Inova has temporarily closed four of its urgent care centers, including ones in Reston (1488 Northpoint Village Center) and Tysons (8357 Leesburg Pike), to manage an influx of patients without overwhelming exhausted staff.
Inova told FFXnow that it has consolidated staff from the shuttered urgent care centers at other sites “to better accommodate patient volume.” The other centers that have been closed are in Arlington, as reported by ARLnow, and Purcellville.
According to Inova’s website, urgent care centers in Vienna, Centreville, West Springfield, and Chantilly remain open.
“These closures are temporary and we anticipate they will reopen by the end of the year or sooner,” Inova Health Systems spokesperson Tracy Connell said by email.
Typically open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Inova’s urgent care centers provide various same-day medical services, including treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, X-rays, sports physicals, lab tests, and most recently, evaluations for COVID-19.
The temporary closures came in response to “significantly high volumes” of patients that Inova has been experiencing, Connell says, noting that other health systems across the country have encountered the same trend.
On top of an influx of COVID-19 cases fueled by the Delta variant, Virginia hospitals have reported getting more patients with more medically complex conditions, including people who delayed seeking care last year due to stay-at-home orders and fear of contracting the coronavirus, according to Virginia Mercury.
At the same time, many hospitals have been hit by staffing shortages as nurses and other medical professionals strained by months of working through the pandemic opt to quit or retire.
According to Connell, that has not been an issue for Inova, even though it was the first major health care system in Northern Virginia to issue a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees.
“We are not experiencing a staffing shortage, but we are actively working to manage staffing needs so as to avoid fatigue and burnout among our team members who have performed at an extraordinarily high level throughout the pandemic,” she said.
Over 99% of Inova employees received at least one vaccine dose by the organization’s Sept. 1 deadline. 86 workers — just 0.4% of Inova’s workforce — “chose to leave the organization rather than comply with our vaccination policy,” Connell says.
An incident report from the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office alleges that two of the county’s top prosecutors clashed with security guards when asked to undergo a security screening to enter the Fairfax County Courthouse.
The sheriff’s office states in the Sept. 28 incident report that Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and his chief deputy displayed “disrespect and unprofessionalism” that was “unsuited for an officer of the court.”
When asked to go through metal detectors at the courthouse at around 9:37 a.m. that day, Descano reportedly asked why two uniformed law enforcement officers didn’t go through security. When told by two security officers that law enforcement was exempt, Descano said “That’s bullshit!” and then asked “Don’t you know who I am? I’m the top law enforcement officer in the county,” according to the incident report.
The courthouse routinely requires security screening of all employees and attorneys at the request of the Courthouse Security Committee, which is chaired by Chief Judge Penny Azcarate. Descano reportedly stated that he was exempt from the security screening because of his position.
Descano’s office declined to comment on the incident report. FFXnow has not viewed security footage that the incident report purports corroborates the “visual part of the incident.”
It’s unclear whether Descano and his chief deputy were aware of a new screening policy that appears to have contributed to the verbal altercation.
Under the new security policy, which began on Sept. 1, on randomly selected days, every person entering the courthouse must take part in security screenings.
This requires all individuals to walk through a magnetometer and for all bags, briefcases, purses, parcels, and electronic devices to be screened by an X-ray machine, according to the county’s website, which did not provide information about the new policy until yesterday morning (Wednesday).
A Fairfax County Circuit Court clerk declined to comment on all of FFXnow’s questions, including why the new policy was put in place, why uniformed law enforcement officers are exempt, and how it differs from the court’s previous procedures, including an option that allows attorneys to bypass security screenings.
According to the report, Kyle Manikas, the chief deputy commonwealth’s attorney, took issue with a security search of his lunch bag when a knife was detected in the metal detector screening.
“This is fucking bullshit, I know you are doing your job, but this is bullshit,” Manikas reportedly said, as quoted in the incident report. He was described as “physically upset.”
A butter knife was found in the bag.
The incident report concluded that the security officers experienced “disrespect, curse and abuse, and unprofessional conduct.”
