The news this morning brought a good reminder that Covid is very much still circulating.
President Biden has tested positive for the virus and is receiving antiviral treatment and has “very mild” symptoms, the White House said. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was among those wishing the president well.
Though monkeypox cases continue to rise in the region, the county has yet to open vaccine clinics for the disease.
Supply of the monkeypox vaccine JYNNEOS remains “limited,” county spokesperson Ryan Hudson tells ARLnow, and Arlington is coordinating with the Virginia Department of Health to obtain and administer doses.
Arlington County has already vaccinated several hundred children ages 6 months to 5 years, in the first week the jab was offered for that age group.
That’s according to a county spokesman, in response to an inquiry from ARLnow.
Arlington County is starting to vaccinate children ages 6 months to 5 years today, following federal authorization last week.
The new vaccination effort comes as cases have fallen 40% since peaking in late May.
Update at 3:30 p.m. — The Virginia Dept. of Health says it has confirmed the first monkeypox infection in the state.
UPDATE May 27, 2022: The CDC has confirmed that the Virginia patient tested positive for monkeypox. For more information, visit VDH’s Monkeypox Surveillance and Investigation webpage https://t.co/dv3Zv1UMhT
The CDC’s elevated “Community Level” for Arlington may not tell the full story, county health officials say.
Yesterday ARLnow reported that Arlington was the only jurisdiction in the immediate D.C. area to have risen to a “medium” Community Level, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While hospitalizations here remain relatively low, the county has been above 200 new cases per week per 100,000 residents for a few days, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data, prompting the CDC’s designation.
(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Arlington is now the only jurisdiction in the immediate D.C. area to reach a “medium” level of Covid infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC’s “Community Level” map shows Arlington in yellow while the rest of the metro area is in green, with levels of infection and hospitalization considered to be low.
Arlington County is now offering second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to eligible residents, following updated CDC guidance.
Late last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the administering of second booster shots for those who are 50 years of age and older, immunocompromised, or who received a single shot and booster of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
For the last two months, Arlington County has been getting your sewage tested to measure community Covid infection levels.
The Department of Environmental Services is sending weekly samples to Biobot, a Massachusetts-based health tech startup that got its start monitoring wastewater for opioids but pivoted to COVID-19 testing during the pandemic. The company now tests wastewater samples for municipalities nationwide.
If you haven’t received a Covid vaccine booster shot yet, expect a call or text message from the state health department.
Arlington residents started getting the reminders from the Virginia Dept. of Health this week, at a time when the local decline in Covid cases is showing signs of bottoming out.
Arlington County is making masks optional in county facilities — from community centers to County Board meetings — starting tomorrow (Thursday).
The county made the announcement this afternoon, following the lead of Arlington Public Schools, which made masks optional for students and staff on Tuesday.
