Gov. Ralph Northam announced this afternoon at a press conference that Northern Virginia localities can move into phase two starting Friday (June 12).
Northam said that the COVID-19 metrics for Northern Virginia continue to improve.
“Our hospitalizations for COVID are trending downward, particularly in the last week,” Northam said, adding that hospitals are under capacity.
The rest of Virginia entered phase two last Friday (June 5).
At the same press conference, Northam also released a plan to reopen public schools for the 2020-2021 school year. Changes will include social distancing measures and adaptations to perform health checks, according to Northam.
Students will not be required to wear face coverings, according to the Virginia superintendent, but they will be encouraged for older students.
Image via Governor of Virginia/Facebook
The Fairfax County Health District saw a spike in COVID-19 cases over the weekend.
As of today, there are 12,728 total COVID-19 cases in the Fairfax Health District (12,603 of which are in Fairfax County) — a jump of roughly 700 cases since Friday (June 5), according to the Virginia Department of Health. On Saturday, 152 number of cases were reported, while Sunday saw 399 and Monday so far has 148, according to the data.
The health department’s weekly average of percent positivity for testing has not factored in the recent positive cases. Data from last week showed that the percent positivity has been steadily declining since late April, while the number of testing encounters has increased both statewide and in the Fairfax Health District.
Some of the data has not changed much since last week for the health district.
The health district has the same number of outbreaks (61) today as it did on Friday. The data still shows a racial disparity with COVID-19 cases — the Hispanic population makes up 16.8% of Fairfax County but 66.1% of its cases where race and ethnicity data is available.
As of today, Fairfax County has had 414 deaths and 1,431 total hospitalizations related to the virus.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue posted today that 20 of the 23 personnel members who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered. Currently, two members are quarantined in addition to the members who tested positive.
Fairfax County is nearing its 12,000th COVID-19 case, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
As of today, the county has a total of 11,904 cases, 1,401 hospitalizations and 410 deaths. The City of Falls Church has 56 cases, 11 hospitalizations and eight deaths.
Of the 389 outbreaks in Virginia, 61 are in the Fairfax Health District, which includes the county and its towns and cities — 51 are at long term care facilities, while two are healthcare settings and a correctional facility and educational setting both have one.
The Fairfax Health District also has Virginia’s only two reports of cases of the virus with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children.
The Fairfax Health District continues to lead the commonwealth in the number of PCR tests, which directly detect antigens, with more than 55,000 testing encounters.
Statewide and in the Fairfax Health District, the weekly average of the percent of positive tests has been steadily declining since late April and the number of testing encounters has increased, according to VDH.
Even with the increased testing, Fairfax County officials say more is needed to address a growing racial disparity with the cases.
The Hispanic population makes up 16.8% of the population in the Fairfax Health District, but 66.2% of the COVID-19 cases where race and ethnicity data is available, according to Fairfax County and the state health department. In mid-May, the Hispanic population made of 61.3% of the cases. (Roughly 20% of the cases don’t have race and ethnicity data.)
Officials said on Tuesday that they want to see more neighborhood testing sites and testing available for people who are asymptomatic.
Photo by CDC on Unsplash, graph via Virginia Department of Health
Future Offices? — “Before the pandemic shut down businesses, a robust economy had powered a building boom, sending office towers skyward in urban areas across the United States… Developers were confident that the demand would remain strong. But the pandemic darkened the picture.” [Washington Business Journal]
Protest Held in Vienna — “Hundreds showed up to protest racial injustice in Vienna Wednesday evening after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. The event on the Town Green remained peaceful, and most attendees wore face masks.” [Vienna Patch]
U.S. Senate OKs Changes to PPP — “The U.S. Senate approved sweeping changes to the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program Wednesday evening… The bipartisan bill… extends the eight-week period under which loan recipients can spend the PPP money while also addressing other details that have bedeviled small businesses in the hospitality realm.” [Washington Business Journal]
Movie Theater at Tysons Corner Center May Not Survive — “AMC Theatres said Wednesday it has ‘substantial doubt’ the company can remain in business after the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of all of its locations… All AMC locations are closed through June, and the company said it has enough money to reopen theaters this summer. However, if not allowed to reopen, the company said, it may be unable to borrow the funds needed to continue operating.” [Patch]
How Vienna Will Use CARES Act Funding — “Vienna officials have identified 10 spending categories for the nearly $2.9 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding appropriated June 1 by the Vienna Town Council.” [Inside NoVa]
Reopened Clare and Don’s Beach Shack pic.twitter.com/KUttb0A0l6
— Falls Church Views (@fallschurchview) June 3, 2020
During this difficult time for so many families, it’s so good to see the great work of @secondstoryorg. We’re
happy to partner with them in sharing weekly ArtReach art activities for them to share with their community. #MPAArtReach @MikeQReports @artsfairfax @TysonsReporter https://t.co/2VmfdNqL8J— McLeanProjectForArts (@MP4A) June 4, 2020
Once a week, Jayesh Edwards, a high school student in McLean, lathers up his pet hedgehog with unscented soap for babies. He uses a toothbrush to clean her quills, bathing her in lukewarm water in a sink.
