Voting in the 2022 Reston Association Board of Directors election will run from March 1 through April 1. This week, we will begin posting profiles on each of the candidates. The complete election schedule is available online. All races are uncontested, but a 10-percent quorum must be met.
Featured here is Laurie Dodd, who is running for North Point District Director. With the exception of minor formatting edits, profiles are published in unedited form. Each candidate had an opportunity to answer the same questions in their own words.
How long have you lived in Reston? What brought you here?
My husband and I have lived in Reston for 26 years, raising two children here. We were lucky enough to find a home that backs up to a Reston Association path, so we have the woods in our backyard. Having lived in Oakton previously, we admired Reston’s planned community, with its inclusive values and its amenities. I continue to feel lucky to be part of this community and want to maintain and improve it.
What inspired you to run for the board? (Note: If you are currently on the board or have held a previous position on the board, emphasize why you are running again).
During my years in Reston, I have been deeply involved in the community, including board service for Reston Community Center, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Reston Swim Team Association, Reston Children’s Center, and my church. I have loved raising two children here. I have always been involved in community affairs, testifying at numerous meetings of RA, the Board of Supervisors, and the School Board. I ran for Hunter Mill Supervisor in 2019 on a pledge to preserve the open space and diversity of our area. I have been active in Reston Runners, Coalition for a Planned Reston, Rescue Reston, RA Community Gardens, and PTA. My commitment to a diverse, prosperous, and sustainable community motivates me to seek a seat on the Reston Association Board.
What are three of the biggest concerns you have for Reston?
- Environmental Sustainability. From protecting open space to maintaining and renovating our facilities efficiently, Reston Association must be mindful of our duty to protect the environment that makes our community life rich. All RA actions should promote sustainability and resiliency while working towards climate solutions.
- Fiscal Responsibility. Smart money management requires effective use of resources to avoid ballooning assessments. I will work to understand and face our financial challenges. As our facilities age, we must spread the cost of capital improvements among all who will benefit.
- Member Engagement. The RA Board must be committed to transparency and empowering our members. We must reach out to hear member concerns, and report on actions and choices to foster member participation.
What do you hope to accomplish by being on the board?
I want to continue to see the inclusive values of Reston’s founder put into practice as we move forward. As the Reston Comprehensive Plan is revised, the commitment to open space must be maintained. Protecting the beauty of our environmental surroundings is a high priority. I also want to help Reston residents be more involved in Reston Association decisions and will work to gain input from homeowners associations, senior residents, old-timers and newcomers – communities of all types.
How will your personal or professional experience help you in your role with RA?
A child advocate attorney with my own practice, I have worked with families of all descriptions throughout the county. Through my community involvement with groups from Reston Runners to my church, from swim teams to PTAs, I have worked with other Reston residents to strengthen our community. My paid and unpaid work has cultivated skills of collaboration, mediating among parties with varying interests, and solving problems. I am eager to continue my service to Reston as a member of the RA Board.
Photo via Reston Association
(Updated at 3:07 pm to clarify opening date) Reston Town Center’s new steak house is gearing il for a launch this year.
Fogo de Chão plans to on open in the spring at 11915 Democracy Drive.
The restaurant, which has locations in Tysons, North Bethesda and Penn Quarter, will feature an open-air churrasco bar where guests can watch chefs prepare multiple cuts. Another bar area includes whiskey and bourbon.
This is the second Fogo location in northern Virginia. It takes space formerly vacated by Big Bowl, which called RTC home for nearly two decades.
“We are proud of our brand’s rapid growth in recent years as we expand in new and existing cities, and credit that to our differentiated, experiential dining and broad guest appeal,” said Barry McGowan, Chief Executive Officer of Fogo de Chão. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to bring our experience to the Metro DC area for nearly 17 years, and we look forward to sharing the culinary art of churrasco with guests at Reston Town Center soon.”
