The number of COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County surpassed 10,000 today (Wednesday). But the trajectory of cases appears to be on the decline as Northern Virginia gears up for phase one of its reopening plan on Friday.
According to data released by the state’s health department, a slowdown in the number of new cases emerged this week. Public health experts determine the trajectory of COVID-19 by charting the total number of confirmed cases against new confirmed cases per week.
Additionally, the number of new cases per week has decreased. In the first two weeks of this month, the county saw a weekly case count of between 1,200 and 1,300 cases. Last week, that number dipped to around 1,000 new cases.
Still, 365 people in the county have died from the respiratory illness. On Monday, a record number of new cases — 493 — was reported. Since then, the number of new daily cases dipped to 357 yesterday (Tuesday) and 230 today.
As the state’s testing capacity has expanded, the number of positive cases has also declined slightly since the week of April 19, county data show.
Overall, 40,439 cases have been confirmed statewide, resulting in 1,281 deaths. A surge in testing partly explains the increase in the number of cases reported daily on Monday and Tuesday.
Northern Virginia continues to account for a majority of cases.
Photo via CDC/Unsplash
Gov. Ralph Northam said today that Northern Virginia localities may start to roll back COVID-19 restrictions on Friday.
The rest of Virginia has already started the first phase of the state’s reopening plan, but Northern Virginia officials asked for a delay earlier this month, which Northam granted.
Now, Northam is pointing to the latest data on the virus, highlighting that the numbers have been “directionally correct” since Friday (May 22).
“I want to emphasize that while phase 1 loosens some restrictions, it does not require any business or place of worship to open until they are comfortable that they can do so safely,” Northam said. “Just because you can open doesn’t mean that you have to open.”
Ready to Reopen
A joint letter from head officials in Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, sent to Northam on Monday (May 25) said that they are preparing to start the first phase on Friday, including an assessment from their corresponding health directors.
“[The public health directors] have noted the regional attainment of four of the critical metrics and assessed the need for continued focus on expanding our contact tracing capacity and developing sustainable supplies of PPE,” the letter said.
Additionally, Jeff McKay, the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, released the following statement:
Northern Virginia’s Health Directors tell me that we have met four of the critical criteria required to move forward to Phase I of Governor Northam’s plan to reopen. One of the two areas we don’t meet is contact tracing, but we are finalizing a contract hopefully this week to provide recruitment and staffing for the hundreds of contact tracers and investigators that we will need to increase our capacity of contract tracing. The other is PPE and we have sufficient supply for hospitals, but are working to increase in other areas and hope the Governor will be able to help us do that. My colleagues and I have provided this information to the Governor and look forward to hearing his decision based on that data.
I share our community’s desire to reopen our businesses in the safest way possible. Fairfax County has made significant preparations should the Governor decide that Northern Virginia has met his criteria to reopen this Friday. Regardless, we will continue to monitor our local statistics to ensure Fairfax County doesn’t see spikes in cases and be transparent with the public on our progress.
Northam said that he has been communicating with the Northern Virginia officials.
“The virus clearly is still here, but overall, these numbers are trending in the right direction,” Northam said. “That is the assessment of our state team and it is the assessment of the health district directors across Northern Virginia.”
Northam said that he is “not comfortable” starting the second phase yet for the state and will reevaluate later this week.
Mask Controversy
Northam also responded to criticisms after photos surfaced of him without a mask at Virginia Beach this weekend, which intensified due to Northam saying on Friday that he planned to announce a statewide mask policy soon.
“People held me accountable, and I appreciate that,” Northam said. “In the future when I am out in the public, I will be better prepared.”
Northam said that “well-wishers” asked to take pictures with him while he was en route to speak to reporters. “I was not prepared because my mask was in the car,” he said.
Northam announced the face-covering rules today.
Starting this Friday (May 29), people age 10 and older will need to wear face-coverings when they are inside a public place, including retailers, barbershops, restaurants, public transportation, government building and place where people congregate. Exceptions include people who are exercising, eating or drinking or have a health condition that makes wearing a face-covering difficult.
“This is a matter of public health,” Northam said.
Image via Governor of Virginia/Facebook
Managing the Money — “Fairfax County is taking prudent steps, from budget cutbacks to carefully spending federal stimulus funds, to help the county weather the COVID-19 pandemic, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay suggested to the McLean Citizen Association (MCA) during the group’s May 21 ‘virtual’ membership meeting.” [Inside NoVa]
NoVa May Reopen Soon — “Elected officials from 10 Northern Virginia jurisdictions sent a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday saying they’re making preparations to transition the region into phase one of the state’s reopening plan beginning Friday. The officials also asked the governor that Northern Virginia move into the second phase of reopening with the rest of the state.” [Washington Business Journal]
Furloughs at Tysons Software Company — “Cvent Inc. is laying off or furloughing 10% of its global workforce, citing the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on its business with the meetings and hospitality industries… A company spokesman said the move involves about 7% of the company’s staff in Greater Washington.” [Washington Business Journal]
Governor Goes Maskless — “On Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam confirmed he planned to announce a statewide mask policy after the Memorial Day holiday. On Saturday, he was filmed in Virginia Beach, maskless and surrounded by people.” [Inside NoVa]
W&OD Trail Serves as Popular Outdoor Pick — “City officials, park administrators and trail users appear to be balancing the safety needs of the trail’s pedestrian and vehicle users with opportunities to enjoy outdoor exercise and a break from being pent up during the Covid-19 pandemic… With residents longing for outdoor exercise, however, numbers have risen.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Northern Virginia officials stressed the importance of working together on their reopening plans during Gov. Ralph Northam’s press conference today.