“Her stomach is like fur, and you brush it all over. She really likes it,” Edwards told Tysons Reporter. “It’s like she’s getting massaged.”
Outside of bath time, Serena Quilliams — a twist on the famous tennis player’s name — can be found munching on her favorite treat of carrots or sleeping in Edwards’ sweatshirt pocket.
“Hedgehogs are normally [the size of] a soda can,” Edwards said. “She’s like 1.5 soda cans. She’s pretty big.”
She is now one of several pet hedgehogs in Fairfax County after the Board of Supervisors approved legalizing them — along with chinchillas and hermit crabs — as pets in January 2019. The City of Falls Church followed shortly after, allowing pet hedgehogs as of last June.
Hedgehog legalization in both the county and the city followed prickly debates focused on their high levels of maintenance as nocturnal animals — like requiring a room temperature above 70 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent hibernation, according to the Hedgehog Welfare Society.
Members of the county’s Animal Services Advisory Commission and Humane Society, along with Falls Church’s animal warden and police chief, argued against pet hedgehogs, calling them expensive pets that are challenging to care for and expressing concern that legalization could fuel the exotic pet trade.
“We’re going to open up our city to invasive species again,” Rebecca Keenan, the animal warden for the city, told city officials last June.
There’s also the health concern: hedgehogs can spread salmonella, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pet hedgehog advocates were quick to point out that cats, dogs, frogs, hamsters and many other animals can also carry the bacteria.
The salmonella concerns weren’t a surprise to Edwards, because he’s had a monitor lizard for nearly a decade and a turtle for the last three years. “My mom is allergic to dogs,” he said. “Hedgehogs don’t shed.”
Edwards said he was “really upset” when he found out in sixth grade that the county didn’t allow the exotic animals as pets. Undeterred, he decided to push for legalization by writing to and meeting with Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust.
“I did so much research. I was kind of prepared for anything,” Edwards said.
In January 2019, Edwards, who was then a Longfellow Middle School student, shared his extensive research by testifying before the Board of Supervisors.
He shared how hedgehogs — like his monitor lizard — require heat lamps and a specific temperature range. They can spread salmonella but the risk isn’t higher than many other pets, he said.
“Another thing is that they fight, but if you had done any research on owning a hedgehog, you would know that you don’t keep them in pairs, because they fight,” Edwards said, adding: “And if you don’t want baby hedgehogs, you would definitely not keep a male and a female hedgehog together.” The board erupted in chuckles.
Later that day, the board approved the legalization.
“As soon they allowed hedgehogs in Fairfax, we sort of jumped on it,” Mindy Thomas, a Fairfax County resident, told Tysons Reporter.
Earlier this spring, her 12-year-old son Rhett finally got his hedgehog, which he named Band-Aid. “He’s a lazy, fat boy,” he said.
Like Edwards, Thomas said he did his research and was prepared for Band-Aid’s night-time activity — “I’m a really sound sleeper [so] he doesn’t bother me too much” — but still had some surprises.
“The thing about hedgehogs is, a lot of videos say that the quills — you get used to them, which you do,” Thomas said. “They are pokey.”
And then there’s Band-Aid’s love of scrambled eggs without salt, in addition to his regular diet of cat food, which his cat Lucy tries to steal, along with mealworms as treats. The food’s exit looks “like little jelly beans,” he added.
The Thomases and Band-Aid inspired another Fairfax County family to become “hedgie” parents, with 17-year-old Steven Eckloff’s detailed 20-page PowerPoint winning his parents over to the idea.
Eckloff got his hedgehog Ollie on March 28 — two days before Gov. Ralph Northam announced the stay-at-home order due the pandemic.