Here’s more from the company on the opening;
The new restaurant will feature unique design aesthetics, including wood-beamed ceilings, modern chandeliers and a towering glass wine case displaying many of South America’s finest varietals. Dry aged meat lockers for in-house aging display indulgent cuts such as a 32 oz. long bone Tomahawk Ribeye, aged for a minimum of 42 days for rich flavor. Fogo’s “next level” design concept includes an elevated bar experience for guests to enjoy all-day happy hour and relax with a craft cocktail, premium South American wine, whiskey, or bourbon. The Reston location will also offer Fogo To-Go and Offsite Catering so guests can enjoy Fogo in any space.
The restaurant was first founded in southern Brazil in 1979 and has since expanded throughout the world.
Image via Fogo de Chão
Wind Advisory Takes Effect Tonight — Winds could reach 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, potentially blowing down tree limbs and creating power outages, the National Weather Service warns. Its Wind Advisory for Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, will be in effect from 10 p.m. today (Thursday) to 10 a.m. tomorrow. [NWS]
Herndon Police Welcomes New Officer — Officer Stephen Ferrigno joins the Herndon Police Department with three years of previous law enforcement experience. [HPD]
Appraisal Roadshow Returns — The annual event, which is organized by Reston Association, returns on March 5 at 11 a.m.. at the association’s headquarters. Registration is now open. [RA]
Local Zoo Celebrates National Bird Feeding Month — Roer’s Zoofari in Reston is celebrating National Bird Feeding Month. The zoo has several bird-related events planned and is currently home to 12 different bird species. [Roer’s Zoofari]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
Voting in the 2022 Reston Association Board of Directors election will run from March 1 through April 1. This week, we will begin posting profiles on each of the candidates. The complete election schedule is available online. All races are uncontested, but a 10 percent quorum must be met.
Featured here is Glenn Small, who is running for an at-large seat. The profiles are in a Q-and-A format. With the exception of minor formatting edits, profiles are published in unedited form. Each candidate had an opportunity to answer the same questions in their own words.
How long have you lived in Reston? What brought you here?
I have lived in Reston since 2007, the year my wife and I got married and bought a home here. My wife grew up in Reston and teaches at South Lakes High School. Even before we bought our home, we enjoyed the pools, tennis courts and trails of Reston.
What inspired you to run for the board? (Note: If you are currently on the board or have held a previous position on the board, emphasize why you are running again).
I suppose the idea for running and potentially serving on the RA Board had been brewing for some time, with just the thought that the RA Board has a tough job with many new and ongoing challenges and serving on the Board is a way of giving back to this great community. I decided to run after seeing that it looked like there was a need for qualified candidates this election cycle.
What are three of the biggest concerns you have for Reston?
My concerns align with my goals which include: 1) Understanding the fiscal challenges of RA and working to help address them, such as aging infrastructure; 2) Promoting outreach and transparency to our membership, seeking to engage and involve more of our members in using and benefiting from RA and Reston but also in serving the community; 3) Identifying ways to protect recreational and open space.
If elected, I will bring an experienced, common-sense approach, first seeking to understand more deeply how RA operates, and then identifying ways to be helpful while respecting others and looking for ways to involve and include the most perspectives to help drive us to better decisions and better plans that will serve all of us.
What do you hope to accomplish by being on the board?
My overall goal is to get immersed in the board to understand more specifically what the current and future challenges are and then to be a voice for helping to address those challenges. The more we involve people and a diversity of perspectives in our problem-solving approaches, the better and more sustainable will be our solutions. That’s the kind of mindset and approach I would bring to serving on the board.
How will your personal or professional experience help you in your role with RA?
As a consulting executive and business owner, I work with non-profit universities and colleges to help them achieve transformational change in rethinking and reimplementing systems and processes to serve their constituents. As an RA Board member, I would bring the skills and perspectives of improving operations and identifying and resolving our toughest challenges, keeping our members’ interests top of mind. My approach will be active and engaged, always seeking to understand and address our members concerns.