Yesterday, Northam announced that he was pushing the reopening deadline for Northern Virginia localities to May 29.
Today Northam said that he is “comfortable” having the first reopening phase begin on Friday (May 15) for the rest of the state.
Jeff McKay, Fairfax County’s chairman, said that coordination with D.C. and Maryland leaders is key to determine when to reopen the D.C. area, which he called “one cohesive region.”
“It’s important that there not be huge variations in the roll-out of phases as we move forward so that we don’t unnecessarily confuse our business owners, confuse our residents and confuse our house of worships,” McKay said. “This virus does not know jurisdictional boundaries.”
Officials for Arlington and Loudoun counties along with the mayors of Alexandria and Falls Church also spoke at the press conference.
Libby Garvey, the chair for Arlington County, said that the Northern Virginia region is looking to meet the following criteria before reopening:
- a downward trend of positive test results and hospitalizations for 14 days
- sufficient hospital beds and intensive care unit capacity
- enough personal protection equipment
- increased testing and tracing
“The most responsible path forward for us is to maintain our current operating status until the phase 1 criteria laid out by the governor are met by Northern Virginia
Northam said that he has not heard about a desire to delay the first reopening phase from other regions in Virginia.
Image via Gov. Ralph Northam/Facebook
Following more details to reopen Virginia later this week, Fairfax County’s chairman joined Northern Virginia leaders in saying that the region is not ready yet to ease restrictions.
On Sunday (May 10), McKay, along with the top officials for the City of Alexandria and Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington counties, said in a letter to the governor saying that regional threshold metrics should be used instead of statewide metrics for reopening the five localities.
“While it is certainly useful to examine statewide metrics as we gauge the success of current public health policies, we feel strongly that any changes to current policies be guided by what is occurring in our region,” the letter said.
We all want to reopen our economy in the safest, data-driven way possible. Regardless of the Governor’s decision about how we move forward, we will continue to monitor our local statistics and be fully transparent about where we stand as a region. (5/7)
— Jeff McKay (@JeffreyCMcKay) May 10, 2020
The health directors for the five localities also sent a letter to the state health commissioner. “Based on our assessment, we do not believe that the Northern Virginia region has met the criteria for moving into Phase 1 at this time,” the letter said.
Gov. Ralph Northam announced on Friday that his plans to begin the first phase on Friday (May 15) as part of “Forward Virginia” include these new restrictions:
- Restaurants with open air space will be allowed to seat guests outdoors but at 50% capacity while other in-door only restaurants will be only be allowed to offer takeout and delivery.
- Residents will be under a “safer at home” suggestion.
- Retail businesses will be able to open at a 50% capacity.
- Fitness centers must remain closed unless they offer outdoor facilities.
- Entertainment and amusement centers will still be closed.
- Churches and places of worship will be allowed to gather at 50% capacity.
- Private campgrounds and specific public camping facilities will be reopened.
- A 10-person gathering limit for private parties will be still be required.
If the number of COVID-19 cases rise with the new orders, Northam said that there is a chance tighter restrictions will once again go into place.
“The virus is still in our communities and we need to continue our vigilance,” he said. “We may be living with it for months or maybe years.
Northam stressed that his proposed plan is an easement of the temporary restrictions: “We are not opening the flood gate here.”
Prior to the governor’s announcement, McKay and other local leaders had been pushing the state’s administration to provide more collaboration with the reopening plans.
For places like Fairfax County, Northam said on Friday that they may be allowed to reopen at a slower pace and that he will announce more details early this week.
“I have said from the beginning this is a dynamic-fluid process,” he said.