Angela Woolsey contributed to this report. Photo via Google Maps
Volunteers Needed for New Fall 5K — Reston Association is looking for volunteers to help with the inaugural Friends of Reston Fall 5K fundraiser on Oct. 17 from 7-10 a.m. [RA]
Police to Host Community Information Session — The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston district station will host a community information forum tonight at 7 p.m. The session is online. [FCPD]
Blackstone Lends $350 Million for Refinancing — Comstock, a Reston-based developer, has landed a refinancing deal for three Reston Station office towers, which are 84 percent leased. [Bisnow]
Scores of people called on Fairfax County to adopt a more robust collective bargaining policy for county government workers at a Board of Supervisors public hearing on a proposed ordinance yesterday (Tuesday).
At a rally before the public hearing and at the meeting itself, labor union representatives and other speakers stated that they want more workers to be eligible to participate in collective bargaining, more ability to negotiate working conditions, and more flexibility in discussing labor issues while they’re at work.
“This is a defining moment,” Fairfax County Federation of Teachers president Tina Williams said during yesterday’s public hearing. “Fairfax County can set the standard in Virginia.”
Williams and Fairfax Education Association President Kimberly Adams were among the educational leaders who gave their support to a county ordinance, even though it would not cover school employees. Fairfax County Public Schools needs to adopt a policy separately.
Fairfax County has spent months developing collective bargaining procedures after the Virginia General Assembly broke from a 1977 state Supreme Court ruling that banned public-sector unions from collectively bargaining. The legislature approved a law in April 2020 that gives localities the authority to develop ordinances to permit collective bargaining if they choose to do so.
County leaders have expressed support for collective bargaining, which is already permitted for government workers in most states as well as D.C. Some neighboring jurisdictions, including Arlington and the City of Alexandria, adopted their own ordinances earlier this year.
With labor groups representing a wide range of workers, from firefighters and police to public works, nurses, librarians, and social workers, weighing in, the Board of Supervisors decided to defer a vote on the ordinance to its next regular meeting on Oct. 19.
Board Chairman Jeff McKay said the postponement will let supervisors to absorb the testimony and respond to speakers’ requests to take more time on the matter. Written comments will continue to be accepted as part of the public hearing.
Most speakers during the hours-long hearing came in support of an ordinance, though a few raised concerns about the implications the matter would have on taxpayers.
The county projects that the ordinance will carry $1.9 million in annual costs to handle increased workloads.
At least nine full-time equivalent employees and additional support positions will be needed to address new work involving labor relations, legal support, policy administration, contract compliance and administration, according to a county staff report.
While there was broad support for collective bargaining, labor groups and other stakeholders voiced concerns about the most recent draft of the proposed ordinance.
Tammie Wondong, president of SEIU Virginia 512 Fairfax, the Fairfax County Government Employees Union, urged the board to revise the proposed ordinance so that it includes all government workers. She cited an analysis by the Economic Policty Institute, a nonprofit funded in part by labor unions, that showed government workers in Virginia earn about 29.9% less than similar private-sector workers.
“Good employees are leaving because their needs are not met,” she said.
Dave Lyons, the executive director of Fairfax Workers Coalition, which positions itself as an “alternative” to SEIU, argued that the current ordinance will hurt people of color and those on the lower end of the payscale by allowing a countywide bargaining unit that could include both senior supervisors and their subordinates.
“This means employees who are subject to discipline, harassment, non-promotion, or any other sort of action would be hampered in their ability to achieve redress because the same purveyors of the action would be members of the same unit,” Lyons told FFXnow.
He said the coalition would prefer an approach more in line with Alexandria’s ordinance, which created separate units for different trades and for rank-and-file versus supervisory employees.
Former Braddock District Supervisor John Cook, an attorney for FWC, said the draft ordinance would violate state law by giving legislative authority to a county executive-appointed labor relations administrator, which could adversely affect employees who want more control over how they participate in collective bargaining.
Fairfax Coalition of Police President Sean Corcoran said his group supports collective bargaining but not the ordinance in its current form, suggesting that the county could have included more community engagement in drafting the ordinance.
Representatives from the Virginia Police Benevolent Association’s Fairfax chapter and the Fairfax County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics expressed concern about language in the ordinance that they say would limit workers’ ability to discuss key issues like working conditions.
“When our employees that work 12-hour shifts don’t get enough bereavement leave because it’s ‘back in 16 hours,’ where they can’t even get two days off to grieve a lost loved one, we would like the ability to address that,” VPBA Fairfax President Ali Soheilian said.
SEIU Virginia 512 and other labor groups met at a rally before the hearing outside the Fairfax County Government Center.