Photo via Glenn Small
Public bus lines might seem fixed to bus shelters, but changing those routes could give people greater access to jobs, medical services, and more.
That’s one way that bus networks in the D.C. area could be improved, a consultant told transportation stakeholders during a virtual “Bus Champions” roundtable held yesterday (Tuesday) by MetroNow, a conglomeration of commerce and transit advocacy groups.
The coalition is calling on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to follow through with a 2019 initiative called the Bus Transformation Project, which envisioned buses as the dominant mode of transportation for the region by 2030.
Scudder Wagg, senior associate of Jarrett Walker and Associates, a public transit consulting firm with offices across the country, discussed how bus network redesigns can improve communities by maximizing access to different destinations, creating more freedom and opportunity.
But speakers on the roundtable also acknowledged that such changes can disrupt commuters and even ruin what were once manageable trips for elderly riders and those with disabilities, so planners need to consider potential accommodations and ways to minimize disruptions.
Wagg noted that transit reworkings can be controversial, but in places like Alexandria, which implemented a redesign last year and introduced free fares, the overhaul resulted in increased ridership, Mayor Justin Wilson said.
In a similar vein, Fairfax County is exploring a reduced-fare option for low-income riders. For the time being, it has eliminated transfer fees between Metro trains and Fairfax Connector buses, except for express routes and the Wolf Trap shuttle.
Foursquare ITP President and CEO Lora Byala said the transportation firm recently led a revamp of the BaltimoreLink system that resulted in service to 28% more carless households, 32% more single-vehicle households, and other benefits.
Her firm also worked with Fairfax County on a route optimization study involving the Herndon and Reston areas involving the extension of the Silver Line Metrorail, where new stations could open this year. Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is slated to vote on proposed service changes for that corridor on Feb. 22.
To prevent policy efforts from creating more disruptions than solutions, consulting firm speakers noted the importance of showing options to the public and engaging with riders throughout the process. Other kinds of travelers, such as drivers, can also provide insights, Byala said.
For WMATA, the pandemic has staggered many planned initiatives, such as evaluating a bus network redesign, according to a progress report by MetroNow released in January.
The report concluded Metro was on track with some initial efforts but behind on public outreach.
Previously, WMATA said it was coordinating with local jurisdictions for work on restructuring the region’s bus network to create a “customer-focused system that improves access to destinations, increases ridership, and makes efficient and equitable use of resources.”
Diners now have a better chance to get a table at the Desi Breakfast Club.
The Herndon-based Indian and Pakistani cuisine restaurant (3065-G Centreville Road) expanded its dining room from its original 1,500 square feet to 5,500 square feet late last year.
The breakfast club is currently celebrating their grand reopening this month and is inviting potential customers who are interested in dining on some of their more popular specials such as Nehari (a slow cooked beef shank stew) and Haleem (shredded chicken with wheat, barley, and lentils).
According to co-owner Malik Waleed Amhed, Desi was able to acquire the space next door in July 2021 making the extension of the dining room possible and has allowed Desi to expand its capacity to 250 people.
“This has been in the making since July last year. We are celebrating our grand [opening] this entire month of February and invite everyone to come experience Desi Breakfast Club,” says Ahmad.
Desi first opened in June 2021 and markets itself as the first halal breakfast restaurant in Virginia, the restaurant was founded by Ahmad along with his brother Zaheer Ahmed and his father who all emigrated to the United States from Pakistan 19 years ago.
The restaurant is opened Tuesdays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations are required on Saturdays and Sundays. Desi also serves High-Tea daily from 2-6 p.m.
Photo via Desi Breakfast Club
The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved its $1.2 billion capital project plan on Thursday (Feb. 10), setting in motion efforts to tackle overcrowding issues in the school system.
The plan, known as the Capital Improvement Program for fiscal years 2023-2027, sets priorities within a five-year time frame for new construction, boosting capacity and facility renovations.
