Local police are bracing for an increase in the number of domestic violence cases now that a stay-at-home order is in effect in Virginia.
The Fairfax County Police Department has seen an “incremental uptick” in domestic violence calls in the county.
“While not an alarming uptick, we’re seeing slightly more than what we experienced prior to three weeks,” Sgt. Greg Bedor told Reston Now.
In the last three weeks, FCPD has received a weekly average of 235 domestic-related calls, data show. Most of the incidents are reported over the weekend on a weekly basis.
The police department is attempting to triage calls by separating people from their homes and conducting interviews over the phone when possible, according to FCPD.
Officers are also making an effort to encourage individuals to turn themselves in if an arrest is warranted.
Although the county’s Domestic Violence Hotline has not seen any increases in reported incidents, county officials are encouraging people to seek help.
They say rising unemployment and the pressure of bounding bills “during the already stressful coronavirus pandemic could lead to an increase in domestic violence.”
“For victims of domestic violence, being home may not be the safest place, particularly as people are financially and emotionally stressed,” said Toni Zollicoffer, Fairfax County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Services division director. “Victims and survivors of recent sexual and intimate partner violence face unique challenges during this period of extended social distancing and isolation.
Her office offered the following tips:
Call or Text for Help 24/7
Call Fairfax County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence hotline: 703-360-7273, TTY 711. It’s available for help 24-hours a day, every day.
If it’s not safe to talk, text LOVEIS to 22522 to connect with the National Domestic Violence Hotline. You also can online chat with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).
As always, anyone who is in immediate danger should call 9-1-1.
Plan Ahead
There are actions people can take to prepare, including:
- Be aware of safe rooms with locks and which rooms have doors or windows for quick exit. Discuss these with children and other family members.
- Make a list of safe contacts and emergency resources. Some people find it helpful to hide copies of important documents and safe contacts somewhere outside the home, such as buried in a planter or at a safe neighbor’s home.
- Plan with kids and other family members if you can. Think about their safety options. Think of a place you can go or send other family members in an emergency or long term.
- Arrange daily check-ins or code words with people you trust.
What You Can Do
“If you are concerned about a friend or family member, it’s more important than ever to check in with them,” said Zollicoffer. “For resources or information on ways to assist those you are concerned about, call the Domestic Violence hotline.”
We can all play a role in preventing domestic violence. Encourage people who are experiencing abuse to make a safety plan, call for help and guidance and let them know that the abuse is not their fault. Let them know you are there to listen, help and support them without judgement.
File photo
Editor’s note: Tysons Reporter will temporarily have “Morning Notes” every weekday instead of twice a week to accommodate more news.
Grim Outlook for Restaurants — “The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington estimates that 25%-30% of its roughly 1,200 members won’t be able to weather the storm and will have to shut down once all is said and done.” [Washington Business Journal]
Falls Church Businesses Making Masks — “Terry Lederer, who co-owns Lederer’s Sound Service with husband Chuck, has co-organized a volunteer group that has already sewn over 250 masks in the past eight days. That effort is matched by Amy Bitici of the bridal shop Zoya’s Atelier, who has kept four of her employees on the payroll sewing masks in an operation that began this past Monday.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Vienna Town Council OKs New Ordinance — “The ordinance mandates that any electronic meetings shall be open to the public via electronic participation. In addition, public comments on matters requiring a public hearing may be made in writing or electronically. The ordinance also provides for postponement of non-emergency or non-essential public hearings and action items.” [Town of Vienna]
COVID-19 Court Changes — “While the Fairfax County Courthouse remains open to the public, the Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court have changed their bond and arraignment schedule until further notice.” [Fairfax County]
Pet Care During Pandemic — “Eight D.C., Maryland and Virginia animal welfare organizations — including Fairfax County’s Animal Shelter — are uniting to urge the community to have a plan in place for your beloved companion animals in the wake of COVID-19.” [Fairfax County]
Local Eatery Talks COVID-19 Changes — “For as long as he has to, Clarity chef-owner Jon Krinn is dumping the luxury approach at his essential small plates restaurant in Northern Virginia. A kitchen that used to turn out $88 tasting menus full… is now focused on supporting local purveyors.” [Eater DC]
https://twitter.com/FCPSSupt/status/1245683683836690434?s=20
Photo courtesy Ed Schudel
(Updated 7 p.m.) Gov. Ralph Northam has been hosting live-streamed briefings during recent weeks to provide updates on the coronavirus. But today (Thursday), he answered questions on Twitter.
Using #AskGovNortham, people tweeted concerns about personal protective equipment (PPE), claiming unemployment benefits and if Virginians will need documentation for destinations when traveling.
Tysons Reporter has compiled some of the information from the governor’s thread:
I know Virginians are hurting right now. Here's what we are doing:
✅ Suspending eviction proceedings until April 26th
✅ Developing a program to defer mortgage payments for mortgages backed by @VHDA
✅ Halting evictions for 60 days for people with housing choice vouchers https://t.co/FNst9uemlK
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
On Monday, Northam issued a stay-at-home order for Virginia today as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state continues to climb.
