After the COVID-19 pandemic prompted its closure, Lebanese Taverna in Tysons Galleria reopened last week for delivery and takeout.
The local chain’s Facebook page said that the eateries closed on March 18, but that owners reopened several locations, including the one in Tysons Galleria, on April 30.
The eatery serves Lebanese fare such as shawarma, falafels, rice dishes, bowls, salads and appetizers, according to its website.
Anyone interested in ordering from the Tysons location can call 703-847-5244, the eatery’s Facebook page said, adding that people can also order through services like Doordash and UberEats.
Along with reopening for customers, the eatery has also been active catering meals for medical staff and first responders, according to its Facebook page.
Photo via Lebanese Taverna/Facebook
With Virginia businesses poised to have fewer restrictions in mid-May, Fairfax County’s top official is urging people to stay home to save lives.
Yesterday, Gov. Ralph Northam unveiled a three-phase plan to roll back restrictions on businesses possibly starting on May 15 — after extending the closure of non-essential businesses through May 14.
Meanwhile, his stay-at-home order, which is in effect until June 10, would become a “safer at home” recommendation, according to his presentation.
Jeff McKay, the chairman for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, is weighing in on the governor’s proposal and calling on people to continue to stay home.
“A path forward is necessary, but public health and saving lives are our biggest priorities,” he said in a statement to Tysons Reporter. “The first phase, however, doesn’t really change how we will operate.”
Fairfax County continues to have the highest reported number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths due to the illness in the state. As of today, the county has at least 4,834 cases and 201 deaths, according to the state’s health department.
McKay noted that Northam included a variety of data, including the number of daily positive test results and hospital bed capacity, when explaining the rationale behind the plan.
Both in the statement and a letter to county residents last night, McKay urged county residents to stay home, pointing to Fairfax County’s continued rise in COVID-19 cases.
“We are in the exponential growth period of our epidemic curve and will see more cases and deaths in the coming weeks,” the letter said. “I encourage you to not change what you are doing. We can’t see our friends and go to concerts yet, that’s the reality.”
State health officials recently said that social distancing has already prevented nearly 36,600 cases in Fairfax County — and an estimated 134,000 cases by June 10.
McKay’s full statement to Tysons Reporter:
It’s good to see that Governor Northam is establishing data- and science-driven metrics in his decision to gradually ease restrictions in Virginia. A path forward is necessary, but public health and saving lives are our biggest priorities. The first phase, however, doesn’t really change how we will operate. Just because certain parts of the economy will re-open, doesn’t mean that you have to or should leave the house. As Governor Northam said, it will [be] safer-to-stay home. I will continue to encourage county residents to do so because our case numbers continue to rise exponentially. It is my hope that we start seeing less cases soon, but we aren’t out of the woods just yet.
Fairfax County has seen a recent jump in COVID-19 deaths as the number of cases continues to rise in the county and statewide.
As of today (Friday), Fairfax County had 85 deaths due to the respiratory illness, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The cities of Fairfax and Falls Church have both reported two deaths.
In total, there are 89 deaths in the Fairfax Health District, which includes the county and its towns and cities, — up from 80 deaths reported yesterday (Thursday).
Yesterday, Fairfax County reported the first coronavirus case claiming the life of someone under the age of 50. Most of the people who died from the illness in the Fairfax Health District were above the age of 65.
More data on the Fairfax Health District:
- 2,584 cases
- 460 hospitalizations
- 10,887 tests
- 26 outbreaks: 24 at long term care facilities and one each at a correctional facility and healthcare setting
Statewide, there are 11,594 confirmed cases and 410 deaths, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The state has had 176 outbreaks with half at long term care facilities.
Data via Virginia Department of Health
To check-in with local doctors to see how they are faring during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tysons Reporter reached out to Kaiser Permanente, which has locations all over the mid-Atlantic region.
Dennis Truong is the regional telemedicine director and assistant physician in chief in Northern Virginia for Kaiser Permanente, who sees patients at the Tysons Corner Kaiser medical center, according to a KP spokesperson.
