Fairfax County has now surpassed 300 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
As of today (Thursday), there are now 328 cases in the Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Five people have died due to the novel coronavirus in the county.
The number of cases has continued to climb over the last several days — likely due to expanded testing capacity. In mid-March, local public health officials said they found evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in Northern Virginia.
Arlington has the second-most confirmed cases in the state with 128 cases. Statewide, there are 1,706 confirmed cases and 41 deaths, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Editor’s note: Tysons Reporter will temporarily have “Morning Notes” every weekday instead of twice a week to accommodate more news.
Prospective Buyers Back Away From Tegna — “Tysons television station operator Tegna Inc. said Sunday two parties interested in acquiring the company have backed out of talks as U.S. markets have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic.” [Washington Business Journal]
Little City’s Little Activity — “News-Press contributing photographer J. Michael Whalen took to the streets of Falls Church last week and captured just how empty and barren the normally-bustling centers of activity in the City have become in the wake of the global viral outbreak.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Used-Book Collection Cancelled in McLean — “The McLean area branch of the American Association of University Women has canceled its planned May 2 collection in preparation for its fall used-book sale, but plans on holding future collections as public-health conditions permit.” [Inside NoVa]
Northam Picks Extra Hospital Sites for COVID-19 Patients — “Virginia officials are making plans to increase hospital bed capacity with the expectation that a surge in positive cases of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, will begin in late April and last through late May, Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday at a press briefing.” [Tysons Patch]
Photo courtesy Tejal Patel
The Sheraton Tysons Hotel reportedly plans to close for good on Friday (April 3).
The hotel (8661 Leesburg Pike) is a part of the Tysons West development near the Spring Hill Metro station.
Tysons Reporter obtained an email from the Townhomes at Westwood Village Owners Association, which is located behind the Tysons West development, to residents about the hotel’s planned closure:
We received notice today that the Sheraton is closing this Friday, April 3rd and will not be reopening. This came as a complete surprise to us as well as the company that operates the hotel. We’ve been told the reason they are closing is financial due to COVID-19 and the ability for the hotel to recover. At this time there isn’t any information as to what JBG Smith will do with the property.
Although parking is not permitted in their back lot, they wanted to give us a heads up that the lot will be secured and any cars in the lot will be towed.
An employee who works for the hotel and an employee at the hotel’s Budget car rental location both said they heard that the hotel is set to permanently close on Friday.
“This hotel is currently closed,” according to the hotel’s website. “Please search this site for another hotel.”
The Sheraton in Tysons ranks as the largest venue for conferences and events in Fairfax County, Barry Biggar, the CEO and president of Visit Fairfax, told Tysons Reporter earlier this year.
A spokesperson for Marriott International, which owns the Sheraton brand, declined to comment on the hotel specifically, instead sharing this statement:
As travel restrictions and social distancing efforts around the world become more widespread, we are experiencing significant drops in demand at properties globally with an uncertain duration. We are adjusting global operations accordingly.
We are working quickly to mitigate the impact to our business while also focusing on assisting our associates, our guests and our owners. While the ultimate impact is difficult to predict at this time given the fluidity of the situation, we remain confident in our long-term prospects.
In addition to the challenges from the pandemic, Marriott International announced on Tuesday (March 31) that a data breach might have compromised 5.2 million customers’ information.
Ashley Hopko contributed to this report
Image via Google Maps
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn plans to host a virtual town hall to communicate with local residents about changes to the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget.
“My staff and I are still working out the details to enable your participation,” Alcorn said in his newsletter yesterday. “I will get that information out to you as soon as it is available through this newsletter, as well as my social media accounts.”
Previously, Alcorn postponed a budget town hall that was set to happen in Vienna on March 21 due to the coronavirus. Holding the town hall virtually will limit the risk of spreading the virus.
The virtual town hall is tentatively scheduled for next Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. — one day after the updated FY 2021 budget proposal is expected to go before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Currently, Fairfax County staff are revising the proposed budget, which was developed before the coronavirus pandemic hit the area, to address expected revenue losses and help small businesses.
