case counts and hospitalizations are up.

“The numbers of new COVID-19 cases reported in Virginia and Northern Virginia set new daily highs on Sunday, and hospitalizations statewide also reached a new high,” InsideNova reported. Thirteen long-term care facilities in Northern Virginia — including Manor Care and Regency Care in Arlington — have outbreaks underway, the site also reported.

New caseload records are being set in D.C. and Maryland, as well.

With cases growing and vaccines on the way — healthcare and long-term care workers will be the first in line for immunization in Virginia, according to the Virginia Dept. of Health — officials are urging universal mask-wearing in public places, especially indoors.

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