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(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
To combat a nationwide shortage of medical supplies, Falls Chuch Distillers decided to switch focus and begin making their own hand sanitizer.
Branded “Aim High Hand Sanitizer,” owner Michael Paluzzi said the goal is to step up to help the community and keep his business afloat.
The distillery’s new production is drawing the attention of medical staff, who are willing to cross state lines for the product, according to Paluzzi.
For a first test batch, Paluzzi said he and his crew created 300 gallons, which was gone within the first five hours of the release, which started on Friday (March 20).
During the giveaway, he handed out tiny 5 oz. bottles for free to the public and sold half-gallon and one-gallon sized tubs at market value, according to a Facebook post.
At one point, there were more than 100 people standing in line for the supply, Paluzzi said, adding that he always walked first responders or anyone who identified as medical staff to the front of the line.
The first batch of sanitizer is supporting “at least a dozen” hospitals and doctors’ offices, several retirement homes and other government agencies, according to Paluzzi.
A few nurses from York, Pennsylvania even sent representatives to pick up hand sanitizer for them, he said. “I’m surprised they even knew about it,” Paluzzi said.
Curious about Paluzzi’s secret recipe?
(Updated at 4:35 p.m.) Inova has opened three coronavirus testing sites today (Wednesday) in Northern Virginia — including one in Tysons.
Fairfax County shared that Inova’s new Respiratory Illness Clinics will evaluate patients with respiratory illness symptoms and offer tests for COVID-19 for people who have test orders from physicians.
“The Fairfax County Health Department is not involved in setting them up or running them, though we are now publicizing them,” a county spokesperson told Tysons Reporter.
More from the announcement:
Upon arrival at the Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic, a clinician will greet the patient at their vehicle to escort the patient into the respiratory clinic for evaluation or to collect samples for a physician-ordered test.
For patients who undergo COVID-19 testing, a UCC nurse will contact those whose results are negative. For patients with positive results, a UCC nurse will coordinate with the patient’s regular physician for notification and further instructions. Patients who are tested can expect results in roughly 4-7 days.
Before visiting any Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic, contact your regular physician for evaluation. For assistance with recommendations, to arrange for a physician appointment, or if you do not have a primary care physician, call 1-855-IMG-DOCS.
Your regular physician can evaluate your symptoms to determine if testing is indicated based on COVID-19 testing criteria and provide a testing order, or refer you to the Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic for evaluation.
The three testing sites are at local Inova Urgent Care Centers in Tysons, North Arlington and Chantilly. The Tysons location is 8357 Leesburg Pike.
The clinics will be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
The Inova Urgent Care Centers at North Arlington and Tysons will only operate as respiratory illness clinics, while the Chantilly one will remain open to other patients, according to the county.
As of today, Fairfax County now has 77 presumptive positive coronavirus cases — up from 46 yesterday (Tuesday).
The state’s expanding testing capacity, which now includes commercial labs, might be behind the increase of confirmed cases.
Fairfax County announced today that it is closing both its indoor and outdoor parks “until further notice” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The health and wellbeing of our community, park visitors and staff remain our highest priority,” according to the county. “By limiting park usage to exercising on trails, we hope to reduce the largest crowd gatherings, thus improving the ability to social distance and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Earlier this month, the county closed indoor parks for two weeks starting Monday, March 16. Yesterday, the county announced the closure of its playgrounds, skate parks and restrooms.
Now, all parks will be closed by tomorrow night.
“This change is in response to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s order to close public access to recreational facilities,” according to the county.
The county’s full list of new closures include:
- parking lots
- athletic fields
- sport courts
- restrooms
- nature centers
- visitor centers
- golf courses
- historic sites
- picnic areas
- playgrounds
- amusements
- boat launches
- skate parks
- off-leash dog areas
- outdoor fitness equipment
- any areas for open recreation
Additionally, Park Authority programs and events through April 14 and programs at Fairfax County Public Schools through June 15 have been canceled.
People can still use the trails around Fairfax County as long as they keep 6 feet away from other people and don’t form groups.
“While all parks and amenities are closed, trails will remain open for individual use, but not group use,” the county said. “All social distancing recommendations are in effect.”
Just weeks after its official opening, the owner of the Bear Branch Tavern in Vienna made the “particularly heartbreaking” decision to temporarily close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
To help the restaurant’s employees, who are now temporarily jobless, owners Chris Lefbom and Adam Lubar created a GoFundMe page on Sunday (March 22) that has already collected roughly $1,200 and counting.
The page has a goal of $5,000 right now and the description said that the proceeds raised from the page will get split between full-time and part-time employees.
“We had to seriously consider our hourly (both in the Front and Back of the House) team members who rely on their paychecks and tips to live,” the owners wrote on the GoFundMe page.
It is unclear at the moment when Bear Branch Taven will reopen but an announcement on the eatery’s Facebook page said that the owners will do so when they feel the time is right — with respect to the health and safety of the community.
“The team at Bear Branch is a new family and we want to help make sure the family is taken care of and is there for you when we open our doors again,” the page said.
Photo via Bear Branch Tavern/Facebook
As the number of coronavirus cases grows, Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed for the rest of the school year along with all other schools in the state.
In a press briefing today (Monday), Gov. Ralph Northam announced the closure of the schools.
All recreational and entertainment businesses must also close by midnight tomorrow (Tuesday), along with non-essential businesses that cannot limit patrons to 10 people or less, Northam said, adding that grocery stores, banks and pharmacies will remain open.
Northam said that restaurants can stay open for carry-out, curbside pick-up and delivery service.
“We are in this for months, not weeks,” Northam said. “So we are taking additional actions to keep Virginians safe.”
The state is currently seeking help to provide child care for essential personnel like health care providers.