Residents can expect opportunities to testify on the budget before the county board between April 14-16.
Editor’s note: Tysons Reporter will temporarily have “Morning Notes” every weekday instead of twice a week to accommodate more news.
Capital One Pledges $50M to Food Aid, Small Business Assistance Groups — “Capital One Financial Corp. has pledged $50 million to support nonprofit partners working in part on food and hunger aid as it continues to ramp up its efforts during the novel coronavirus outbreak.” [Washington Business Journal]
Mosaic District-Based Company Furloughs Employees — “Custom apparel printing company Custom Ink LLC is ‘hemorrhaging cash’ and is furloughing hundreds of its workers for two months as it grapples with the economic fallout of the novel coronavirus and in hopes of being better prepared for a possible recovery.” [Washington Business Journal]
BAE Systems to Move to Falls Church Office — “A West Coast real estate investment firm has acquired a Falls Church-area office building, the soon-to-be home of BAE Systems Inc., for nearly $100 million. An affiliate of Menlo Park, California-based Menlo Equities LLC acquired the 367,349-square-foot 2941 Fairview Park Drive in a deal recorded March 25.” [Washington Business Journal]
Utility Companies Providing COVID-19 Relief — Fairfax County has compiled a list of the utility companies suspending service disconnections and offering other billing options during the pandemic. [Fairfax County]
Don’t Be Scammed! — Fairfax County shared examples and recordings of scam calls and emails related to the coronavirus. [Fairfax County]
McLean Restaurant Shares COVID-19 Challenges — “And the past few years have been rough for Rocco’s. The glitzy, glam shopping universe growing nearby is offering of-the-moment restaurants that have little to do with Rocco’s sturdy baked ziti and red-checkered tabletops.” [Washington Post]
Check out our progress 👇on the Rt 123 over Rt 7 bridge rehab project in Tysons, work includes pier repairs and concrete deck resurfacing. Project info: https://t.co/SWzEL5z4QX pic.twitter.com/RuTINowSxc
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 31, 2020
It’s #Census day!
✋ Raise your hand if you already completed your #2020Census. Don’t get left out – #BeCounted! Bring federal dollars home to our community for healthcare, education, transportation and more.
➡️ Take the Census: https://t.co/1xr38GEiLe #FFXCounts pic.twitter.com/igPuAyaAfB
— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) April 1, 2020
Many local restaurants have pivoted recently to offering take-out and delivery options after Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the closure of dine-in options.
Over the last week, Tysons Reporter compiled a list of 106 eateries in Tysons, Merrifield, Falls Church, McLean and Vienna.
The following Google Sheet includes information on whether or not a restaurant is open right now and, if so, how people can get food.
The City of Falls Church, Tysons Corner Center and the Mosaic District also have lists of local eateries’ options that diners can check.
Readers are advised to check social media accounts and websites for restaurants that are not on this list to find out if they can order food.
Ashley Hopko contributed to this report
What does Tysons look like when people stay home? Tysons Reporter has been asking readers to share their photos of the Tysons area during the coronavirus pandemic.
From reader-submitted photos, it appears from the empty highways that people are staying inside and staying 6 feet away from each other — a.k.a. social distancing — when they do go outside.
The photos in this article were submitted by readers this month, capturing Tysons’ barren urban environment paired with cloudy days, sunrises and blooming flowers.
Now that Gov. Ralph Northam has issued a stay-at-home order, places around Tysons are likely to become even more deserted.
Several people snapped photos inside Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria, capturing their ghost town vibes:
Currently, the interior of Tysons Galleria is closed, while stores and restaurants with exterior-facing entrances can remain open. Meanwhile, Tysons Corner Center is open.
Meanwhile, Ed Schudel snapped a photo of what appears to be a shower curtain serving as a barrier between the cashier and customers at the 7-Eleven on Old Chain Bridge.
Northam’s most recent order means that businesses can stay open if they can keep less than 10 customers in their spaces.
