After a month of rising Covid cases, there are some signs that the growth in new cases appears to be slowing.
The seven-day moving average of new daily cases increased by only one over the past week — from 31 to 32 cases per day — the slowest weekly growth since the county’s coronavirus case count started rising one month ago, amid the nationwide surge of the virus’ delta variant.
It’s unclear whether the leveling off is a temporary blip or the start of a sustained trend, however. The United Kingdom, which saw its Covid cases start to rise in late May amid the delta wave, reached a peak in cases roughly two months later, though the rate of new cases remains elevated compared to that country’s spring lull.
Arlington County’s test positivity rate, meanwhile, has risen from 0.4% on July 1 to 3.7% on Thursday, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. Over the previous five days, however, the rate only rose by 0.1%.
Over the past week, six Covid-related hospitalizations and one death have been reported. It’s the first reported Covid-related death in Arlington since the end of June, according to VDH data.
On Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug administration approved Covid vaccine boosters for some immunocompromised individuals. Arlington County said Sunday that it was not yet prepared to administer booster shots and recommended that those eligible for them go to a pharmacy instead.
Participating pharmacies can be found at https://t.co/EhxuGcFIRA or by calling 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1).
There are reports that the Biden administration is working on a plan to allow the general population to receive booster shots in the fall, amid questions about the efficacy of the vaccines over time, particularly against the more contagious delta variant.
Vax Mandade for County, APS Employees — “Arlington County Government and Arlington Public Schools (APS) will implement a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for employees. This joint action, effective August 30, is a necessary step to help keep the community safe and is consistent with COVID-19 public health guidance. This policy will also apply to interns, volunteers, substitutes, and contractors… All unvaccinated employees will be required to be tested at least weekly for COVID-19 to limit the potential spread in the workforce and in the community. Testing will be provided at no cost to the employee.” [Arlington County]
Mask Mandate for Va. Schools — “Virginia will require all students, teachers and staff in K-12 schools to wear masks indoors this fall, even if they are vaccinated, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced Thursday. The mandate, set forth in a public health emergency order, is sure to stir controversy and anger amid an already fractious debate over education in the state.” [Washington Post, Gov. Ralph Northam]
Escalator Replacement at Pentagon City Metro — “On Monday, August 16, Metro will begin work to replace the four entrance escalators at Pentagon City station with brand new, more durable escalators. Construction is expected to take approximately nine months to complete both entrances and will require each entrance to be closed during construction, starting with the east side of South Hayes Street and followed by the two escalators on the west side.” [WMATA]
Arlington Real Estate Remains Hot — “A combination of challenging affordability and low inventory may be conspiring to dampen home-buyer enthusiasm across much of the Washington region, but you wouldn’t know it in Arlington, where some regions remain red-hot locales… While the region as a whole is down, Arlington has an overall rating of 205 – well into the “High” category and leading all other regional jurisdictions.” [Sun Gazette]
Summer Friday for ARLnow — We’re taking part of the day off, so expect a lighter publishing schedule today.
Langston Blvd Plan Meets Resistance — “Following this May’s release of area planning maps and a presentation on density from consultant AECOM, a furious screed was published by Lyon Village Civic Association president John Carten. Though the process is still in the community engagement phase that precedes concrete recommendations, the hint of possible changes in the General Land Use Plan prompted the Lyon Village group to predict a parade of horribles.” [Falls Church News-Press]
New Clarendon Apartment Building Sold — “Trammell Crow Residential has sold the Alexan Earl, a 333-unit multifamily building at 1122 N. Hudson St., to Lincoln Property Co. for $192 million… The Earl represents the first phase of the long-planned Red Top Cab redevelopment… Shooshan continues to plan for the second phase, a roughly 250-unit building fronting Washington Boulevard at the intersection with 13th Street North. It expects to start demolition this fall.” [Washington Business Journal]
Online Fundraiser for Fallen Officer –” The family of George Gonzalez started a memorial fund Sunday for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency officer who was fatally wounded Tuesday on the platform of the Pentagon Transit Center… By 3 p.m. on Monday, the GoFundMe campaign had already raised $15,000, outstripping its original goal of $1,000.” [Patch, GoFundMe]
Local BBQ Joint Competing in ‘World Championship’ — “Arlington’s Smokecraft Modern Barbecue… has been invited to compete in the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue. Taking place in Lynchburg, TN on on October 8th and 9th, ‘The Jack’ as it is known, is widely considered the world’s most prestigious barbecue competition.” [Press Release]
Va. AG Continues to Fight Robocalls — “Attorney General Mark R. Herring today urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fight back against the scourge of illegal robocalls by moving up the deadline for smaller telephone companies to implement caller ID technology. Attorney General Herring joined a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general have in submitting comments to the FCC.” [Press Release]
Pentagon to Require Vaccinations — “The Pentagon will require members of the military to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 15, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo on Monday. About 64% of active duty military members are fully vaccinated, a low enough rate to pose concern for potential outbreaks and international deployment.” [Axios]
Following the lead of the state and the federal government, Arlington County is considering a mandate for its employees and contractors to be vaccinated.
