Pavement Could Be Icy After Overnight Refreeze — “If you are heading out this morning, watch for the potential of black ice. Temperatures are currently below freezing so sidewalks can be slippery especially if left untreated. Remember that bridges, ramps, & overpasses freeze first.” [Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management/Twitter]
Winter Weather Delays COVID-19 Vaccine Shipments — “The Virginia Department of Health anticipates the delay impacts this week’s shipment of approximately 106,800 doses to Virginia. The delay is attributed to distribution channels that are shut down in the Midwest and elsewhere.” [Patch]
Residential Trash Pickups Suspended — “Due to inclement weather, RESIDENTIAL TRASH COLLECTION HAS BEEN SUSPENDED TODAY.” [Fairfax County Public Works/Twitter]
Fairfax County Schools Are All-Virtual Today — All Fairfax County Public Schools students are learning virtually today as inclement weather continues. Activities on school grounds, including extracurricular activities and adult and community education classes, have been canceled for the day, and access to school facilities is limited. [FCPS]
Fairfax County Awarded Federal Funds for Homeless Assistance Programs — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded Fairfax County $9.5 million to support 20 ongoing projects, a 3% increase from the previous year. The funding will go to permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing projects, while helping providers pay for leasing and rent costs as well as services. [Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development]
Falls Church City School Renaming Process Begins — “The first organizing meetings, held through Zoom, one for the renaming of the high school and one for the renaming of the elementary school, were held last week as the two advisory committees to the F.C. School Board, each made up of about 20 citizen volunteers (out of a whopping total of 77 applicants), convened.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Tysons Tech Company Acquires Maryland Cybersecurity Firm — Applied Insight announced on Wednesday (Feb. 17) that it has acquired the Maryland-based company Bridges Inc., allowing it to complement its services with artificial intelligence and “deliver end-to-end cloud infrastructure and data analytics in a way that is unique to the industry.” [Applied Insight]
COVID-19 case rates in Fairfax County have leveled off over the past week after appearing to trend downward since mid-January, when a record 1,485 cases were reported in a single day.
As of today, the county’s seven-day average is at 312.4 cases and has been hovering between 290 and 337 cases since Feb. 4. While the anticipated post-winter holiday surge seems to have tapered off, case levels are still higher than the pandemic’s initial spring peak, when the highest recorded seven-day average was 303 cases on May 31.
With 194 new cases today, the Fairfax Health District has now reported 64,950 COVID-19 cases, 3,482 hospitalizations, and 849 deaths, according to data from the Fairfax County Health Department.
Today also marked the launch of Virginia’s new statewide COVID-19 vaccine registration system, though Fairfax County is not participating for the time being.
Based on a registration data dashboard that went live on Feb. 12, Fairfax County has made slow but discernible progress in its efforts to vaccinate older adults, some groups of essential workers, and other eligible populations.
The Fairfax County Health Department has whittled its waitlist of people who have registered but haven’t been given an appointment yet down to 105,268 people, as of 10 a.m. The list had around 180,000 registrants as recently as last Thursday (Feb. 11). In total, 229,185 people have registered with the county to get the COVID-19 vaccine so far.
The health department is currently making appointments for more than 42,000 people who registered on Jan. 18, which saw particularly high demand since it was the day when the county expanded eligibility for the vaccine to people between the ages of 65 and 74 as well as people with high-risk medical conditions.
People who have registered for an appointment through the county health department can now see where they are in the queue with a registration status checker, though the rollout of that tool was not without its challenges.
Fairfax County has delivered 110,098 of the 114,923 vaccine doses that it has gotten from the Virginia Department of Health so far. About 68% of those doses were adminstered by the county health department, while the remaining 31% were distributed to other providers, like Inova.
According to the VDH, 48,404 people in Fairfax County have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and 163,200 total doses have been administered in the county. That number includes residents and staff at long-term care facilities that have been getting the vaccine through the federal government rather than the local health department.
Images via CDC on Unsplash, Virginia Department of Health
(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) Fairfax Health District residents looking to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine appointment should continue to use the Fairfax County registration system, the Fairfax County Health Department said today (Friday).
