COVID-19 cases dip to May 2020 levels as county issues call for more vaccines

The number of COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County has remained relatively stable, mimicking case rates first reported in May of last year.

The stabilization of cases comes as Fairfax County picks up the pace of vaccinations. The county reported 119 new cases today (Monday) — a number that has remained relatively constant over the last week. Last May, daily case rates hovered in the 100s, similar to case rates that have occurred this March.

The county has said it can meet a deadline of May 1 for expanding eligibility for vaccine appointments to all adults, but officials remains noncommittal on whether or not every Fairfax County resident will receive a vaccine by May 31.

But the push for more vaccines continues. In a March 19 letter to Gov. Ralph Northam, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission urged the state health department to provide more vaccines.

“With additional doses allocated to our health districts immediately, we can put that capacity to work to quickly assist the Commonwealth in achieving its vaccination and equity goals,” the commission wrote.

Working w @GovernorVA and NoVA colleagues to up our vaccine doses. We're grateful for the increase these last few wks, but we still have over 300K in the region on the waitlist. We have the capacity to vaccinate equitably/efficiently and are working to get doses to meet demand. pic.twitter.com/p2N9EcH8rK

— Jeff McKay (@JeffreyCMcKay) March 19, 2021

Right now, the county is making appointments for people who registered on Feb. 18. 28 percent of the total people registered in the county still remain on a waiting list. That’s nearly 98,000 people of the 354,889 people registered.

132,307 people in Fairfax County are fully vaccinated and 248,323 people have received one dose. The county recently began administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires one dose.

The county has also begun community vaccine clinics — which are not widely publicized — in order to target vulnerable populations.

The number of vaccinations has also picked up statewide. More than two million Virginians have received their first dose, and 1.1 million people are fully vaccinated.

The county also recently expanded eligibility criteria for vaccinations to include workers in manufacturing, grocery stores, and the food and agriculture industry.

As the pace of vaccinations picks up, the Centers for Disease Control has updated its policies on social distancing. Although the CDC still recommends universal masking, it now says students should maintain a distance of at least three feet in classroom settings, rather than the six-feet standard previously suggested.

Photo via Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter