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).
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.
Gov. Ralph Northam issued a stay-at-home order for Virginia today (Monday) as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state continues to climb.
“Our message today is very clear — to stay home,” Northam said.
The order, which goes 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.
“Do not go out unless you need to go out,” he said. “This is very different from wanting to go out. Do not go out to the store just for one thing. Wait until you have a list of needs.”
Northam said that the order will limit access to the state’s beaches except for fishing and exercise, close private campgrounds and ban parties and gatherings with 10 people or more.
“If you can work remotely, you need to do so and companies need to allow that,” he said.
When announcing the new order, Northam said that recreational areas were “literally packed” this weekend. “Everyone who is gathering in a crowd around the state is putting themselves at risk,” he said.
Northam recently received pushback from some residents and local officials for not issuing a stay-at-home order on Friday.
Earlier today, Maryland’s governor put the state, which has surpasses 1,400 COVID-19 cases, under a stay-at-home order that goes into effect tonight at 8 p.m., NBC 4 reported.
Statewide, 1,020 cases of the virus have been identified, according to the Virginia Department of Health — up from 890 cases on Sunday.
As of today, there are 225 coronavirus cases in Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county — almost double the number of cases on Friday (March 27).
Expanding testing capacity in the state could explain the increase in confirmed cases.
Statewide, 25 people have died from complications of the virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Two people in Fairfax County have died from the respiratory illness.
Northam also noted that almost half of the COVID-19 cases in the state are affecting people who are under the age of 50.
“Every age group needs to act responsibly,” he said.
Image via Governor of Virginia/Facebook
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to climb in Fairfax County.
According to statistics released by the Virginia Department of Health today (Sunday), there are now 187 cases in the county, up from 124 cases on Friday.
While the latest spike is indicative of increased testing by commercial labs, local health officials say there is evidence of community-wide spread of the illness.
“The case numbers will continue to increase, but we do have some control over how fast that increase occurs and how high it goes,” the county stated.
Arlington has the second-most confirmed cases (84) in the state, followed by 61 in Loudoun County.
In the county, two people have died from the respiratory disease, including a man in his 60s who died on Friday.
So far, residents between the age brackets of 18-49 and 50-64 have gotten ill at the same rates (16.1 percent each), while people age 65 and older comprise 21.4 percent of the total confirmed cases.
Overall, there are 890 confirmed cases and 22 deaths statewide, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
An employee at an affordable senior living facility in Tysons has tested positive for COVID-19, according to memos from the building’s management.
Managed by Polinger, Tysons Towers Apartments (8500 Tyspring Street) offers a federally-assisted rental program for people ages 62 and older and people with disabilities.
Tysons Reporter obtained copies of two memos signed with the name of a Polinger employee.
A memo dated Thursday (March 26) says that a Tysons Towers employee went to the hospital with coronavirus symptoms, later receiving a positive test result for the virus on Thursday.
An earlier memo says that the building management can’t provide more information on the case, citing HIPAA laws.
The employee was last in the senior living facility’s community on Friday, March 20, according to the memos.
“At this time, we have closed the Management Office and have sent all employees home until further notice,” the most recent memo says, adding that half of the staff was sent home on Monday (March 23).
The memo says that the building received a deep cleaning earlier this week, cleaning of common areas has since increased in the building and visitors are being screened with a questionnaire.
The memo includes information on preventing the spread of the virus — like reminding people to wash their hands and social distance.
The Polinger employee who signed the memo did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Fairfax County Health Department declined to comment on the Tysons Towers case.
“We currently have 124 cases of COVID-19 in Fairfax County, including 44 cases new cases that were reported today,” John Silcox, the spokesperson, said. “As our numbers increase, we won’t have information on every new case in the community.”
As for cases in assisted living facilities or skilled nursing facilities in general, Silcox said that the health department works with the building’s management on infection control policies.
“These include isolating all residents who have symptoms of illness; restricting congregating and eliminating gatherings; screening of staff for symptoms at the beginning of each shift; discouraging cross-facility employment; guiding appropriate use of personal protection equipment (PPE); providing guidance on enhanced cleaning practices; and implementing visitor restrictions,” he said.
Image via Google Maps
A man in his 60s is the second person to die from complications from COVID-19 in the Fairfax County, according to officials.
The Fairfax County Health Department announced Friday evening that the man acquired COVID-19 through travel and later tested positive for the virus.
“This is a tragic loss and our hearts go out to his family and friends,” Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, the health department’s director, said in the announcement.
On Saturday, the county announced that a man in his 60s, who got sick through contact with a another coronavirus person, was the county’s first COVID-19 death, WJLA reported.
Earlier today (Friday), the number of known COVID-19 cases jumped to 124 in the Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county.
Expanding testing capacity in the state could explain the increase in confirmed cases.
Inova Urgent Care locations in Chantille, Arlington and Tysons recently turned into respiratory illness clinics that offer the test.
“This most recent death, along with the increasing numbers of coronavirus cases we are seeing, is a reminder that we all need to be diligent in doing our part to help slow the spread of virus in the community,” Addo-Ayensu said.
“Please continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands and avoid touching your face, and stay home when you are sick,” she said.