The Virginia Department of Health announced that a new, statewide registration system will launch on Tuesday (Feb. 16). Local health districts have been directed to close their existing registration forms starting at 5 p.m. today so that data can be cleaned up, consolidated, and transferred to the new system.
However, the FCHD says it will not participate in the statewide system at this time and will instead continue to manage vaccine appointments for everyone in the Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, and the towns of Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton.
“For those already on the waitlist, do not register again on the new statewide system,” the county health department said.
Fairfax County’s vaccine call center at 703-324-7404 will also continue to be operational, even with the state launching a new call center.
Fairfax County decided to stick with its own registration system because officials believed it would be less confusing for residents, and because the county has “invested a lot of resources” into the system, Fairfax County Health Department spokesperson Tina Dale said.
Dale notes that the FCHD has now registered more than 200,000 people for vaccine appointments through its system.
“We invested a lot of resources into our registration system and worked out the kinks to ensure we continue to process more people than any other health district in the state,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a statement. “At this point, I am glad we can maintain our system that residents are familiar with to cut down on confusion. We will continue to have conversations with the state about registration as the vaccine process rolls out.”
Fairfax County’s promised dashboard with COVID-19 vaccine and registration data is also now live. According to the dashboard, 100,248 people in Fairfax County have now received at least one vaccine dose as of 4 p.m. today.
Photo via Fairfax County government
More than 180,000 people are on the county’s waiting list for the COVID-19 vaccine.
In order to improve transparency, Fairfax County plans to launch a new queuing system tomorrow that will provide information about vaccine registration status.
At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this week, County Executive Bryan Hill said the system will be followed by a dashboard with real-time information about vaccine distribution.
The promise of improvements comes after Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn called on the county to move forward with the dashboard and queuing system through a formal board matter.
“They know that the county has information about where they are in the queue and that the county currently is not sharing that information with them,” Foust said during the board meeting on Feb. 9. “They believe the county should be more transparent. They want to know, and I believe they deserve to know, how many people are ahead of them to be called to be vaccinated.”
While the registration process is relatively smooth, Foust said that residents should stay informed about where they are in the line for an appointment to get vaccinated. The Fairfax County Health Department currently only sends a notification confirming that an individual has registered.
As of Wednesday (Feb. 10), 131,479 people in Fairfax County have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 31,421 people have been fully vaccinated. Officials continue to caution that vaccine supply is extremely limited. Roughly 11% of Virginia’s total population has gotten at least one dose.
The queuing system will confirm if registrants are in the queue, describe progress made so far, and inform registrants of where they are in the line.
The county also plans to launch a self-cancellation form if people receive a vaccine from another health care provider, as well as an online form for residents to confirm their registration and see where they fall in the queue.
Hill said that his staff and the county’s health and IT departments began working on improving the process in early January, but the process was stalled by challenges in coordinating with the Virginia Department of Health.
“A lot of our delay is predicated on working and talking with the state’s systems,” Hill said, adding that the state’s protocol is the “Bible for COVID vaccinations.“
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay also noted that coordination with the state has been “frustrating” to the county’s efforts.
“It is not acceptable for someone to register for a vaccination and go an entire month without hearing potentially anything from the county,” he said.
While upgrading its system, the county found roughly 25,000 duplicate registrants on the waiting list. The county was able to trim the list down to around 180,000 registrants by weeding out the duplicates.
Still, other board members lauded the county for its system to administer the vaccines. Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross noted that some residents who were frustrated with the registration process said the actual administration of the vaccine was easy and well-done.
The county’s vaccine dashboard will likely go live on Friday, but it could take up to Tuesday (Feb. 16) to iron out any issues, Hill said.