So far, the state has 254 confirmed cases, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Fairfax County has the highest number of cases across all jurisdictions. The number jumped from 31 on Sunday to 43 today.
Governor Northam COVID-19 Briefing – March 23 https://t.co/u8kXFDq03u
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) March 23, 2020
Image via Twitter
(Updated at 12:55 p.m.) The streets and shops around Tysons are growing increasingly deserted as more and more people stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
It appears that local residents are taking social distancing and staying at home — if possible — seriously from photos sent to Tysons Reporter by readers to a visit by our staff photographer last week.
Traffic data from Google Maps showed that traffic was reduced around 10 a.m. than it normally is at the same time on most Mondays.
The Virginia Department of Transportation’s traffic cameras show few cars on Leesburg Pike in Pimmit Hills, Chain Bridge Road at the Tysons-Vienna border, Route 50 in Falls Church and I-66 in Merrifield.
Meanwhile, I-495 near Old Dominion Drive in McLean had some cars on the highway, the cameras show.
On Wednesday (March 18). Jay Westcott, Tysons Reporter’s staff photographer, noticed a “fair amount” of traffic in the area, but less congestion on I-66 in the morning.
Westcott noted that usually busy streets around Tysons were empty.
Traffic camera footage in Tysons, McLean, Vienna, Falls Church and Merrifield this morning: https://t.co/lUBvJiaKJx pic.twitter.com/cnGaRqyp02
— Catherine Douglas Moran (@c_douglasmoran) March 23, 2020
@TysonsReporter Right now on Route 7 Leesburg Pike.
Photo by Ed Schudel pic.twitter.com/MdIH6XAq1h— WFO (@WFOcom) March 22, 2020
Not that there would be much to do for people who decide to venture outside — movie theaters, performing arts centers and many retailers are temporarily closed or pivoted to online options, while events have been canceled.
While they are still open, Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center have altered their hours of operations and upped their cleaning schedules.
Local resident David Endres recently spotted seating blocked off at various spots in Tysons Corner Center:
To lower the risk of spreading the virus, eateries that have not temporarily closed have switched to delivery and take-out only options.
Westcott spotted orange plastic fencing around the seats at the McDonald’s at the intersection of Old Courthouse and Chain Bridge roads.
Meanwhile, Endres noticed these signs around Capital One’s headquarters near the McLean Metro station:
While Westcott saw few people in downtown Tysons by the malls, he did spot several people getting fresh air at local parks, like Spring Hill District Park, and along the W&OD Trail in Vienna.
While Fairfax County has closed its indoor park facilities and recreation, nature and community centers through March 29, people can still use the county’s outdoor parks and trails.
Have you recently snapped some photos of what the Tysons area is like right now? Feel free to share them with us by sending them to [email protected] or DMing us on our social media accounts: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Staff photographer Jay Westcott contributed to this story
A second resident in a senior living facility in Falls Church has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Fairfax County health officials.
The county announced the new coronavirus case at The Kensington (700 W. Broad Street) on Sunday (March 22) — a few days after the first case was announced on Thursday (March 19).
“Fairfax County Health Department, The Kensington, and the City of Falls Church are fully collaborating on the investigation and taking immediate action to prevent further spread,” according to the county.
The man who first tested positive was isolated after he started having respiratory illness symptoms on Saturday, March 14, county officials said.
Seven other people who were sick at the assisted living and memory care facility received negative test results for the virus, the city said in a press release.
The City of Falls Church, which is a part of the Fairfax Health District, declared a local emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, March 16.
Image via Google Maps
COVID-19 has prompted a lot of closures, but there are still certain recreational activities in the Tysons area to help people stay healthy while social distancing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that people take care of their bodies through tactics like deep breathing, stretching and meditation during the recent outbreak.
Now that it’s officially spring, here’s where people can check out local gardens or get some sunshine while taking a walk.
Parks and Outdoor Activities
The NOVA Parks website said that most parks will remain open for the time being, but with specific changes made to staffing. The visitor center is closed, but people are free to come and go, according to the website.
While Fairfax County has closed its indoor park facilities and recreation, nature and community centers through March 29, people can still use the county’s outdoor parks and trails.
Some parks in the Tysons area include:
- Turkey Run Park in McLean (Turkey Run Loop Road)
- Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church (312 Park Ave)
- Tysons Woods Park in Tysons (8425 Overlook Street)
- Ken Lawrence Park in Tysons (8081 Jones Branch Drive)
- Langley Fork Park in McLean (6250 Georgetown Pike)
The Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna are still open to the public but without programming like tours, according to its website.
“At the core of Meadowlark is a wonderful public garden; a pleasure garden for strolling and relaxing, a center for environmental and horticultural education,” the website said.
Apps and Fitness Resources
Though it isn’t necessarily a new trend, fitness classes are going digital so that people can still exercise at home.
F45 in The Boro has suspended its in-studio workouts, but the instructors are posting daily home workout videos on Instagram.
“The workouts are designed to be done at home with little to no equipment and are uploaded each day via IG TV,” according to a press release. “Individuals have the opportunity to comment with any questions or modifications.”
Core Power Yoga closed its studios but offers digital classes so people can take guided classes on-demand from the comfort of their own home, its website said.
FitOn offers a large variety of fitness classes for clients and there is even a free version that people can take advantage of.
Digital Fitness Assessment on major app stores is yet another option for home fitness. It lets people record their goals and helps keep them on track, according to the app description.
Mental Wellbeing
For people feeling isolated, experts also suggest touching base with friends and family using digital tools such as Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts. All these software allow people to video chat and see each other without coming into close proximity.
For mental health issues, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Series Administration has a hotline where people can reach out if they are becoming concerned. People can chat with someone for free at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
The CDC also directly suggests avoiding substances like alcohol and drugs while in self-isolation.