Hunter Mill District School Board representative Melanie Meren said during the board meeting that the “difficult work” of analyzing boundaries will begin in the coming weeks.
“It’s an embarrassment that we have pockets of poverty in this county that are borne out by school boundaries,” Meren said.
The plan includes $36.7 million in funding for Dunn Loring Elementary School, which will be constructed on Gallows Road by fiscal year 2027.
It also includes $2 million in preliminary funding for a new elementary school near the extension of the Silver Line. A location for the school — which will cost nearly $40 million — has not yet been determined.
Despite big-ticket spending, school board members expressed lingering concerns about future capacity issues, particularly in the western part of the county.
According to the CIP, enrollment in Fairfax County Public Schools has dropped by 10,415 students since the COVID-19 pandemic became a factor in the second half of the 2019-2020 school year. The decline is projected to continue over the next five years, but the county’s population and housing inventory are both expected to grow through 2050.
At-large representative Abrar Omeish described coming issues as an “equity challenge” and encouraged the school system’s staff to continue evaluating where future needs may arise.
The plan does not fully fund a high school for the western area of the county, but the site acquisition process will begin this year.
Laura Jane Cohen, the Springfield District representative, said she was concerned that some capacity improvements may come too late. Centreville High School is already at 130% of its capacity, and a renovation is not planned until 2025.
Capacity improvements are planned at West Potomac High School (119% capacity), Justice High School (110%), and Madison High School (104%).
The CIP identifies improvements based on five-year membership projections and classroom-use information. Last year’s CIP, however, did not include a five-year projection due to the pandemic and a virtual start to school.
FCPS is expected to consider adjusting school boundaries in order to shift capacity as needed and “whenever it is practicable to do so,” according to the CIP.
The timeline of implementing a boundary consultant contract has been delayed by the pandemic, planning for virtual learning, and the shift to in-person instruction.
In the newly approved CIP, the following schools are also slated for renovations:
- Hybla Valley ES
- Washington Mill ES
- Braddock ES
- Fox Mill ES
- Oak Hill ES
- Wakefield Forest ES
- Louise Archer ES
- Crossfield ES
- Mosaic ES
- Bonnie Brae ES
- Cooper MS
- Frost MS
- Oakton HS
- Falls Church HS
Partial funds are allocated for the following schools:
- Bren Mar Park ES
- Brookfield ES
- Lees Corner ES
- Armstrong ES
- Willow Springs ES
- Herndon ES
- Dranesville ES
- Centreville HS
Dranesville District Representative Elaine Tholen lauded staff for creating a new renovation queue, which ranks the order in which schools should be renovated. Tholen noted that the queue was last updated in the early 2000s.
“I am hopeful that we will continue to move this forward,” Tholen said.
She said staff has already begun looking for a consultant to examine updates to the renovation queue.
Comstock Unveils Reston Station’s Next Phase — The company plans to build a six-tower, two-million-square-foot project complementing its Reston Station buildings on the opposite side of the Dulles Toll Road. Plans include the demolition of the building at 11400 Commerce Park. [Washington Business Journal]
Diversity and Accessibility in Reston Comes Into Focus — Reston Community Center is hosting a discussion on Reston’s early dedication to diversity and accessibility today. The event takes place online. [RCC]
County Warn of Covid-related Scams — The county is encouraging residents to be wary of Covid-related scams, including fake testing kits and misinformation about treatment methods on social media. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
As Herndon’s manager and council consider the upcoming budget, a six-year plan of infrastructure projects is up for discussion again.
The list could contain 55 projects, including seven new ones, that would collectively require $177 million.
Numerous sources would cover the costs, such as nearly $53 million from Virginia Transportation Department Smart Scale funding, $17.3 million from federal funding, nearly $14.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, nearly $13.9 million from town enterprise funding (consisting of user fees for services such as water and sewer) and $11.1 million from government bonds, according to a town presentation.