“It’s time Fairfax County employees have a seat at the table,” Wondong told a group of around 100 people. “If we don’t get this right, the ordinance that we have all worked so hard to pass would be nothing but an empty gesture on a piece of paper.”
With little fanfare, a trio of incumbents will resume their positions following an uncontested election for Reston Community Center’s Board of Governors.
Bill Bouie, who has served on the board since 2003, led the pack with 1,439 votes. He was followed by Lisa Sechrest-Ehrhardt, who has been on the board since 2012 and had 1,396 votes. Richard Stillson, who has been on the board since 2018, received 1,382.
They were selected through this year’s Preference Poll, which iso pen to all Small District 5 residents. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors then formally appoints the selected winners after the poll.
This year was the first uncontested election in several years. Each individual will serve three-year terms that begin on Nov. 1.
Here’s more directly from RCC on the winners:
William G. Bouie has served on the RCC Board of Governors since 2003. He is also chairman of the Fairfax County Park Authority Board. Mr. Bouie is a telecommunications executive who is a passionate advocate for Reston and Fairfax County youth and adult sports and recreation opportunities. He has also served on the boards of the Wolf Trap Foundation, Public Art Reston, Fairfax County YMCA Reston and Reston Youth Baseball.
Lisa Sechrest-Ehrhardt is a 46-year resident of Reston and an RCC Board of Governors member since 2012. A social worker, she is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and she seeks to use her professional and personal experience to contribute to the social, cultural and educational environments provided by RCC.
Richard Stillson has served on the RCC Board of Governors since 2018. He has lived in Reston for 49 years. Mr. Stillson has been involved in Reston organizations since the community’s early days, including Reston 2020 and the first Reston Comprehensive Plan Task Force.
The board is responsible for strategic planning, policy administration, and community relations, among other areas.
Fairfax County officially has its first countywide strategic plan.
The Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 yesterday (Tuesday) to adopt the document, which presents an all-encompassing, coordinated vision for the county’s operations, priorities, and services over the next two decades.
In the works since 2019, the strategic plan focuses on 10 “community outcome areas” that “represent the issues of greatest importance” to the community:
- Cultural and recreational opportunities
- Economic opportunity
- Effective and efficient government
- Empowerment and support for residents facing vulnerability
- Health and environment
- Housing and neighborhood livability
- Lifelong education and learning
- Mobility and transportation
- Safety and security
“The Countywide Strategic Plan will help guide our future together so the Board, residents and staff are working toward the same goals and outcomes,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a press release. “This plan will be a centralized, coordinated way for us to be even more efficient as a government so we’re more responsive to our community’s needs.”
The strategic plan was initially developed prior to the pandemic, but the county paused the process due to the public health emergency and reworked the plan to encompass new prioritizations from the last 18 months.
The main change was the separation of health and environment into two separate categories.
It’s intended to be a living document that integrates other broad planning efforts like the Fairfax County Public Schools’ strategic plan and the One Fairfax policy. It will also help the board focus its legislative efforts over the next several years.
In the press release, County Executive Bryan Hill called Fairfax County’s first-ever “unified” strategic plan “a key milestone” in the government’s efforts to shape the county’s future.
“I’m grateful to the tens of thousands of residents and hundreds of staff who have developed this plan,” Hill said. “I look forward to the next steps, including reporting results to the community, aligning existing plans within this framework and further advancing our One Fairfax equity lens across all outcome areas.”
At yesterday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity was the only board member to vote against adopting the plan, citing insufficient community feedback.
He also argued that the plan should do more to address traffic congestion and that it will continue to allow taxes to be too high.
The other supervisors approved the strategic plan, despite several noting that they were not 100% pleased with the process and expressing concern that the document is too vague.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust criticized the lack of prioritization, information about implementation, or how the county is progressing based on over 150 metrics identified by the plan.
“I don’t think we are done, to say the least,” Foust said. “This is not, in my opinion, a roadmap for the county executive to prioritize and budget…We need to keep working, and the board has to stay involved to complete the process.”
Several supervisors observed that there was a lack of participation from a diverse set of voices.
As of September, the county had received nearly 22,000 survey responses in eight different languages. A fourth survey closed on Sept. 24, so that number will be updated later this month.
A feedback session held in July found that the attendees’ preferred focus areas were cultural and recreational opportunities, economic stability and mobility, financial sustainability and access to services.