Photo via Fairfax County Health Department
Ribbon Cutting Held for New Scotts Run Trail — “Fairfax County leaders on Feb. 4 cut the ribbon for the new Scotts Run Trail, which with serpentine curves connects the Pimmit Hills neighborhood with the McLean Metro station on the eastern edge of Tysons.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Sunrise of McLean Residents Get COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic — Residents and employees of the assisted living community Sunrise of McLean “received their first doses at a clinic hosted by CVS on Jan. 28. Sunrise Senior Living is working to schedule a clinic for second doses within the next few weeks in coordination with CVS Health.” [Patch]
Vienna Inn Prepares 61st Anniversary Celebrations — “To mark the 61st anniversary, Vienna Inn is hoping to achieve a new goal with a 1960 meal challenge. The restaurant hopes to provide 1960 meals for front-line workers and first responders by the end of February.” [Patch]
School Board Criticized for Delaying Decision on New School Holidays — “Religious leaders in Northern Virginia are criticizing the Fairfax County Public School board after some members signaled they won’t back a task force’s recommendation to add…four additional days off to observe Jewish holidays Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Hindu festival Diwali and the Muslim celebration Eid al-Fitr.” [The Washington Post]
Fairfax County Seeks Community Input on Affordable Housing — A public comment period has opened on the one-year and five-year plans that guide Fairfax County’s housing and community development goals and how it spends the roughly $8.5 million in federal funds it receives annually to address community housing and human services needs. [Fairfax County Government]
CVS COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Already Fully Booked — CVS is not scheduled to start appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine in Virginia until Friday (Feb. 12), but the available slots were quickly filled up after the registration system opened to state residents on Tuesday (Feb. 9). Only one CVS store in Fairfax County will receive doses in the initial rollout of the pharmacy’s partnership with the federal government. The Fairfax County Health Department says anyone who gets vaccinated by CVS or another provider should email the department to be taken off the county’s waitlist. [Inside NoVA, Fairfax County Health Department]
Virginia General Assembly Heads into Special Session — “Though the Virginia General Assembly technically adjourned on Monday with Republican members wanting to limit work to 30 days, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered a special session saying more time was needed to advance the state’s budget and pandemic relief efforts.” [WTOP]
McLean Eagle Scout Leads Blanket Drive — “For an Eagle Scout project, Eli Witkiewicz enlisted fellow members of Troop 1130 in McLean and their family members to make fleece blankets for Project Linus, a non-profit organization that provides handmade blankets to children in need.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
McLean-Based ID.me Partners with Fellow Identity Services Provider — “ID.me, a federally certified identity verification platform, and Sterling, a leading provider of identity and background services, today [Tuesday] announced the launch of an exclusive partnership that brings a powerful new identity service offering to the employment and screening space.” [ID.me]
Staff Photo by Jay Westcott
Eligible Fairfax County residents will soon have another option for getting innoculated against COVID-19, as CVS plans to start distributing vaccines at 36 stores in Virginia later this week.
CVS Health announced on Feb. 2 that it will offer the COVID-19 vaccine at its pharmacies in Virginia and 10 other states starting this Thursday (Feb. 11). The company anticipates receiving 250,000 total doses for the initial rollout of its vaccination program, which is being enabled by a partnership with the federal government.
“Our presence in communities across the country makes us an ideal partner for administering vaccines in a safe, convenient, and familiar manner,” CVS Health President and CEO Karen S. Lynch said. “This is particularly true for underserved communities, which have been a focus for us throughout the pandemic.”
Though Virginia was initially expected to receive approximately 26,000 doses that will be distributed to 28 stores, CVS spokesperson Amy Thibault told Tysons Reporter that the vaccine will be available at 36 locations across the state, including in Fairfax County.
Patch reported on Feb. 4 that the CVS at 3921 Prosperity Ave. off of Little River Turnpike will be among the stores to get the vaccine.
Thibault says a full list of the specific stores will be available through the CVS website and app once the stores start receiving shipments and appointments become available.
“Because locations and supply remain limited, we want to prevent stores from being overwhelmed by those who may seek a vaccination without making an appointment,” Thibault said.
Vaccinations will be available by appointment only. CVS has an online scheduling tool on its website and app for people to determine their eligibility and find locations offering the vaccine, but it has not opened up to Virginia yet.
CVS and Walgreens have been administering COVID-19 vaccines at long-term care facilities in Virginia, including Fairfax County, since Jan. 11 as part of the federal pharmacy partnership program.