Truong told Tysons Reporter in a Q&A about his experience helping patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How are you feeling emotionally during this time?
Each day is a crazy mix of emotions. To keep a balanced mind, I take time every morning to acknowledge each one, from worrying about loved ones and colleagues, near and far, to the stress of getting the necessary work things done in this race against time. But with these emotions also brings appreciation, for what I have and for the opportunity to serve others and transform health care during this pandemic.
Many of us health care workers have trained and prepared most of our lives to serve in a moment like this. So overall, I feel emotionally strong because I’m inspired by those around me and know that doing my part, while they do theirs, will get us through this.
Each day also bring elements of pleasant emotional surprises, from family texting jokes and spontaneous words of encouragement and appreciation, to dentist friends donating masks from their practices, to colleagues willing to pitch in to help when telehealth surges all hours of the day.
This leads to the most important emotion — a glimpse of happiness — as we’re seeing how so many people care about each other’s well-being and are willing to take personal responsibility to help “flatten the curve.”
For many of my health care colleagues around the world, hope and happiness fuels us to keep fighting the fight with a positive attitude against COVID-19.
What is the attitude of patients who come in for things other than COVID-19 concerns?
In three short weeks, we’ve dramatically transformed the care delivery system at Kaiser Permanente in the mid-Atlantic region to meet the needs of our members virtually.
More than 85% of our encounters are now virtual across urgent care, primary care, and specialty care departments. This paradigm shift was possible for three key reasons. First, at Kaiser Permanente we’ve been doing virtual care (aka telehealth) since 2013 so our providers were prepared.
Also, the Kaiser Permanente culture has always been patient-centric and extremely responsive to the needs of our members. The ability to quickly pivot and rapidly scale our telehealth offerings across all services was universal.
Last, we communicated with our members early and often, so they understood the significance of using our telehealth options before they came into a clinic to keep themselves and our communities safe.
Almost all of our patients use our telehealth options of the advice nurse, e-visits, phone visits and video visits to get personalized care and care coordination before coming in to one of our medical centers. We’ve had many patients express gratitude for being able to access care, for COVID and many other medical needs that are still arising, from the comfort of home.
Do you feel that there are enough medical supplies in the Reston, Tysons, McLean and Falls Church area to support the needs of patients and doctors? What are you running low on?
COVID is now spreading quickly through many communities including here in the D.C. area and our equipment and supply needs have increased significantly as a result. Yet, we have leveraged our national network and with the support of our supply teams and our staff, have increased our supply of personal protective equipment. Through diligent conservation efforts and ongoing procurement efforts, we have the appropriate PPE to protect our team today and in the days ahead.
What trends or changes to the medical system have surprised you the most during this pandemic?
Since early March at Kaiser Permanente, we have seen a total delivery system transformation to “virtual first.” This means that our first approach to an appointment is a virtual appointment through video, phone or secure email. We have evolved to providing more than 85% of all encounters virtually. Our priority has been keeping our members safe and educating and notifying them about care choices. It is amazing how many patients and providers are now using our system “virtual first.”
How prepared is the NoVA area compared to the rest of the country for the peak of the pandemic? When do you think the peak will happen?
The latest information indicates that we could see a surge of patients in our region over the next two to three weeks. However, these models are changing and this timing may change too. We are working diligently to make sure that we are ready to care for all our patients whether they come this week, next week or later. We are also set up to continue expanding our virtual care and pharmacy delivery options as the surge occurs.
How will the pandemic affect people who come into the ER with other (non-COVID-19) life-threatening emergencies?
We are using our robust telehealth services to have our physicians safely evaluate and follow members at their homes. If patients show up to our centers, we have created separate areas to triage COVID and non-COVID patients.
For COVID patients, we triage them to a special triage location with skilled emergency medicine physicians dedicated to that work. Therefore, other patients coming to us for urgent care are treated in separate area by a separate group of emergency physicians to assure continued delivery of highest quality care.
How do you feel that this pandemic will affect the rest of your career in healthcare?