The order, which went into effect immediately and will last until June 10, lets people leave their homes for essential services — including medical care, food, supplies, work and more — and social-distanced outdoor activities that do not involve gatherings larger than 10 people.
Our Commonwealth is large and geographically diverse, which means the virus may peak at different times in different places. We are developing a Virginia-specific model that will tell us more, but for now, we want all Virginians to be prepared for this to last months, not weeks. https://t.co/71Gyk14CJP
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
In mid-March, local public health officials said they found evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in Northern Virginia.
As of Thursday, there are 1,706 confirmed cases and 41 deaths statewide, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county, reported 328 COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Five people have died from the novel coronavirus in Fairfax County.
On Wednesday, Northam said that Virginia will likely see “a surge in the number of people who test positive between late April and late May.”
▪️ We've directed hospitals to stop performing elective surgeries to conserve PPE
▪️ We've received our third shipment from the national stockpile
▪️ And we'll continue looking at any and all leads. Businesses who want to donate PPE should email [email protected]. https://t.co/ld8csR6ME0— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
Absolutely. @VDOE_News has already requested any PPE not needed by our school staff be donated, and many have provided us with extra masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. We're so grateful to our schools for pitching in to protect our healthcare workers and those in need. https://t.co/F2SUzoOiqI
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
Image via Ralph Northam/Twitter
An employee at the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) has tested positive for COVID-19.
The CSB-Merrifield facility employee works in the youth court services and lives outside of Fairfax County, Lisa Flowers, CSB’s spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.
More from Flowers:
A letter was sent to CSB staff to alert them to the situation on March 21st. A CSB employee in youth court services tested positive for COVID-19 and an email was sent to CSB staff on March 23rd…
A hospital-grade mister that kills bacteria and viruses was used throughout the CSB areas of the Merrifield Center as part of the industrial cleaning process. As a part of our standard procedure any person who may have encountered the affected person was contacted and advised to quarantine for fourteen days.
Wipe-downs of high-touch areas, such as hallways and elevators, doors and doorknobs, are taking place regularly with EPA-approved disinfectants. Staff are reminded to wash their hands often throughout the day. Commonly accessed areas at CSB locations are also cleaned often throughout the day.
Communication from CSB leadership to staff, which Flowers sent to Tysons Reporter, said that the employee “did not work while they were symptomatic.”
Daryl Washington, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board’s executive director, and Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, the director of the county’s health department, wrote a joint letter to CSB staff on March 21.
On March 20, the health department identified that the CSB-Merrifield employee tested positive for the virus, the letter said, adding that the health department, CSB staff and county officials investigated the case.
More from the letter:
The staff person did not have contact with the CSB adult or youth walk-in assessment units or emergency services. In our investigation, we have identified a small number of staff and clients who were at risk of exposure to COVID-19 while the infected person was ill. The Health Department has contacted those individuals.
If you have not received a call from the Health Department, it means you have not been identified as being at risk of exposure and you do not need to take any actions at this time. As an additional precaution, please observe yourself until April 2, the time during which COVID-19 illness might occur if a person is infected as a result of this exposure.
Symptoms to look for include fever, cough or shortness of breath. If symptoms develop, please contact your health care provider and describe the situation.
For CSB-Merrifield staff who have been called by the Health Department, please stay at home and away from others while the investigation is ongoing and during the time when illness could occur. Until April 2, staff in this group should stay at home or in the yard, avoid contact with others, and not go out in public. At home, contact with other family members also should be limited. These measures will reduce the chance that infection might spread in the community. During the call, additional recommendations may be provided.
“The Fairfax County Health Department has confirmed there are no public health recommendations or actions needed in the workplace because the staff person remained at home when they became ill,” Washington said in an email to staff.
On March 27, Fairfax County buildings closed to the public, but the emergency services on the Merrifield Center’s lower level stayed open, according to the county’s website.
“During this time, CSB has transitioned mainly to telehealth services via Zoom for Healthcare, by phone or video,” according to Fairfax County. “If possible, before coming to the Merrifield Center, please call ahead to Emergency Services to see if you are able to be seen via telehealth services — phone or video.”
The coronavirus pandemic has put a damper on baseball season, but a Vienna family won’t let the virus strike its plans to launch a business selling baseball training equipment.
John Morabito, 53, and his two sons Nick, 27, and Dominic, 25, are the three founders behind Perfect Swings USA.
John, who grew up in McLean, told Tysons Reporter that he has been coaching baseball in McLean and Vienna since 1991. Nick and Dominic both grew up playing sports in Vienna, he added.
All three men have played at the collegiate level and have coached teams from little league to minor league players, according to the company’s website.
Now, they are looking to sell hitting tools — the Swing Path Trainer and the Tempo Trainer — to help players improve.
Turning Their Passion Into New Products
Nick told Tysons Reporter that his family came up with the idea for the tools about 10 years ago to help him and his brother get better at baseball.
“Before we ever became a business, bringing homemade Swing Path Trainers around got great feedback from baseball and softball coaches,” Nick said.
The family originally developed the trainers from PVC pipe and wood they got at Home Depot, he said.