To maximize his time with Ollie, Eckloff has adjusted his hours — waking up around 11 a.m. to stay awake later and then going to bed around 2-3 a.m. “I hear the little pattering of his feet when he’s running on the wheel at night,” he said, adding that Ollie likes to play with toilet paper rolls.
Since a ban was placed in the 1990s on the importation of wild-caught African pygmy hedgehogs — the most common type of hedgehog pet — to the U.S., prospective owners have to find their pets at breeders or shelters.
Many of the websites for hedgehog breeders in Northern Virginia that Tysons Reporter viewed included resources and guides for how to keep the pets safe.
Riddle’s Hedgehogs, a small to mid-scale breeder in Frederick County, asks for people’s addresses when they fill out their online applications and Christie Riddle told Tysons Reporter that she has caught people trying to skirt the law.
“Unfortunately, a couple of times I have had potential adoptees fill in an invalid address and go through the entire adoption process, arrive to pick up the hedgehog, only then to find out that a driver’s license is required to pick up the hedgehog,” Riddle said.
Riddle tells people she cannot sell to them if pet hedgehogs are not legal in their area, noting that appropriate veterinary care is often hard to find in those areas.
Additionally, Riddle screens applicants for certain warning signs.
“As a breeder, I look for red flags such as if it is intended for a young child,” Riddle said. “Hedgehogs are difficult for young children to handle. I look for stable homes that can care for a hedgehog long-term.”
“It is not a starter pet,” Caitlyn Maltese told Tysons Reporter, adding that she’s seen a lot of pet hedgehogs gaining traction on TikTok. “The most important thing for me is that people don’t get them unless they know what they are walking into.”
Maltese shared the less glamorous side of hedgehog ownership: a dirty wheel that she cleans daily, spending at least 30 minutes socializing them every day so they don’t get grumpy and a possible hefty price tag for care.
Maltese, who is part of a Facebook support group for hedgehog owners, said she’s “seen some horrific stuff” including rotting feet and stories of abandonment.
“It is not a starter pet,” Maltese said, adding that she researched extensively before deciding to become an owner.
She was living in Maryland when she got Albus, but then moved to the Mount Vernon District of Fairfax County right after the legalization, landing a shorter commute to her job in Alexandria.
Albus is “a complete sweetheart” and “very well socialized,” Maltese said. Unfortunately, he’s had a variety of health issues from teeth falling out that required Maltese to grind up his food to heart disease that meant she had to syringe feed him medication.
When she recently took him to the Stahl Exotic Animal Veterinary Services in Fairfax, COVID-19 precautions prompted a new drive-thru service where staff brought Albus into and out of the facility while Maltese waited in the car.
Maltese, who has hedgehog insurance, said that the medical bills have reached hundreds of dollars. Through the highs and lows, she insists Albus is completely worth it.
“He’s like my first child,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of other pets, but he’s the one that has required so much… They are such wonderful creatures to have.”
Maltese added that she loves that he’s nocturnal because he’ll cuddle with her while she works during the day. “He’ll squeak when he’s dreaming.”
Maltese found a community of fellow hedgie parents on Facebook and also through her Instagram account for him. She’s also met people at Hedgie-Con, an annual convention for hedgehog owners in the U.S. and Canada.
“They were amazed by how friendly he was,” Maltese said about her Hedgie-Con 2019 experience. “It’s super nerdy.”
Albus walked away with 1st place in adult standard males and reserve grand champion of adult males. “He’s an award-winning hedgehog,” his proud mom noted.
One of the central arguments against hedgehog ownership was a concern about people struggling to care for their pets, leading to abandonment and surrenders.
Since Fairfax County legalized them, the county’s Animal Protection Police haven’t received any reports of abandonment. The one request to surrender ended up with getting the hedgehog re-homed so it never went to the shelter, according to information provided through Police Spokesperson Erica Webb.
Webb said that the Animal Protection Police did not have information to share regarding whether pet hedgehogs are affecting the exotic pet trade.
Neighboring counties have had similar experiences. “We have not had any hedgehogs come in, nor have we had any calls about them this year,” Talia Czapski with Loudoun County Animal Services told Tysons Reporter.
Chelsea Jones with Animal Welfare League of Arlington said they’ve only taken in one hedgehog during the last five years. “They are not surrendered to us very often at all,” Jones said.
Riddle said that Fairfax County’s legalization has boosted her business as a breeder.