Catherine Douglas Moran and Ashley Hopko contributed to this report
Image via Virginia.gov
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 $200M of Federal Funds to Dole Out — “The one-time funds may be used only for county expenses incurred in response to the COVID-19 public-health emergency from March 1 through Dec. 30, 2020… The county government will be allowed to use the funds to cover public-health needs and other expenses directly related to the pandemic response, plus economic support for businesses and employees affected by the crisis.” [Inside NoVa]
Virginia Businesses May Soon Face Fewer Restrictions — “Gov. Ralph Northam said Monday that Virginia could begin Phase I of its economic re-opening as early as next week. Northam says he plans to extend his executive order that restricted certain businesses and banned gathering of more than 10 people through May 14.” [WJLA]
Drumroll for the Volunteer Fairfax Awards — The long list of winners for Fairfax County’s service awards is here. [Volunteer Fairfax]
Local Teacher Makes Blog to Support Kids — “The art department at Madison High created a blog to facilitate students’ transition to distance learning. The blog allows students enrolled in every level and medium of art class to feel a sense of community as they respond together to the weekly prompt.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Plot twist: #cyclists may find that the roads in and around #Tysons are a better option than the W&OD trail that is “so crowded with folks trying to get some sun that it's impossible to stay six feet apart.” #COVID19 #cyclinglifestyle #cyclinglife #covidlife https://t.co/bhiiy4kTXe
— Tysons Partnership (@tysonspartners) May 4, 2020
Budget Public Hearings Start Today — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors starts its public hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget today. [Fairfax County]
How Vienna Candidates Campaign in COVID-19 Crisis — “Candidates told the Sun Gazette they miss door-to-door campaigning, but are reaching out to voters through social media. The election’s date, which had remained a moving target until late last week, complicated matters further, they said.” [Inside NoVa]
Gov. Northam Says Child Vaccines Declining — “Due to COVID-19, the state is starting to see a decline in immunizations, Northam said, as parents decide not to take their children to the pediatrician for their vaccines.” [Inside NoVa]
Virginia Scores Poorly for Social Distancing — “Virginia has scored a D- while the City of Falls Church has received an overall social distancing grade of C+ based on community activity using metrics comparing current mobility data to that before the Covid-19 outbreak. The assessments come from data company Unacast.” [Falls Church News-Press]
APRIL 27: COVID-19 Update for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Personnel. Information is up-to-date as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. More: https://t.co/J5tdoSU2g4 #FCFRD #FFXCOVID pic.twitter.com/JMBpJ7r4OJ
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 27, 2020
Gov. Northam Makes Testing Work Group — “The group will “make sure all of Virginia’s public and private testing efforts are coordinated and pulling in the same direction,” Northam said during a Monday press conference.” [Inside NoVa]
Local Student Looks to Celebrate the Class of 2020 — “After Loudoun County seniors Arianna Wright and Aiden Bullis came up with the idea to sell class of 2020 signs and distributed 1,000, Abby Diamond wanted the same concept in Fairfax County. The Madison High School senior has started to sell signs reading ‘Class of 2020 senior #allinthistogether’ in support of the 2020 graduates. So far, she’s sold about 100 and has reached various high schools.” [Patch]
ICYMI: Foust’s Budget Meeting is Tonight — “Foust is set to talk to Fairfax County Chief Financial Officer Joe Mondoro about the budget, and answer people’s questions, according to his recent newsletter to constituents. The town hall is set to start at 7 p.m. [on Tuesday.]” [Tysons Reporter]
Distance Learning Challenges Plague FCPS — “School officials say that updates made by Blackboard over the weekend have not corrected delays with the system… The Fairfax County School Board is expected to receive an update on the rollout of distance learning on Thursday (April 23).” [Reston Now]
APRIL 20: COVID-19 Update for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Personnel. #FCFRD continues to fully staff all stations and apparatus. More: https://t.co/1FyydVv0Po #FFXCOVID #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/2KUCjRmAgD
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 20, 2020
At a digital town hall yesterday, Del. Mark Keam (D-35th) discussed potential issues for delaying the fast-approaching Town of Vienna election.
Gov. Ralph Northam issued a statement several days ago asking the General Assembly to postpone the upcoming May 5 election to November so people can avoid all non-essential outings to ease the COVID-19 pandemic.
Northam suggested that local elections be moved to Nov. 3, but Vienna Mayor Laurie DiRocco issued a letter in response saying she would prefer June 23.
“The ability for local elections to get attention during the presidential-election cycle will be extremely challenging and expensive for candidates who usually have limited resources and budgets,” she wrote.
While Keam said he agrees the election should get pushed — and encourages all of his delegates to follow CDC guidelines and social distancing order — he also said that there are reasons elections usually occur during a certain time of year.
Given the uncertainty and confusion about the coronavirus pandemic, Keam said there is currently “absolutely no consensus” on when the elections should be held.
The issue with holding the election on June 23, according to Keam, is that the federal elections are set to be held around that time as well — which is out of the control of smaller districts.
“You can’t have two different ballots being issued on the same day,” he said.
If the election were to even be held a few days after June 23, like the 25 or 26 for example, this wouldn’t work either, Keam said, because the polling machines need to be locked up for 30 days in accordance with state law. This gives election staffers time to recount votes if necessary, clear the machines and inspect the machines to ensure “integrity in the voting process.”
Keam also brought up the recent Wisconsin elections, which were held earlier this month. Despite expert suggestions to stay home, many voters chose not to fill out absentee ballots and instead headed to the polls in person.
“We’ll know in about two weeks how many of those people went out to vote last Tuesday ended up with COVID. We hope very few, but there is a chance the epidemic might spike in Wisconson because the election was held against the wishes of some government officials,” Keam said. “We don’t want that happening in Virginia.”
Next Wednesday (April 22), the General Assembly will consider Northam’s request to move the local elections across Virginia to Nov. 3.
Image via Facebook Live