“We had no aspirations of turning it into what it is today,” Nick said. But that changed after Dominic graduated and encouraged his family to turn their idea into the business.
“[Dominic] was either like, ‘I’m going to find a corporate job or let’s start this business,'” Nick said. “My dad was getting ready to retire… We took this on full time.”
In the last year, they’ve been working with an engineer and Boston-based Gamut Run Partners, LLC. Nick said that they have three patents for their products.
The family started to manufacture the products about a year ago, Nick said. Since then, they’ve showcased the trainers at conventions around the U.S. late last year and early 2020, according to the website.
The Swing Path Trainer ($349) helps the athlete to keep the bat in the hitting zone with the proper angle, while the Tempo Trainer (undecided price) helps the athlete’s tempo and rhythm during a swing, according to their product descriptions.
“It’s almost like a self coach for the kid or the trainer or the coach,” Nick said, adding that the products help improve players’ swing mechanics.
The products are geared towards little leaguers all the way through high school and college, Nick said, adding that “everybody” can use the products.
While they haven’t sold any of the products yet, Nick said that they have given four away — one to the UCLA softball team, another to a high school in California, a third to a man who runs a show in Texas and the fourth to “my little cousin.”
In the future, Nick said they are looking to release more products and features in the future once they finalize prototyping.
Challenges of Starting a Business During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Trying to start up the business has been challenging at times for the family.
Production, which involves some parts that come from China, was delayed earlier this year due to a shutdown for Chinese New Year and then slow down several weeks later to add extra precautions for workers due to the coronavirus, he said.
“We’re supposed to go into production tomorrow to start shipping May 1,” he said.
While they are aiming to start selling the products in May, that date could change. “It’s been hard to finalize and put on a date on anything,” he said.
The pandemic affected their plans to travel to conventions and tournaments around the U.S., he added.
As for marketing, Nick said that he’s trying to get the word out in magazines and publications, but has faced some challenges with collegiate baseball publications now that the season is over.
The biggest challenge, though? Nick said that making changes to the products within certain timeframes has been hard.
“We’ve run through six to seven different prototypes,” he said. “This is new for us.”
Despite their obstacles, Nick is staying optimistic.
“We’ll get through this,” he said, adding that coaches might have more time now to watch product demos than if they were traveling with their teams during the season.
Working as a Team
The whole family works together on the new business, Nick said, adding that most of the financial investments have come from him and his father.
“Dad kind of oversees everything,” he said. “He’s mentoring us along.”
While Nick focuses on the sales and marketing side, he said his brother takes care of the operations and engineering while his mom asks people for reviews and manages the product photo shoots.
“We’re a local family. We have a lot of great relationships with local little leagues,” Nick said. “We’re looking to give back.”
Photos courtesy Nick Morabito
In an effort to help local businesses weather economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, Visit Fairfax has a new mobile program to connect people to local businesses offering takeout.
Visit Fairfax unveiled the “Take Out Trail” mobile passport program today (Thursday). The free program, which can be used on phones or computers, has a menu of local businesses ranging from restaurants to local merchants.
“Our hope is that the mobile passport will help residents connect with the merchants they know and love and also inspire them to explore the other world-class restaurants, breweries and wineries our county has to offer,” Visit Fairfax’s president Barry Biggar said in the press release.
People can use “Take Out Trail” to find out when businesses are open, where they are located and what they are offering for take-out and delivery. The program has more than 50 merchants, according to the press release.
“In addition, many merchants are offering discounts and coupons, such as 20% off orders or 50% off of wine,” the press release said.
Some of the Tysons-area businesses on menu include Caboose Commons, 2941 Restaurant, Eddie V’s and Barrel and Bushel.
Visit Fairfax worked with digital agency Streetsense and Bandwango to build and launch the program “in a matter of days,” the press release said.
Biggar told Tysons Reporter yesterday that Visit Fairfax is working to support local businesses.
The organization has been promoting “Virginia Is for Restaurant Lovers Takeout Week,” coordinating with local hotels to give discounts to self-isolating first responders and offering virtual activities through the “Fairfax First” program.
Local businesses interested in participating in the program for free can find information online or call 435-477-7804.
“During these challenging economic times, it’s more important than ever that we come together as a community to support our local small businesses,” Biggar said in the press release.
Image via Visit Fairfax
Roughly a week after Bear Branch Tavern (133 E. Maple Avenue) decided to temporarily close, the restaurant will now reopen for carryout today (April 2).
While it is unclear why owners didn’t announce intentions to reopen for takeout along with the location’s temporary closure, co-owner Chris Lefbom said on Facebook that the restaurant will begin taking orders at 4 p.m. this evening.
The eatery will be taking extra precautions to protect customers and staff, including sanitizing its public spaces, implementing an online ordering system and patio pickup and having contact-free transactions, according to Bear Branch Tavern’s Facebook page.
Takeout will be available Monday-Friday from 4-9 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., the Facebook page said.
Previously, the owners set up a GoFundMe for its employees who were previously out of work.
Tysons Reporter reached out for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Photo via Bear Branch Tavern/Facebook
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