Northam’s orders also affect restaurants by not allowing them to have sit-down dining during the pandemic. To stay open, several eateries around the Tysons area have pivoted to offering pick-up and delivery options for diners.
Earlier this month, our staff photographer Jay Westcott captured what the major highways in Tysons looked like with fewer cars.
Here are more photos from Westcott:
Thank you to the photographers who have already sent us photos!
The best way to send photos is to email us at [email protected] or tag/direct message us on our social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).
Editor’s note: Are you a restaurant in the Vienna, Falls Church, Tysons, Merrifield and McLean areas that has a fundraiser? Email us at [email protected].
As local eateries adjust to declining sales and people staying indoors, several have turned to fundraisers to help keep their doors open and employees paid.
Like last week, Tysons Reporter has rounded up GoFundMe pages for local restaurants. Here are the latest fundraisers:
Pulcinella, a McLean restaurant that serves up southern Italian cuisine, has started an employee relief fund. The restaurant is looking to raise $25,000.
“During these past few days, Pulcinella has had to face unthinkable challenges due to the global health crisis,” the GoFundMe page said. ‘Unfortunately, this has impacted our industry along with many others, very negatively.”
The manager at the Lost Dog Cafe in Tysons is looking to raise $2,500 to support the restaurant, which is known for its sandwiches, local history-themed murals and animal rescue.
“Our sister cause, Lost Dog and Cat rescue, gets a piece of the pie each time you stop by, which is why we’ve managed to find more than 30,000 animals a loving home,” the GoFundMe said.
Chris Lefbom and Adam Lubar of Vintage Restaurant Group are looking to raise $5,000 to assist employees at Dogwood Tavern in Falls Church.
The restaurant temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns, along with Vienna-based Bear Branch Tavern, which is also a part of the Vintage Restaurant Group.
“All funds raised here will be distributed directly to our hourly employees — fairly and equally — based on full- and part-time employee status,” the GoFundMe said.
The manager of Ireland’s Four Provinces in Falls Church wants to raise $30,000 for the restaurant’s staff.
“Many of our employees depend entirely on tips earned from service; with that income gone, even the current gov’t relief measures won’t address some of their most immediate needs,” according to the GoFundMe page.
The restaurant’s owners have pledged to match donations up to $10,000, according to the GoFundMe.
The Vienna Town Council will meet tonight (Tuesday) to consider virtual meetings for the town’s lawmakers, board members and commissioners.
According to the meeting’s agenda, the town will consider adopting a “Continuity of Government Ordinance” that would last for 60 days.
According to a draft of the ordinance, public entities would be allowed to meet electronically after providing a public notice three days in advance.
People would have the chance to access and comment on the meeting electronically.
Noting that “the COVID-19 pandemic makes it unsafe to assemble in one location a quorum for public bodies,” the ordinance says that non-emergency public hearings may get postponed.
The town’s proposal comes on the heels of Gov. Ralph Northam issuing a stay-at-home order to Virginians yesterday.
The state has recently seen an increasing number of COVID-19 cases — especially in Fairfax County.
The emergency meeting is set to start at 7 p.m.
Fairfax County police arrested a 50-year-old man who allegedly inappropriately touched a child at an in-home daycare in the Falls Church area.
Police arrested Falls Church resident Santiago Alvarado Garcia on Friday (March 27).
“Detectives were contacted on Thursday, March 26, after a child from Digna Alvarado Garcia Daycare disclosed that they had been inappropriately touched by Garcia,” police said.
The Falls Church-area daycare has been at 2988 Monticello Drive since 2017 and was previously located at 7503 Parkwood Court in 2016, police said.
“Garcia is employed by a general contractor and has lived in the homes as his primary residence while the daycare has been in operation.”
Garcia has been charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery.
“Victim specialists from our Victim Services Division have been assigned to ensure that the identified victim is receiving appropriate resources and assistance,” police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Major Crimes Bureau detectives at 703-246-7800, option 3. Detectives are looking to talk to people who are concerned that their child might have had inappropriate contact with Garcia.
Photo of Garcia via FCPD