Last week President Biden announced that federal employees must either sign forms attesting to be vaccinated or submit to mandatory masking, weekly testing and distancing. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a similar policy for more than 100,000 state employees yesterday.
Now Arlington — like neighboring Fairfax County — is also considering a vaccine mandate, amid a continued rise in local Covid cases fueled by the delta variant of the virus. The proposal was revealed to county employees during an online town hall with County Manager Mark Schwartz, we’re told.
“During an online employee town hall the county manager informed staff it is his intention to require vaccination or submit to weekly testing,” a tipster tells ARLnow.
In a statement, below, Arlington County confirmed that such a policy is indeed under consideration. A final decision is expected later this month.
“The health and wellbeing of our residents and our employees is our top priority. Arlington County has offered vaccines to all employees, and continues to follow Virginia Department of Health guidance regarding vaccination. The County continues to assess its COVID-19 policies and practices as new guidance emerges from Centers for Disease Control and Virginia Department of Health. The County Manager has asked staff to prepare, for review, a program that would mandate vaccination and testing for County employees and contractors. A final decision on whether to pursue such a program will be made during August. In the meantime, we encourage Arlington employees and residents to access no-cost, no-appointment testing and vaccination opportunities.”
Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II
Amid a rise in coronavirus cases, community leaders and the Arlington County Public Health Division are continuing to find ways to target particular demographics for which more outreach is needed.
So far, 70% of the adult population in Arlington and 61.8% of the county’s entire population has at last one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, excluding federal doses, according to the Virginia Dept. of Health dashboard. Nearly 64% of the adult population and 56% of the overall population is fully vaccinated. But these percentages start to vary more when broken down by age group, race and ethnicity.
For example, vaccination rates differ by nearly 20 percentage points between Asian or Pacific Islander and Latino Arlington residents, whose rates surpass 70%, and Black and white residents, whose rates hover around 56-58%. Meanwhile, the age group with the lowest vaccination rate is 25- to 34-year-olds, 59% of whom are vaccinated, while the highest rate is among 16-17 year olds, of whom 96% are vaccinated, according to VDH data.
Some disparities, particularly in sub-groups with larger population counts, can be tied demographic factors. But some data points, especially for smaller population sub-sets, may be tied to estimation errors, according to the Virginia Dept. of Health.
According to VDH spokeswoman Cindy Clayton, certain demographics with smaller population counts can lead to these high percentages.
“This is likely due to estimation error in the population data, especially when the denominator is a small group, like 16-17 year-olds or Native Americans,” she said. (More than 106% of local Native Americans appear to be vaccinated, according to the state dashboard).
The state health department uses census data compiled and modeled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to calculate vaccine percentages at the local level.
“Although efforts were made to use the best available data and methods to produce the bridged estimates, the modeling process introduces error into the estimates,” according to the CDC’s explanation of the demographic data it stores.
Vaccination rates by race and ethnicity (via Virginia Dept. of Health)Vaccination rates by age (via Virginia Dept. of Health)
Although some numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt, at this point, both community leaders and the county are now tailoring their vaccine outreach efforts toward “myth-busting” and focusing on particular subgroups.
“Arlington continues to encourage everyone 12 and older in Arlington to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities,” said Ryan Hudson, a spokesman for the Arlington County Public Health Division. “Vaccines are free for everyone, and offer the best form of protection against COVID-19.”
The county operates two vaccine clinics, open seven days a week, to accommodate everyone in the community, he said. The division also conducts “field missions” with targeted vaccine clinics at strategic community locations, including libraries.