The pandemic has already affected my career in extraordinary ways. As a board-certified emergency physician, I trained in Detroit hospital systems that only knew about dealing with emergencies or those that couldn’t afford preventative care. As an active-duty Air Force physician, I learned the importance of structure but lacked the right technology.
When I came to Kaiser Permanente, I learned the importance of proactive and integrated care alongside a provider and patient-friendly electronic medical records. As the director of Virtual Care for Kaiser Permanente, I am part of a team that has spent years preparing our technology and organizational culture to understand the important role virtual care has in safely extending our care delivery reach.
Every pandemic is an opportunity to learn, and when the dust settles on COVID-19, I believe the U.S. health care system and our citizens will have fully embraced telehealth as the leading approach in healthcare.
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
This op-ed was submitted by Rikki Epstein, the executive director of The Arc of Northern Virginia in Merrifield. It does not reflect the opinions of Tysons Reporter. We publish op-eds and letters to the editor of specific interest to the Tysons community. Contributions may be edited for length or content.
Since Gov. Ralph Northam issued the COVID-19 stay-at-home order for Virginia, I’ve been reaching out to families and individuals we serve. I wanted to check in, ask how they’re doing, and reassure them that The Arc of Northern Virginia’s services would continue.
Many wrote back, sharing what this “new normal” is like for their household. Some even asked about other families. With every note I read, I am reminded of the genuine honor it is to serve those with intellectual and developmental disabilities on behalf of our amazing organization.
I lay awake in bed at night thinking (because that’s what we all do now) about two sentiments that are common among many of the notes I’ve received. Nearly every family is struggling to find alternatives to necessary, often critical, support services. With a loved-one with an intellectual or developmental disability, life in normal times is a precarious balance. The disability alone robs one of the stability many of us take for granted.
It’s like a game of Jenga, with many of the pieces missing to begin with. But this is no game. Life depends on that tower not falling over, and each wooden piece represents a critical support service. As long as the supports are in place, there’s fragile stability. Now, start removing those supports.
Take away the piece that represents personal care attendants in the home, and you leave the work of caring for a family member with serious needs solely with the parents, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Parents are literally sleeping in shifts through the night.
Take away the piece that represents stable housing, and you have a family moving out of their apartment to protect their immuno-compromised child, saying “Elevators are terrifying repositories for anything picked up by the 896 other residents.”
Take away the piece that represents structured education and you have distance learning plans from some school districts that have been delayed or — worse yet — non-existent for students with disabilities.
Take away the piece that represents physical therapy.
Take away the piece that represents job coaching.
Take away the piece that represents speech therapy.
Take away the piece that represents occupational therapy.
Get the picture?
For many of these families, The Arc of Northern Virginia can help them put back some of those pieces. We can locate the resources that help restore a feeling of balance for families in need. It may be precarious. It may be temporary, but it keeps the house from falling down.
The second sentiment I heard in those notes is what finally allows me to sleep at night. It’s a sense of hope. A sense of optimism borne out of the experience of facing previous tragedies and coming through them stronger and more resilient.
“We’ll get through this” was said over and over again. And in my heart, I know we will. Because we’re in this together, and we draw strength from each other.
In this time of crisis, in this time of heightened anxiety, in this time of hardships for everyone, please don’t forget those who live with hardship and anxiety nearly every day, and yet persevere. It is essential that we keep families together, programs running, and critically-needed services in place for our most vulnerable population.
We need to make sure EVERY MEMBER of our community makes it through this crisis.
Photo via Arc of Northern Virginia/Facebook
After 9-year-old Vienna resident Matteo Lambert pledged to help local businesses by returning the money they previously donated to his charity, he ended up surpassing his goal.
With the help of a GoFundMe page, Matteo and his dad Brandon Lambert were able to crowdsource $3,276, which is now in the hands of 10 local businesses that are struggling because of the pandemic.
Matteo, along with help from his father, personally delivered checks to the doors or mailboxes of the local businesses he decided to support. The pair was sure to take necessary health precautions, Brandon said.