Town manager Bill Ashton is compiling the list for the town council, which would approve it for the upcoming 2023 fiscal year that starts July 1, 2022.
While a rolling list of projects was approved last year, new projects could include:
- $1.6 million for the municipal center’s fire alarm system due to a fire marshal directive.
- $225,000 for upgrading a police records management system that can address evolving data mandates and technology standards. The town says a vendor is moving away from an outmoded product line to a new dispatch-records system, and the cost would cover purchasing the new system, vendor support and data migration.
- $200,000 for a Herndon Metrorail promenade. A 500-foot-long gateway plaza some 60 to 70 feet wide would connect the new Metro stop to Herndon Parkway. The town expects developer contributions to assist with the project.
- $200,000 for upgrading council chambers’ technology equipment, such as gallery audio and additional lighting for improving webcasts and recordings.
- $100,000 for updating an aquatic office to expand and split a small shared office space for three full-timers into separate work areas.
- $30,000 for Center Street culvert improvement to improve a pedestrian route, barriers and fencing across from the Herndon municipal garage near the library.
- $25,000 for converting a softball field at Bready Park into eight pickleball courts.
Town guidelines call for contributing about $1 million in general funds from fiscal year 2024 to 2028.
Photo via Google Maps
(Updated at 9 a.m. on 4/19/2023) A 62-year-old Maryland resident faces almost two decades in prison for a string of armed robberies that spanned the D.C. area last year, including three incidents in Fairfax County.
Jon Karl Mcree Fleet was sentenced to 17 years today (Tuesday) after pleading guilty to using a firearm in five robberies committed between Jan. 24 and March 13, 2021, Department of Justice prosecutors announced.
“At the time of the robberies, Fleet was a convicted felon, having previously been convicted for armed robberies, and was thus prohibited from possessing a firearm,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Virginia said. “Fleet’s lengthy and violent criminal history qualifies him as a ‘Career Offender.’”
According to an affidavit from the investigating FBI agent, Fairfax County police first responded to an armed robbery report at the Macy’s in Springfield Town Center around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 24, 2021.
Surveillance footage showed the suspect displaying a gun to the clerk at the cash register. Approximately $300 was reported stolen.
Similar robberies were subsequently reported on:
- Feb. 11: McDonald’s (505 South Van Dorn Street) in the City of Alexandria
- Feb. 17: Exxon gas station (1276 Crain Highway South) in Crofton, Maryland
- Feb. 21: Subway (10428 Campus Way South) in Largo, Maryland
- Feb. 23: Papa John’s (5860 Columbia Pike) in Bailey’s Crossroads
- March 7: Marathon Gas Station (8405 Westphalia Road) in Upper Marlboro, Maryland
- March 13: Domino’s Pizza (8133 Watson Street) in Tysons
The affidavit says Fleet was identified using cell phone data and video surveillance footage that captured his vehicle, clothes, and the use of “a sawed-off shotgun with distinctive blue tape,” which was spotted in the Upper Marlboro and Tysons robberies.
Fleet was arrested by U.S. Marshals deputies in D.C. on April 21, 2021, and extradited on April 26 to Fairfax County, where he has been detained since then.
A federal grand jury indicted Fleet on Aug. 19, 2021, handing down 10 total charges, including multiple counts of robbery and use of a firearm in connection to a violent crime. He was also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
He had previously been convicted of armed robberies in Charles County and Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in 2002.
Fleet ultimately entered a plea agreement on Oct. 19 where he admitted guilt to the use of a gun in the Bailey’s Crossroads and McLean robberies in exchange for getting the other charges dismissed. Federal prosecutors also agreed to not pursue cases against him for any involvement in the Crofton and Upper Marlboro robberies.
The 17-year prison sentence is the minimum term required by federal law.