Now that the plan has been adopted, the county will start implementing its guidelines, a process that will include further community engagement, prioritization, and identifying “headline metrics” in each of the 10 areas that will be used to develop the fiscal year 2024 budget.
The Town of Herndon is seeking $5 million in county funds to develop downtown Herndon with its development partner Comstock. Construction of the mixed-use project, on the drawing board for years, has been delayed by nearly two years.
At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, the board indicated that the county will review the request. Specifically, the town is seeking an additional $5 million for the redevelopment of downtown Herndon through the county’s economic development support fund. The town previously received $1.2 million from the fund in 2018, but no funds have been spent yet.
If the request for additional funding is approved, the town will be pitching in roughly $17.9 million to make the project possible on what was once town-owned land.
Town officials and Comstock have offered few public statements explaining why the long-anticipated project has been delayed. When asked about the updated timeline and reasons for delays, a town spokesperson deferred to Comstock for comment on when construction is expected to begin. Comstock did not return multiple requests for comment from Reston Now.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust noted that key milestones for the project have been met so far.
In a board matter proposed at the Tuesday meeting, Foust and the board directed the county to review the funding request and asked that no additional investment from the county’s economic opportunity reserve fund be given to the project unless the board approves funds.
“Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has had major impacts on the construction and delivery of this project,” Foust indicated. “There have been substantial increases in material costs and workforce restrictions which have led to project increases.”
Comstock Companies and the Town of Herndon closed on the property at the end of last year. An estimated date for groundbreaking was first set for late 2019, pushed to early 2020 and delayed again to the summer of 2020.
Once completed, the mixed-use project, which is next to the old town hall, will include 273 residential units, 17,300 square feet of retail and cafe space, a new arts center, public plazas and a 726-space parking garage. To date, no firm timeline on the beginning of the project has been released.
An amended comprehensive agreement was negotiated after months of deliberation. The previous agreement was signed by the town in 2017. Comstock will receive $2.5 million in tax breaks through an ordinance crafted to create a historic arts district in the area last year.
The economic opportunity reserve fund is intended to purchase real estate, fund capital development projects and provide programming support for economic development activities of “strategic importance,” according to the county.
Projects that have received funds from the reserve include $1 million in branding for the Tysons Partnership and $50,000 for a development study on the Town of Vienna.
Photo via Comstock
Maryland Company Acquires Reston-based Company — MasterPeace Solutions, a Columbia-based cyber company has acquired Full Suite Solutions, a company that provides software to intelligence agencies. [Technical.ly]
Getting to Know the New Fairfax County Park Authority Chief — Jai Cole, who came the Fairfax County Park Authority’s new executive director last month, wants to make the park system more accessible for all. She started her career working at the pool at Reston Community Center, a position she says was one of the best jobs she ever had. [Inside NOVA]
Cyber Tip Leads to Child Porn Arrest — Brendan Lynch, 21, of Alexandria, was arrested and charged with four counts of solicitation of a minor and 26 counts of possession of child porn. He worked as an aquatics center at several recreation centers managed by the Fairfax County Park Authority. [FCPD]
Final plans to begin redeveloping the northernmost portion of Isaac Newton Square, an approved mixed-use development near Hidden Creek Country Club, are heading toward the county for approval.
APA Properties plans to first tackle roughly 15 acres of the 32-acre project with new roads and infrastructure like stormwater facilities, utilities, and bio-retention infrastructure. Plans for that area, which is located north of Sunset Hills Road and west of Wiehle Avenue, are up for a vote by the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Oct. 6.
Plans for the massive project are forming up after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the complete project nearly two years ago. Once built out, Isaac Newton Square will include 2,100 residential units and nearly 329,000 square feet of office and retail space.
The developer plans to construct a new section of Isaac Newton Square North and Isaac Newton Square West, along with a grid of streets called Isaac Newtown Square West, Center Street and Isaac Newton Square East. The proposed streets would continue to service office tenants on the site while allowing redevelopment of the proposed blocks to continue. Isaac Newton Square South is the only public road on the property.
A major feature of the plan includes the retention of most of the mature Willow Oak trees on the site. A new mixed-use trail is planned along Wiehle Avenue north of its intersection with Isaac Newton Square North.
The planning commission deferred a decision on the plan from Sept. 22 to Oct.6. John Carter, the planning commissioner for the Hunter Mill District, said that he was concerned that the proposed road improvements “limited the curb-to-curb relationship.” Carter said he wanted to ensure that the project had strong elements of urban street design.