Originally, the pair’s goal was to raise $2,020 to simply payback eight businesses that originally helped him fundraise for Hopecam, which allows severely ill cancer patients to connect digitally with friends and fight social isolation.
Now, the money will not only go to support the original eight, but also to Ciao Osteria and Skorpios Maggio’s Family Restaurant — two businesses that Matteo said have gone above and beyond to assist their communities in this time of crisis.
Last Thursday (April 9), the owners of Skorpios Maggio’s donated meals to town employees who help keep the local parks in good shape, Sherry Maggio, one of the eatery’s owners, told Tysons Reporter.
Ciao Osteria, though located in Centreville, has been active in response to the COVID-19 crisis and donated meals to first responders in the last few weeks, according to its website.
Other businesses that will benefit from the fundraiser include:
- Bazin’s On Church
- Grassroots Fitness
- Karin’s Florist
- Machine Swimming School
- The Vienna Inn
- Dr. Eva Pleta Dentistry
- Dr. Jack Weil Pediatric Dentistry
- Ghaffari Orthodontics
Though Matteo and other kids will start online classes through Fairfax County today (April 14), the father-son pair said they now plan on using their extra time to sew capes for kids in hospitals through Matteo’s non-profit Off the Charts Club. The organization helps to empower kids despite any disability or challenge they might be facing.
“We are just trying to make a difference in the community and do anything we can to help others,” Matteo said.
Photos courtesy Lambert Family
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is hoping that more resources get allocated to small businesses as Fairfax County officials discuss the revised fiscal year 2021 budget.
Alcorn held a media call this morning (April 9) to discuss dramatic cuts and changes to the changed budget proposal, following a digital public hearing he held last night with residents.
“I’m not happy about the updated budget but it does reflect the reality we’re in right now,” Alcorn said during the media call.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill to revise suggestions for the upcoming budget, which were integrated into a draft and publishedon Tuesday (April 7).
Many of the changes include halting the expansion of new projects — focusing instead to retain projects already in progress, according to Alcorn.
“We are going to see some delays on some of our affordable housing projects,” Alcorn said, “It’s disappointing to me because doing more on affordable housing will help the same folks who are being impacted by the Covid emergency… These are some of the same folks who have been laid off.”
Other programs that will likely be delayed are the implementation of body cameras for police officers and a freeze in salary for Fairfax County employees.
“It really is an attempt to put the breaks on anything new,” he said.
Alcorn said he also wants to see relief programs for small businesses in Fairfax County, which may happen.
Next Tuesday, the Board of supervisors will discuss a micro-loan program for local business owners impacted by the pandemic, Alcorn said.
The Budget Committee spoke last week about the potential for the program to offer up roughly $1 million for small businesses, but Alcorn suggested this number was meant to be a “place holder” until there was an opportunity for further discussion.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the final adjusted budget during the May 12 meeting, which was later than previously suggested in Fairfax County documents.
With Passover and Easter quickly approaching, religious organizations and state officials are encouraging people to find alternatives to large group celebrations.
Easter Sunday falls on April 12 and Passover begins on Thursday (April 9) and ends on April 16 this year — around when statisticians hypothesize COVID-19 will peak in the D.C. area.
To obey state mandates, religious groups such as Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church and Saint John the Beloved in McLean are encouraging their patrons to worship at home this year or through digital means.
For Christians, Easter is a celebration of resurrection of Jesus from the dead, while Passover is a Jewish holiday to commemorate the liberation of the Children of Israel who were led out of Egypt by Moses.
Fairfax County released a statement reminding people that it is illegal to gather in groups of 10 or more and requested that people celebrate at home with immediate family members.
“Consider the use of technology to gather people virtually in your home to have shared meals,” the statement said. “Through various media platforms, communal sharing and celebration of religious observances can continue while keeping each other safe.”
The Virginia Department of Health also released a public service announcement, primarily echoing Fairfax County’s statement.
“While the Passover Seder often includes extended family and friends, it is by tradition a ceremony of the home,” the Virginia Department of Health said. “The essence of the Seder can be the same: sitting with your family around the dining room table to remember the exodus.”