The plea agreement also requires Fleet to pay back the McDonald’s, Macy’s, Subway, Papa John’s and Domino’s stores that were robbed. The restitution totals $1,501.95, with the largest amount of $500 going to Subway.
Photo via Google Maps
As climate change intensifies, Fairfax County residents could see searing temperatures increase, turning most summer days into scorchers by the end of the century.
That’s just one of the data-based predictions from a “Climate Projections Report” that the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination released last Thursday (Feb. 10).
“The new climate projections report is a stark reminder that we are likely to experience serious and significant changes as a result of greenhouse gases warming our world,” Kambiz Agazi, director of the county Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, said in a statement.
Currently, Fairfax County averages about a week’s worth of days at or above 95 degrees. The future depends on how effectively the world curbs greenhouse gas emissions.
Under a lower-risk scenario, where emissions peak around 2040 and then stabilize by 2100, the county could see 28 days of at least 95-degree temperatures by 2050 and 36 days by 2085, according to the report.
If the average global atmospheric carbon dioxide level more than doubles from 2020 to 2100, however, that higher-risk trajectory puts the county at over a month’s worth of 95-degree days by 2050 and over two months’ worth by 2085.
The report also forecasts that the county will see stronger rains as well as a drastic drop in the number of snow days — from around nine days per year to three days or fewer by the end of the century.
“Regardless of which future scenario best aligns with our trajectory, Fairfax County’s governance of assets, systems, and population is likely to be strained if the county is not adequately prepared for these plausible futures,” the report said.
The Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination developed the report as part of its Resilient Fairfax initiative to find strategies and a roadmap for responding to climate problems.
It was accompanied by a NASA report that found temperatures can be as much as 47 degrees higher in urbanized parts of the county compared to undeveloped, forested areas.
A survey conducted for the Resilient Fairfax initiative indicated that residents are already concerned about the impact of severe storms, rising temperatures, and other repercussions of climate change, according to results released in November.
“From stronger storms to longer stretches of extreme heat and humidity, Fairfax County is not immune to the effects of climate change and this report is a crucial piece of the puzzle as we prepare our community to be more resilient in the future,” Agazi said.
The Herndon Police Department is warning residents of a parking ticket scam, which comes after the town passed sweeping parking restrictions.
The fake ticket, which is blue, urges residents to pay $50.
A spokesperson for the Herndon Police Department told Reston Now that it is unclear how widespread the issue is at this point.
“Until we can determine who created the fake ticket and placed it on the vehicle, the only thing we can do is education the public on the fact that this is a scam,” said Lisa Herndon, a spokeswoman for HPD.
So far, only on citizen sent in a check for payment after receiving the fake ticket on their vehicle.
Residents who receive the parking ticket should report it to HPD by calling 703-435-6846.
In late January, the town’s council restricted how close drivers can park to drivers and doubled down on parking of commercial vehicles in neighborhoods.
The "parking ticket" shown was found on a vehicle parked on Locust Street. This IS NOT a legitimate parking ticket from HPD or the @TownOfHerndon. If you receive one on your vehicle, please report it to us by calling 703-435-6846. #HerndonPD pic.twitter.com/s63SzCBGSV
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) February 11, 2022
Teachers Get Valentines — Fairfax County Public Schools’ teachers received 7,000 personal Valentine cards across 40 schools last week. The initiative was part of Volunteer Fairfax’s annual Valentine’s challenge. [FCPS]
New County Testing Sources Begin Today — After the closure of community testing center, the county is working with the state to launch a vendor-operated van for testing. The service is expected to begin today and will offer free PCR testing for individuals three months and older. [Fairfax County Government]
Reston Manager Receives Lifetime Award — Caliber Home Loans recognized Michael McBride with a lifetime achievement award for managing the company’s Northern Virginia Branch. McBridge was selected from a pool of nationwide contenders. The award is given to managers who provide exceptional production performance. [Reston Patch]
Photo by Terry Baranski
Amid a flurry of pandemic-related challenges, a nonprofit theatrical group is finding ways to keep audiences captivated.