“Demand has been greater in the past year, partly due to more interest from Fairfax County and also partly due to growing interest in general in having hedgehogs as pets,” Riddle wrote in an email. Riddle said the average cost of her hedgehogs, which can vary based on colors and sex, is $250.
Riddle said that the increase caused her to cut off her waiting list, which had 12 people as of late April. “Over the past year, 12.5% of my hedgehog adoptions have been from Fairfax County,” she said.
It’s unclear if hedgehog breeders are seeing the same uptick in adoptions like for cats and dogs due to people wanting furry companionship during the coronavirus pandemic. While the owners Tysons Reporter talked to said they like having hedgehog pets, the hedgehogs seem to have mixed feelings about their owners being home constantly.
“He’s definitely getting annoyed that I’m always around,” Thomas, who is doing online learning at home, said. Now, instead of cuddle time in the evening, he’s taking Band-Aid out of his cage several times a day and for longer periods of time.
Now that Edwards, the McLean student, has Serena Quilliams, she doesn’t socialize with the other pets. “The lizard would definitely attack her and probably get impaled,” Edwards said. “It wouldn’t go well.”
Overall, Edwards thinks pet hedgehogs are ideal pandemic buddies. “I hang out with her a lot,” he said. “She’ll play when you want to play.”
His assessment: “They are good pets.”
Tysons-based MicroTech is working to address shortages in personal protective equipment (PPP), adding a risk-free component to its delivery service.
The company teamed up with Thermal Safety Systems to revamp their Just-in-Time PPE Delivery, which provides low-cost access to PPE, medical equipment and medical technology.
The companies say it “leverages supply-chain management to sync orders to suppliers with production and delivery schedules designed to meet customer’s needs,” according to the press release.
The companies decided to redesign the delivery of raw materials and finished products.
“Under these arduous conditions, it became obvious that new strategies for optimizing Just-in-Time Delivery
needed to be implemented,” the press release said.
“Risk-free orders are another game-changing aspect of the MicroTech-Thermal Safety Systems alliance,” the press release said. “Under this partnership, the MicroTech financing department will fully fund PPE purchases, and collect on delivery.”
Just-in-Time PPE Delivery has also improved supply management and inventory, less production pressure, increased quality control price stabilization and consolidated orders that decrease manufacturing and transportation costs.
Photo via MicroTech/Facebook
Baseball Blues — “Two of the three local Little Leagues in the Sun Gazette’s coverage areas canceled their 2020 spring seasons in recent days, with McLean Little League still hoping to play some type of regular season for baseball and girls softball teams in June and July.” [Inside NoVa]
Puppy Sale Fraud in Vienna — “A woman who does not live in Virginia told Vienna police on May 23 at 5:34 p.m. that she had made an online payment to purchase a puppy and was told to go to a residence in the 400 block of MacArthur Avenue, N.E., to pick up the dog.” [Inside NoVa]
Northam Outlines Phase 2 — “Most of Virginia will enter a second phase of reopening from the prolonged coronavirus shutdown on Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam said… Both Northern Virginia and the city of Richmond, which were hit harder by the novel coronavirus and began reopening last week, will remain under the more stringent Phase 1 portion of the state’s plan to return to normalcy.” [Washington Post]
Pledge to End Racial Inequalities — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam pledged Tuesday to do more to end racial inequities in the state as he reacted to the death of George Floyd and increasing protests in Northern Virginia and other regions of the state.” [Inside NoVa]
County Aiming to Get 400 New Contact Tracers — “GattiHR, a leading HR consulting firm, has been retained by the Institute for Public Health Innovation – one of the region’s leading health organizations that develops multi-sector partnerships and innovative solutions to improve the public’s health and well-being across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia- to recruit 400 COVID-19 Contact Tracers in Fairfax County, VA.” [GattiHR]
Now that Fairfax County has started to ease some COVID-19 restrictions, new activity at the Mosaic District suggests that the shopping center may return to its pre-pandemic popularity.
Tysons Reporter’s staff photographer Jay Westcott ventured out to the Mosaic District last week right before the first part of Gov. Ralph Northam’s multi-phase reopening strategy started in the county.
Westcott spotted at least a dozen people milling around the green outside the Angelika Film Center, walking dogs, getting takeout from local eateries and sitting outside 6 feet apart from other people.