Similar recommendations will be in place for Ramadan, which begins later in the month.
“The purpose of Jumu’a is to gather the entire community together in one place for prayer and since that cannot be done safely, imams are asking each person to pray in their own home,” according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The New York Times published an article exploring how added stress from the pandemic might influence people’s mindsets and emotions during the spring holiday season.
The article’s author encouraged readers to celebrate through family activities like video chatting, reading to one another, playing games and signing.
For celebrations scheduled to take place this week, Saint John the Beloved, the Catholic church in McLean, has links on its website to online Mass and Easter celebrations at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Temple Rodef Shalom has updated its Facebook page to reflect the upcoming digital Seder celebrations, which will take place through Zoom from 5:30-8:30 p.m. People are asked to preregister and will receive a link shortly after.
For other religious ceremonies and support groups, Tysons Reporter previously did a roundup to see how places of worship are adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by Sweet Amaryllis/Unsplash
Virginia is ranked #35 for states with the most aggressive response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by WalletHub.
WalletHub says the rankings for the 50 states and D.C. were determined after weighting 51 metrics under three dimensions: “Prevention & Containment,” “Risk Factors & Infrastructure” and “Economic Impact.”
New York topped the “Most Aggressive States Against the Coronavirus” report’s list of states with the most aggressive measures against the virus, while Oklahoma came in last.
Virginia’s Response
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to climb in the state.
As of today, there are 3,333 confirmed cases and 63 deaths statewide, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, has the highest number of cases in the state with 532 cases as of today.
Gov. Ralph Northam issues a stay-at-home order last Monday (March 30).
The order, which 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. Gatherings of 10 people or more are currently banned.
Recreation and entertainment businesses have been ordered closed, while restaurants and retailers have been able to stay open under modified operations — restaurants can stay open for delivery and take-out options, while non-essential businesses must limit the number of shoppers in stores.
Recently, Northam urged Virginians to wear cloth face masks or coverings to reduce the spread of the virus — especially by asymptomatic people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear cloth face coverings — not surgical masks or N-95 respirators that medical workers need.
What Other States Are Doing
Nearby, all non-essential businesses are temporarily closed in Maryland and D.C., which both have stay at home orders. In WalletHub’s report, D.C. was ranked #2, while Maryland was #13.
Other states have taken different approaches to combating the virus.
On March 19, California’s governor announced a statewide shelter-in-place order — restricting Californians to only essential errands.
MSN reported yesterday (Monday) that Iowa’s governor is urging people to stay home but has not made it an order, while Oklahoma’s governor has only ordered people who are elderly or who have immunodeficiencies to stay home.
Let Tysons Reporter know in the poll below what you think of Virginia’s response so far to the pandemic.
The Vienna entrepreneur behind TicketFam decided to launch yet another startup to meet the rising demand for homemade face masks around the country.
Every Mask Counts only has two face mask designs on its website so far, but its founder, Arian Shahbazi, said that the goal is to educate people about the ongoing pandemic and promote safety.
“This website is created to promote people to wear protective face masks during this COVID-19 pandemic,” according to Shahbazi, who told Tysons Reporter that the company has over 150 masks ready to hit the market.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear cloth face coverings — not surgical masks or N-95 respirators that medical workers need — in public places to slow the spread of the virus.
For each mask sold, the entrepreneur said he will send another mask to a hospital in New York, where Shahbazi’s friend works as a health care professional.
Each mask sells online for $14.95 and includes free shipping anywhere in the United States, the website said. Customers can choose from either a Black Panther fabric design or a variated pink and white pattern in sizes small/medium or large/extra-large.
Soon, Shahbazi said people will be able to choose from over 10 different patterns, each of which are handmade and reusable after a wash.
For people in the Virginia and D.C. area, Shahbazi said he will also offer free curbside drop-off to people who are nervous about leaving their homes or accepting packages from the mail.
Shahbazi, who is producing the masks along with the help of close family members, said that there will be as little contact with the masks as possible.
Photo courtesy TicketFam