The pandemic has riled the entertainment industry, halting shows amid quarantines and recently causing RCP to reschedule two productions as coronavirus cases skyrocketed earlier this winter.
With average case rates lessening, Reston Community Players has a new show starting this month that’s strangely not at all connected with COVID-19 despite its name, “A Delightful Quarantine.”
“There has been so much joy in our facility these past few months since we have been back at work,” RCP President Kate Keifer said in an email.
The upcoming comedic play is set to open Feb. 25 at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage, which may be just what audiences need right now, Keifer noted. It’s about seven households quarantining amid an extraterrestrial visit.
“‘A Delightful Quarantine’ is unique and witty and has something for everyone to relate to in it,” Liz Mykietyn, director of the production, said in a statement. “The title caught my eye in a theater catalogue I was perusing over a decade ago and after buying the script, I knew I had to do it. Little did I know at that time that we’d all face our own quarantine.”
The theatrical company has been running shows since 1966, and Keifer says that donations through virtual productions and fundraising events have helped the organization continue its mission.
“What keeps all of our volunteers going through the past two years is the hope and promise of a new show, a new production, or a new creative spark to attach ourselves to,” she also wrote.
Last fall, the organization also launched its first apprentice program production, where teens delivered a satirical show called “The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)”
They’ll be expanding that program this summer, too, using the new Capital One Hall venue from July 8-17 for a production of “Newsies.”
Fairfax County’s COVID-19 case levels have almost dropped to where they were before the omicron variant took over.
The Fairfax Health District, which also encompasses the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, added 172 cases today (Monday), bringing its total for the pandemic up to 174,578 cases. With 189 cases, yesterday was the first day since Dec. 14 with fewer than 200 new cases.
According to Virginia Department of Health data, the district is averaging 261 cases per day for the past week, the fewest since Dec. 16. The seven-day average has now been on a downward trajectory for a full month after hitting an all-time high of 2,590 cases on Jan. 13.
Hospitalizations have declined as well, dipping into negative numbers after 25 each were subtracted on Feb. 9 and 11, meaning there were duplicates or ones that belonged to another district. During this past surge, hospitalizations peaked at a weekly average of 6.4 on Jan. 6.
The disease caused by the coronavirus has hospitalized 4,378 Fairfax Health District residents over the past two years.
While the worst of the omicron wave appears to have passed, the scope of the damage that the highly transmissible variant wrought is only just emerging, as the VDH continues to confirm and report Covid-related deaths.
The Fairfax Health District has recorded 84 deaths so far this month, the majority of which likely occurred in January. 1,364 residents have died from Covid since the first fatality was confirmed on March 21, 2020.
Fairfax County’s community transmission level remains high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, thanks to a case rate of 189.97 per 100,000 people over the past seven days. The testing positivity rate, however, has dipped down to 8.6%, which is in the “substantial” category.
The declining test positivity rate comes as the VDH prepares to launch a new mobile testing van tomorrow (Tuesday) that will serve sites with accessibility challenges across Northern Virginia.
As for vaccinations, 960,269 Fairfax Health District residents — 81.1% of the population — have received at least one dose, including:
- 90.4% of residents 18 and older
- 96.4% of 16-17 year olds
- 91.9% of 12-15 year olds
- 50.8% of 5-11 year olds
About 73.2% of the district’s population is now fully vaccinated, amounting to 866,579 people, including 82.2% of adults. The VDH reports that 39.6% of the county population has gotten a booster or third dose.
Anticipation of a vaccine soon becoming available for children younger than 5 was dampened last week when the Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday (Feb. 11) that it would delay a planned meeting on whether to authorize the two-shot regimen requested by Pfizer and BioNTech.
The manufacturers said they will instead wait until early April to seek authorization, giving them time to collect data on all three planned doses for children between 6 months and 4 years of age.