As Fairfax County Public Schools prepare to transition to online learning now that the school buildings are closed, the school board wants to make sure the plan is realistic.
“Launching a distance learning plan to reach 189,000 students that engages nearly 16,000 classroom teachers is a complex challenge,” FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand wrote in a letter to parents yesterday.
Ahead of plans for FCPS to kick off distance learning on April 14, the Fairfax County School Board held a meeting today to share questions and concerns about realistic expectations around the new education model.
“Distance learning does not equal classroom instruction,” Sloan Presidio with the Instructional Services Department said at the meeting today.
Proposal for Distance Learning
Beginning next week, teachers will receive virtual training to begin the transition. Last week, elementary and middle school principals met with the school system’s leadership to receive updates on the overall plan for resuming instruction.
The draft proposal includes closing all third-quarter grades as of March 13 and assigning a “no mark” for the fourth quarter to “allow students’ work in the 4th quarter to positively influence their final grades” for high school and middle school students.
For elementary school students, no fourth-quarter grades will be assigned “due to equity issues of access to technology and limited student ability to submit work.”
The Virginia Department of Education says it will ensure seniors who are on-track to graduate as of the school systems’ closure will graduate on time.
High school students will participate in teacher-led instruction and independent learning. Teachers are expected to contact students beginning next week.
Middle school students will receive learning packets for language arts, math, science, and social studies. Virtual, teacher-led instruction will be conducted for these four classes. Teachers for electives will post learning activities to Blackboard.
Elementary school students will also distribute learning packets to students beginning this week. Teacher-student engagement online will be emphasized, as well as teacher check-ins, phone calls and emails with students. Parents will also receive a published schedule of instruction from school principals.
Students enrolled in special education programs will have access to resources online as well. More information about other programs, including guidance for English to Speakers of Others Languages, is available online.
Draft proposals before the board on learning schedules are below.
Presidio said that FCPS will work to identify students who are not engaged in the learning activities during the distance learning plan and contact them individually to get them engaged.
“Maximum flexibility will be our approach on all these issues,” Presidio said about the overall approach.
Getting Students The Tools They Need
The distribution of 15,000 wireless hotspots and laptops for students in need has already begun.
Currently, staff are pulling laptops out of classrooms and reconfiguring them so that they can be given to students, Maribeth Luftglass with the Department of Information Technology said at the meeting.
“We do feel like we have enough for students in need,” she said about the computers.
Starting next week, laptop distribution for grades three-six will be able to pick up their computers by appointment only.
As for personal wi-fi hot spots, Luftglass said that there FCPS is prioritizing high school students. Each device can be used by five devices, she said.
While FCPS recently ordered more devices, she said that the nationwide supply is starting to dwindle due to demand.
FCPS is working to update its internet access maps for each school pyramid since some of the wi-fi hot spots in the county — like public libraries — aren’t available at the moment due to closures.
To reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus, Luftglass said that students will be issued laptops one by one by staff who will wear gloves and disinfect the tables between appointments.
When families arrive, they will go through a health screening station before staff help the students log in to their newly-wiped down laptops, she said.
School Board Members Urge Flexibility
Concerns raised by board members included privacy for teachers’ contact information, different levels of outreach to families from schools, how to best support special student populations and the availability of the technology.
Braddock District Representative Megan McLaughlin said that the proposal might exacerbate the equity issues and achievement gap and urged FCPS to compare how their plan compares to ones for other jurisdictions.
Several board members, like Hunter Mill District Representative Melenie Meren, said that it’s crucial that FCPS remain flexible about student learning as the pandemic continues.
“I hope we can adjust expectations of staff and parents,” she said, adding that she is wary of creating events where students and teachers have to be available at a specific time.
Overall, Meren praised the work that has been done so far to prepare for distance learning.
“I’m relieved we’re not taking in-person learning and taking it to digital,” she said. “I can’t overstate enough how savvy I think this approach is.”
She added that she’s glad that teachers and students will be able to maintain relationships.
“I think there is an understanding that students won’t be able to receive the level of service that they did in the school buildings,” Meren said.
Fatimah Waseem and Catherine Douglas Moran reported this story
Two images in story via FCPS
Noticed normally busy public spaces that are now empty or store closures in the Tysons area? Send them to Tysons Reporter.
We’re looking for your photos of what it’s like to live or work in Tysons, Vienna, McLean, Falls Church or Merrifield during the coronavirus. What does it look like to social distance in an urban area?
Whether you snap pictures on a professional camera or your smartphone, we are always interested in sharing your photos (with credit to you!) in our Morning Notes on weekdays or on social media.
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).
(Updated at 11:50 a.m.) Fairfax County jumped overnight from 80 known coronavirus cases to 124.
As of this morning (Friday), the Fairfax Health District has the highest number of presumptive cases, followed by Arlington County, which has 63 cases, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The Fairfax Health District includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county.
Expanding testing capacity in the state could explain the increase in confirmed cases.
Inova Urgent Care locations in Chantille, Arlington and Tysons recently turned into respiratory illness clinics that offer the test.
Statewide, 604 cases of the virus have been identified of the 7,337 people who have been tested. Fourteen people have died from the respiratory illness, with one death in Fairfax County.
Data via Virginia Department of Health and Fairfax County