“Primarily, the concern is providing safe access to the Metro Station. That I thought we could do better in in terms of what we have been doing.” he said.
Eventually, APA Properties plans to remove office buildings on the site — 11440 and 11410 Isaac Newton Square North and 1928 Newton Square. A synthetic turf athletic field is also planned on the site.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue’s Station 25 should be complete and occupied by the end of this year.
That’s the most recent timeline for the project (1820 Wiehle Ave.), according to the department’s director of public information, Ashley Hildebrandt.
“Station personnel are very excited about the new station,” she says in an email.
Demolition on the former station began in March 2020 for the nearly $15 million project that will double the size of Station 25.
The former station was 2 1/2 bays, designed in 1972 and had “become undersized” and lacked “inadequate critical infrastructure and support functions to meet the needs of the expanding department and the community it serves,” according to a description by the project’s architect.
The new station has four bays and makes other adjustments for more firefighters to be located there, such as by providing 41 parking spaces.
Firefighters have temporarily relocated to 1840 Cameron Glen Drive during the construction to continue providing service.
Following COVID-19’s effects on the wedding industry, Reston Association expects its Lake House amenity — a venue especially geared toward wedding events — will become more of a destination spot in coming years.
The community building — like other wedding and event venues — had revenue “significantly impacted” in 2020 but could bring in over $135,000 this year, according to the association. But it comes after RA has sunk millions of dollars into the property.
A wedding expo on Nov. 7 looks to feature the venue as well as vendors in the greater Washington area that offer entertainment, catering, bridal fashions, photography and cakes.
“The Wedding Expo is an opportunity to showcase The Lake House to not only Reston Association members but also others from the DMV looking to book their wedding or celebration at a beautiful lake view venue,” RA spokesperson Mike Leone said in a statement.
No new capital expenditures are planning in upcoming years, according to a capital projects plan; a dock could be added, but there are currently no plans to do so, Leone also stated.
RA projects operating revenues to increase to $185,000 in 2022 and $195,000 in 2023, according to a budget draft, while the association seeks to reduce costs to around $39,100 and $40,600 for those years.
The capital projects plan, which was presented last month and runs from 2022-2026, notes the following:
The Lake House, which was built in 1983, purchased by RA in 2015, and then renovated in 2015, facilitates as a community rental building for RA. The 3.47-acre property … is located immediately adjacent to Lake Newport and offers lakeside views to members and guests. It is ideally suited for small to mid-sized weddings and celebrations, corporate functions, workshops, conferences, and private functions with a capacity size of 145 people. … Future plans for this facility include the addition of a dock extending from the covered deck into Lake Newport, an event tent, and a dedicated public address system.
The facility has drawn controversy throughout the years after the association bought it for $2.6 million in 2015 and repairs were three times more than expected, leading to an independent review of the asset.
The RA Board of Director could pursue the dock addition in upcoming budgets, though, including the current budget.
A first public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Wednesday, followed by meetings on the process throughout October before a second public hearing on Nov. 10.
The board is slated to approved the budget and set the assessment for 2022 on Nov. 18.
Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. has officially secured refinancing for a trio of office towers at Reston Station, according to a company release.
The Reston-based company arranged a $350 million financing package for the first three office towers built at Reston Station, a 60-acre, mixed use project near the Wiehe-Reston East Metro Station.
The office towers at 1900, 1902 and 1906 Reston Metro Plaza are anchored by tenants like Google, Neustar, Rolls-Royce North America, and ICF Global.
Comstock received roughly $2.6 million in debt and equity origination fees, which are charged by the lender for compensation for a loan application.
The package includes $312 million by a Blackstone subsidiary and $43 million with a DivcoWest subsidiary. The three buildings are 84 percent leased, according to a company release.
Here’s more from Comstock on the restructuring effort:
The Anchor Portfolio primarily includes mixed-use properties located adjacent to key Metro rail stations in the Dulles Corridor in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. Additionally, CHCI, through its institutional venture platform, acquires and manages stabilized properties with a focus on transit-oriented, mixed-use assets throughout the Washington, DC region.