Deka Lash and Mom and Pop have now reopened, while Anthropologie is offering curbside pick-up, according to the Mosaic District Facebook page. Meanwhile, home goods store Great Gatherings re-reopened in its new location, the posts said.
In addition to the businesses opening their doors again after temporary closures, people can also spot signs for upcoming businesses, like Sephora, Gyu Shige and Urban Hot Pot.
Tables and chairs — with a sign warning people against moving them — are set up outside West Elm. Some of the stores and restaurants have placards on the ground to remind people to social distance.
“Practice social distancing. Wash your hands often. Wear a mask when appropriate,” the sign said.
For that last point, many of the people Westcott captured in his photos did have face coverings.
Tysons DMV Has Reopened — Starting today, the location at 1968 Gallows Road will be open by appointment only from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. [Patch]
More Outdoor Areas Open at Public Schools — “In accordance with Fairfax County’s Phase 1 reopening guidelines, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is reopening additional outdoor areas on school grounds to the community, effective Friday, May 29. Reopening on May 29 will be athletic fields (for walking and recreational use from 8 a.m. to sundown) and gardens.” [FCPS]
Art Aid — “ARTSFAIRFAX [Thursday] announced $100,000 in available funding through the newly created Emergency Relief and Recovery Grant Program. Funding will provide critical support to Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church arts organizations and Fairfax County individual artists most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The online grant application… closes on June 29, 2020.” [Patch]
Public Hearing on Controversial Zoning Code Tonight — “The Vienna Town Council plans to hold a public hearing on Monday about what to do about the contentious Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) zone.” [Tysons Reporter]
Phase 2 May Start Soon — “Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday that more of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions could be lifted as soon as June 5… Northern Virginia leaders said earlier this week they’d be interested in moving to Phase Two at the same time as the rest of the state.” [Inside NoVa]
Booze Delivery? — “At some point in the near future, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is hoping to execute the first home liquor delivery in its 86-year history.” [Inside NoVa]
Nightlife is zilch in Tysons at the moment due to the pandemic. After a brief hiatus, the “Tysons After Dark” series is back to highlight different online and at-home activities from local organizations, along with offerings from eateries that keep people busy once the sun goes down.
A Falls Church comic book and game store is keeping people entertained at home with supplies for creating and customizing miniature figures.
Shoppers at Victory Comics can find paints, primers, brushes and a wide variety of miniatures, Gareth Hoskins, the store manager, told Tysons Reporter.
“It’s a lot easier than most people think. A lot of people get worried about how a complex model will work,” Hoskins said. “There are easier techniques that will make details pop without doing a lot of work.”
Before the pandemic, the store had “Paint and Take” events — painting classes capped at 12 people Hoskins would teach participants how to paint different miniatures.
When COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and the stay-at-home order hit Virginia, Hoskins said that the store saw an upsurge in the number of people who hadn’t tried the hobby before.
So Hoskins created a Google Doc guide as the “one-stop for any kind of miniature work.” The guide covers tools, brushes, glue, color theory, assembly, painting and techniques to create effects.
“We get a lot of people asking us, ‘Where do we even begin?’ and having something to point them towards seemed like a good idea,” he said. “We found ourselves answering the same questions over and over.”
Basic supplies usually cost around $20-$25, Hoskins said. Some of the store’s miniatures require assembly, while others either need to get primed before they are painted or are sold pre-primed.
For novices, Hoskins recommends that they buy a handful of paint pods, one or two brushes and a pre-primed miniature.
Hoskins said that he’s been painting miniatures — mostly Warhammer and D&D minis — for more than 10 years, noting that his Death army has lots of vampires and skeletons.
“I tend to like minis that have a lot of detail to them,” he said, adding that most of the miniatures on the market are large enough so that people won’t need a magnifying glass or specific brushes to paint tiny details.
While Hoskins said that people have been playing D&D virtually over Zoom and using websites like Roll20, “those only go so far for customization,” he said. The store’s offerings help entertain people who aren’t playing D&D in person at the moment and have extra time on their hands to customize miniatures for their game setups.
The great part about miniatures is that people can paint them exactly how they envision the characters, he said, adding that monsters are a popular choice.
The store (586 S. Washington Street) is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day and except for Saturdays, when it opens at 10 a.m., Hoskins said. Shoppers are required to wear masks inside the store.
The store also delivers within a 10-mile radius and offers curbside delivery. People can place orders by contacting the store via Facebook, email or phone.
Image via Victory Comics/Facebook