More recently, the division’s communications have focused on “myth-busting,” which he says is “in an effort to dispel much of the misinformation that exists. Some examples he said include the impact of the vaccine on puberty, fertility, pregnancy and breast-feeding, as well as concern about corner-cutting due to how quickly the vaccine was developed.”
(Updated at 11:05 a.m.) Earlier this summer, new coronavirus cases were reaching new lows. Now cases remain on the rise across the county, Commonwealth and the country.
In Arlington today another 18 cases were reported, bringing the seven-day trailing average up to 16 cases per day, the highest point since May 5.
Thanks to vaccinations, serious complications from Covid remain at relatively low levels. Over the past two months, two Covid-related deaths and 20 new hospitalizations have been reported in Arlington.
But the more contagious Delta variant of the virus is in some cases infecting even those who have been fully vaccinated. A new metric published by the Virginia Dept. of Health reports 1,377 known “breakthrough” cases, resulting in 114 hospitalizations and 37 deaths.
“Over 99% of COVID-19 cases in Virginia have occurred in people who were not fully vaccinated,” State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver was quoted as saying in a county press release Tuesday. “I continue to encourage everyone who is able to get vaccinated to do so.”
Arlington’s health department has now administered more than 150,000 vaccine doses, the press release notes.
“As of Monday (July 26), the Arlington County Public Health Division has given more than 150,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses!” the county said. “Overall in Arlington, a total of 264,500 doses have been administered and 132,000+ people are fully vaccinated. The vaccines are free, safe and still the best protection against COVID-19.”
As cases rise, talk of mask and vaccine-related requirements have heated up in recent days.
Students at Montgomery County and Fairfax County public schools will be required to wear masks inside schools this fall regardless of vaccination status, the school systems announced this week. Arlington Public Schools has yet to make a formal announcement of its mask policy for the fall; Virginia is strongly recommending that all elementary school students, teachers and staff wear masks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, updated its mask guidance yesterday to recommend that even vaccinated people wear masks in indoor, public settings where prevalence of the virus is elevated. There is some disagreement among experts as to whether the mask guidance will make a substantial difference in combating the spread of the virus, in part because many are likely to ignore the guidance.
The rate of new coronavirus cases in Arlington hit a fresh summer high today.
New Covid cases remain low relative to earlier in the pandemic, but rose to a seven-day trailing average of nine cases per day today, after 13 new cases were reported.
That’s the highest point since May 13.
Virginia Dept. of Health data also shows the county’s test positivity rate hitting 2% today, for the first time since May 9.
At Tuesday’s Arlington County Board meeting, Arlington Public Health Director Dr. Reuben Varghese said that infections, hospitalizations and Covid-related deaths remain relatively low.
From the Sun Gazette:
Despite a recent uptick, “we are still at the lowest level of cases since June 2020,” Dr. Reuben Varghese told County Board members, with weekly reported cases among county residents running at approximately 5 percent of the level recorded at the height of the pandemic. […]
He noted that among the county residents vaccinated who nonetheless ended up with COVID, just three – or 0.07 percent – became so sick they needed hospitalization.
“It happens, but it is extremely rare,” he said.
Varghese also noted that the state health department may be undercounting the number of vaccinated individuals in Arlington.
VDH currently pegs the percentage of the county’s adult population who have received at least one vaccine dose at just under 70%. Varghese said adding in Arlington residents who were vaccinated in D.C. or Maryland could bump that up to around 76%.
Children and Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh, right, prepare to cut a ribbon to open the newly renovated Columbia Pike Public Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh delivers remarks at the newly renovated Columbia Pike Public Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Looking for books at the Columbia Pike Branch Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Former Harlem Globetrotter Spencer “Spinny” Johnson gets help balancing a spinning basketball at the newly renovated Columbia Pike Branch Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Looking for books at the Columbia Pike Branch Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A band performs at the re-opening of the Columbia Pike Branch Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 2:40 p.m.) With a snip of a ribbon, the newly-renovated Columbia Pike Branch Library officially opened for the first time since March 2020.
The library on S. Walter Reed Drive, which first opened in 1975, underwent a significant makeover including new furnishings, updated carpeting, fresh coats of paint, additional meeting rooms, modernized audio-visual equipment and new lighting.