“Building long term relationships with best-in-class capital providers such as Blackstone and DivcoWest is among our key strategic initiatives and we believe the financial commitment of these market leaders to Comstock and Reston Station affirm the pre-eminence of our office portfolio in the Dulles Corridor”, commented Chris Clemente, CHCI’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Closing this long-planned recapitalization in an attractive interest rate environment allows us to accelerate the recently commenced development of the next phase of Reston Station while we also focus on aggressively scaling up acquisitions of multi-family assets in our institutional venture platform. We look forward to updating the market in the very near-term on our progress on that front as we continue to focus on creating value for all Comstock’s stakeholders”.
Car Tax Payments Due Today — Today is the last day to pay the county’s personal property tax — also known as the car tax. Tax relief is available for some residents. [Fairfax County Government]
School Bond Referendum Moves Forward — The school bond referendum on county ballots calls for $360 million for school renovations, planning and design, and one site acquisition. [Reston Patch]
County Upgrades App — The county’s latest app now includes on-screen notifications. It also allows users to pay taxes, receive permits, arrange inspections and get access to the county’s calendar. [Fairfax County Government]
Transportation Career Fair This Week — The Virginia Department of Transportation’s Northern Virginia office is hosting a transportation workforce career fair on Oct. 7. The event is virtual. [VDOT]
A delivery-only chicken wing spot from the owners of Ted’s Bulletin and Federalist Pig has opened at Reston Town Center.
FedWings opened the outpost last month, smoking and frying chicken wings out of Ted’s Bulletin kitchen at 11948 Market Street.
The wings were being served at their barbecue restaurant Federalist Pig (with locations in D.C. and Maryland) prior, but it became clear to the owners that there was a big appetite for this easy-to-eat-at-home, finger food.
“When the pandemic happened, a lot of people wanted more wings,” co-owner Nick Salis tells Reston Now. “And we were trying to figure out how to keep our kitchen staff employed and keep people working… so we launched this wings brand.”
Their first so-called “ghost kitchen” was out of Kramer’s Bookstore in D.C.(which they also own) and have since expanded to eight locations, including Reston as well as ones in Merrifield and Arlington.
Salis says what makes their wings unique is that they smoke them, quickly deep fry them, and, then, toss them in a proprietary rub.
“These wings are not the easiest wings to make,” he says. “We smoke them for an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the wood. Smoking is a little bit of an art.”
Since they started smoking and frying in mid-September, Reston’s FedWings has been doing crisp business, Salis notes.
While the pandemic continues to change and debilitate the restaurant industry, Salis says that the Ted Bulletin’s location at Reston Town Center has been hurting ever since Boston Properties infamously instituted paid parking back in 2016.
“There was a drop in sales of 30% overnight,” he says. “It was like your worst nightmare. It leaves a scar.”
Salis is hopeful though, since sales are climbing back, creeping closer to what it was when the restaurant opened there in 2014.
The hope is that FedWings will help continue that trend. The response has been “awesome” so far and the company is evaluating what the next steps could be, whether that means opening more ghost kitchens or establishing dedicated brick and mortars for FedWings.
“As of right now,” Salis says, “We’re just enjoying serving these wings to the community of Reston.”
With the addition of 136 cases today (Monday), the Fairfax Health District has reported a total of 90,010 COVID-19 infections since identifying its first positive case nearly 20 months ago.
Case levels in the district, which includes Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, have stayed consistent for more than a month now after surging in August due to the spread of the especially contagious Delta variant.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, Fairfax County has seen an average of 149 new cases per day for the past week. This is the first time the weekly average has been below 150 since Aug. 19, when the county averaged 144 cases over seven days.
At the current rate, the Fairfax Health District would surpass 100,000 COVID-19 cases by the end of 2021.
4,308 district residents have been hospitalized by the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and 1,181 residents have died.
In vaccination news, 80.7% of Virginia residents 18 and older have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to VDH’s dashboard. That is more than 5.8 million people — 68% of the Commonwealth’s total population.
72.1% of adults and 60.6% of residents overall are considered fully vaccinated, meaning it has been at least two weeks since they got the last required shot of either the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Fairfax Health District has slightly outpaced Virginia as a whole.
The Fairfax County Health Department reports that 815,401 residents or 68.9% of the population, including 81.4% of adults, have gotten at least one vaccine dose. 736,772 residents — 73.8% of adults and 62.3% of all residents — are fully vaccinated.
Over 1.51 million doses have been administered to the district’s residents. It’s unclear how many of those are booster shots, which became widely available for older residents, people with underlying medical conditions, and other eligible groups last Tuesday (Sept. 28).
Photo via CDC/Unsplash