Health officials told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors during its health and human services committee meeting last week that 2,936 residents and 3,133 staff at 55 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in the county have gotten at least one vaccine dose so far, with four more facilities scheduled to start vaccinating residents and staff early this week.
According to Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, the Fairfax County Health Department’s director of epidemiology and population health, the two national pharmacy chains are conducting three vaccine clinics at each of the county’s long-term care facilities.
“They’ve done a fairly good job in terms of reaching people, with some facilities having 95 to 100% of their residents being vaccinated,” Schwartz said.
The Fairfax County Health Department says it will have more information to share on the CVS vaccine program for other eligible populations in the next day or so.
Photo via Google Maps
Unofficial Snowfall Totals from Sunday — In Fairfax County, snow accumulation from yesterday’s winter storm ranged from 0.8 inches in Langley to 2.9 inches in Herndon. 2.3 inches were recorded around Wolf Trap, and one inch at Dunn Loring and Falls Church, according to unofficial observations. [National Weather Service]
Fall into Ravine Injures Person in McLean — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to the 9000 block of Old Dominion Drive around 2:15 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 6) when a person fell 12 feet into a ravine. The individual was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. [FCFRD/Twitter]
Falls Church CVS to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine — “The News-Press has confirmed that the CVS Pharmacy at 134 W. Broad Street in downtown Falls Church will function as a distribution site for the Covid-19 vaccine effort.” CVS announced last week that vaccinations will roll out to stores in 11 states, including Virginia, starting this Thursday (Feb. 11). [Falls Church News-Press, CVS Health]
Fairfax County Imagines Tysons “Green Artery” — County officials have envisioned building a pedestrian/bicycle path and adding greenery, public art, and other amenities under the Metro Silver Line tracks through Tysons to make those spaces look more attractive. [Greater Greater Washington]
Fairfax County’s online registration form for COVID-19 vaccine appointments will be offline for 12 hours starting at 7 p.m. today (Wednesday).
The form will be inaccessible until 7 a.m. tomorrow so that the county can conduct scheduled, routine technical maintenance and updates, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.
“We apologize for any inconvenience,” the FCHD says in an alert on the registration page. “This will not affect anyone who already has a scheduled appointment or anyone who is currently on the waitlist to get an appointment.”
Fairfax County staff told the Board of Supervisors yesterday that they are continuing to work on issues with the county’s online vaccine registration system, which has been plagued by technical issues and overwhelming demand.
“We’re actually engaged with the health department looking at making improvements to the overall scheduling and registration system,” Fairfax County Information Technology Director Greg Scott said during the board’s health and human services committee meeting. “We’re working on that right now.”
The county is also working to improve its approach to communications and ensuring that vaccine doses are distributed equitably.
Photo via Fairfax County Health Department
Vienna Town Councilmembers Announce Reelection Bids — Howard Springsteen, a 12-year veteran of the council, and newcomers Steve Potter and Nisha Patel announced earlier this week that they will seek reelection on May 4, though no candidates have formally filed paperwork yet. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
CVS to Offer COVID-19 Vaccine in Virginia — “CVS plans to offer COVID-19 vaccine appointments starting Feb. 11 at select locations in Virginia for people eligible in phases 1a and 1b…According to a CVS spokesperson, the list of specific stores for vaccines will be provided on the CVS website as stores receive shipments and appointments become available.” [Patch]
Police Charge Maryland Man for Using Stolen Identities to Buy Cars — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau charged Nickolas Mathis, 36, of Maryland, with multiple felony offenses following a serial crime spree involving the fraudulent purchases of several automobiles at dealerships in Fairfax, Tysons and Chantilly.” [Fairfax County Police Department]
Tysons Start-Up Seeks to Create 5G Network — “Tysons satellite communications company Omnispace LLC has raised $60 million in fresh funding…The startup, founded in 2012, aims to create seamless 5G connectivity to companies that operate across urban and more rural areas across the world.” [Washington Business Journal]
Virginia Senate Passes Bill Requiring Schools to Have In-Person and Virtual Learning Options — “Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, a co-sponsor of the measure, said the nearly yearlong stretch of remote learning has frustrated families, including his own, and threatened the loss of a generation of students.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