The 21,000-item collection has been consolidated to the first floor to make room for an expansion of the Arlington Tech high school program. The program is part of the Arlington Career Center, located on the second floor of the facility.
“We didn’t lose any collections, we gained a couple of meeting rooms, and we gained more discrete spaces,” Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh tells ARLnow. “[The renovation] opened up what had been a lot of wasted space. It really feels bigger.”
Renovations for the entire project, on the first and second floors, cost approximately $4.45 million, according to a spokesperson from Arlington Public Schools, which owns the building.
Kresh says APS’s ownership of the building presented a chance to make the library better.
“The library has always shared the space with schools. It’s a well-loved facility and showed a lot of wear and tear,” says Kresh. “So, when the schools planned to renovate and increase the space of the Career Center, that gave us an opportunity to consolidate down here and do a redesign.”
Kresh notes that while closing the libraries last year due to the pandemic was difficult for staff and the community, there was a “silver lining” — the renovations could get done.
The library opened to the public on Tuesday, but the celebration was held yesterday evening (Thursday).
With a vaccination rate close to 70% for adults, people packed the community library. There were donuts and cookies, and kids eating said treats while darting one way and another. A magician performed for a rapt audience. After remarks and ribbon cutting, a cover band churned out classics such as “Do Wah Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy.” The entire Arlington County Board was in attendance, as was County Manager Mark Schwartz and Del. Alfonso Lopez.
Board Vice-Chair Katie Cristol says celebrating the reopening of this library — her neighborhood library — after such a hard year is welcome.
“It’s a sign of restoration of things, things coming back to normal,” Cristol tells ARLnow. “It is also the first sign of the community being able to come back together, which is definitely what we see going on around here.”
Cristol said her favorite thing about coming to the library was to browse new fiction releases, but that’s changed.
“I now have a two-year old who loves books, so I think my favorite thing about the library is about to be this community room,” she said.
As of Tuesday, library services have expanded at five locations: Columbia Pike, Central Library, Aurora Hills, Shirlington and Westover. This ends the express service model that APL had implemented earlier this year.
New Hours at all Five Open Locations: – Monday/Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Wednesday/Thursday: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Friday/Saturday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. https://t.co/KNjso8PCS3
— Arlington VA Pub Lib (@ArlingtonVALib) July 2, 2021
Patrons now have full access to library collections with no time limit on browsing. Spaced seating is available to use the public Wi-Fi along with full access to restrooms and water fountains.
Anecdotally, at least, fewer people seem to be wearing masks out in public in Arlington.
While some remain cautious — or, perhaps, they are not yet fully vaccinated and are following health guidelines — locals seem increasingly comfortable patronizing local businesses sans mask.
And the lack of masks doesn’t appear to be noticeably impacting Arlington’s Covid infection rate, which fell as vaccinations ramped up in the spring.
As of this morning, Arlington’s test positivity rate was still a mere 0.6%, and the rate of net new cases over the past two weeks is less than one per day.
Only one new Covid-related hospitalization has been reported over the past two weeks. Total coronavirus cases in Arlington, net of suspected cases that later tested negative being removed from the Virginia Dept. of Health data, has ticked up by only four since the start of the month.
The county’s total case count currently stands at 15,296.
Vaccinations, meanwhile, have slowed, but Virginia celebrated a significant milestone earlier this week, with 70% of adults having received at least one vaccine dose.
We did it, Virginia! 70% of adults have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine—and two weeks ahead of @POTUS' nationwide goal.
— Governor Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) June 21, 2021
Arlington is working on creative ways to encourage more vaccinations, including having shots available at local events and distributing coasters with QR codes to local bars.
As of today, 60.0% of adults in the county are fully vaccinated, excluding those who received vaccinations from the military or federal government agencies.
Coasters from Arlington County encouraging people to get vaccinated (courtesy Arlington County)
(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) Patrons at nine restaurants in Arlington may have noticed new cocktail napkins and coasters with QR codes floating around last week.
These coasters and napkins are courtesy of Arlington County as part of its vaccination effort, county communications director Bryna Helfer tells ARLnow.
Scanning the code, patrons of Whitlow’s, TTT Restaurant and Ambar in Clarendon, Wilson Hardware, The Lot, O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub, Rebellion on The Pike, Caspi Restaurant and Lounge and Crystal City Sports Pub can schedule a vaccine appointment while sipping their drinks.
“We want to try and do some creative strategies and get a better understanding… of how we can get the remaining people vaccinated,” Helfer said. “Are incentives what will get the remaining people in Arlington across the finish line?”
Across the country, governments and companies are offering prizes to people who get a shot. These bonuses, from the chance to win the lottery to free state park season passes and absolved parking tickets, have generated a lot of attention. The Biden administration is even encouraging states to offer prizes to draw attention to the vaccine.
In neighboring D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is providing cash incentives to people living in parts of Wards 7 and 8 with lower vaccine rates. Residents who go to certain clinics will receive $51 gift cards and can enter a drawing to win cars, groceries and Metrobus passes.
“We haven’t done those things, but we’re exploring and working to try to understand… what would motivate someone to get the shot,” Helfer said. “Sometimes it’s not incentives — it’s fear of shots or it might be something else.”
Coronavirus cases have dropped significantly in Arlington, to around just one per day. Nearly 60% of all Arlingtonians have at least one vaccine dose, while 52% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. Compared to its neighbors, Arlington’s rates are higher than the city of Alexandria’s but lower than Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
“We have more of a vaccine uptick than a lot of other places, but that said, we have gaps,” she said. “We’re trying to launch outreach to 21 to 29-year-olds to see what’s holding them back and reaching out to people in the 22204 zip code and the neighborhoods along Columbia Pike.”
If Arlington could include doses administered by the federal government, Helfer estimates the rate of unvaccinated individuals would be closer to 30%, as many federal employees and military service members live in Arlington.
In addition to working with 35 pharmacies and offering daily clinics, the county is working with the Complete Vaccination Committee — a volunteer group established to raise vaccine awareness — and trusted partners, including faith groups, to draw attention to the vaccine and get shots in arms, she said.
Now, the county is leaning on those partners as it prepares to launch new outreach efforts.
This week, the county is planning to meet with nonprofits and Business Improvement Districts to see if it can “piggyback” on events such as outdoor movie screenings to administer more shots, she said. With 30% of the community left to vaccinate, Helfer said the county is entering a new stage of vaccine outreach: “field operations.”
Staff members have gone to diaper distributions and food banks with shots and volunteers have stood at busy corners near neighborhood clinics, telling passers-by that a shot is around the corner, she said.
Big Ballston Restaurant Opening Today — WHINO, a 150-seat restaurant, craft cocktail bar and art gallery, is set to open its doors at Ballston Quarter today. [ARLnow]
County Considering Green Valley Curfew — “No arrests yet, but Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz says police are making progress after a June 6 shoot-’em-up in the Green Valley neighborhood… The matter became the topic of discussion at the June 12 County Board meeting, when one neighbor called on county leaders to impose a curfew at dusk for the park and school area. County Board member Katie Cristol has asked staff to return with an opinion on whether such an approach would be legal.” [Sun Gazette]
Police Planning for ‘National Night Out’ — “The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) invites community members and organizations to celebrate outdoor National Night Out (NNO) events on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. NNO is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our communities safer and improve quality of life.” [Arlington County]
APS Animal-Science Program Dwindling — “I am an 11th-grader at Washington-Liberty High School and a technical-animal-science student at the Arlington Career Center. The animal-science program is at risk. The number of animals in the program has been dwindling for years. The program has not been permitted to replace the recently deceased miniature horse. Only one goat is left, and he’s 17. The sole surviving ferret, at nine, is living on borrowed time. However, the administration wants to cut our programs even more, taking away our only goat and our four chickens.” [Sun Gazette]
W-L Student’s Vax Effort Lauded — “Before graduation, McBride spent countless hours convincing her classmates to get vaccinated against COVID-19. ‘I was making sure if vaccines were available for some of my friends, they were going to be able to get it and access it,’ she said. ‘I was very compelled by the thought that I want to be able to see my friends in the future, I want to make sure my friends are healthy, and the community is healthy, and their family is healthy in the future.'” [WJLA]
Man Arrested for Columbia Pike Robbery — “The female victim was walking to her parked vehicle when she observed the suspect sitting near by. As she approached the vehicle, the suspect allegedly ran towards her with his arms outstretched and demanded money. The victim backed away and the suspect ran across the street and approached another victim in a similar manner. Arriving officers canvassed the area and located the suspect.” [ACPD]
