Fairfax County’s COVID-19 case levels haven’t entirely come down from the late-summer Delta variant surge, but they appear to be headed in that direction.
The Fairfax Health District, including the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, added 72 cases today (Monday) for a total of 92,739 cases over the course of the pandemic. 4,360 residents have been hospitalized by the novel coronavirus, and 1,209 people have died, including eight people in the past week.
The county is now averaging 107.4 cases per day for the past week — just over half of what it was seeing at the height of the Delta surge on Sept. 16, when the weekly average was at 204.6 cases, according to Virginia Department of Health data.
While COVID-19 transmission has declined, Fairfax County has seen an uptick in vaccine demand that roughly coincides with the expansion of eligibility for booster shots at the end of September.
Since third doses of the Pfizer vaccine became more widely available on Sept. 28, the number of doses given to Fairfax Health District residents has increased from around 1.5 million to more than 1.6 million today, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.
The district took almost twice as long to get through the previous 100,000 shots, hitting 1.4 million doses administered on July 4 and not exceeding 1.5 million until Aug. 31.
Roughly 78,000 individuals have gotten a booster shot so far. That number is expected to increase now that additional doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been authorized, FCHD spokesperson Lucy Caldwell says.
Updated on Thursday (Oct. 21), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s booster shot guidelines recommend the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people 65 and older, long-term care residents, and adults who face a higher risk of infection due to an underlying medical condition or where they live or work.
The CDC also recommends that anyone 18 and older who received the J&J vaccine at least two months ago get a booster dose. People who get a booster can choose from any of the three available vaccines, not just the one that they originally received.
“If you decide to get a booster dose by mixing and matching, VDH urges you to consult with your doctor or healthcare provider who can assist you in making the best decision for your own situation,” Virginia State Vaccine Liaison Dr. Danny Avula said in a statement. “We also stress that all three vaccines authorized for administration in the United States are highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death.”
824,722 Fairfax Health District residents — 69.7% of the population, including 82.4% of people 18 and older — have gotten at least one vaccine dose.
752,274 residents — 75.6% of adults and 63.7% of all residents — are fully vaccinated, meaning they’ve gotten at least two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a shot of the J&J vaccine.
Appointments for any of the vaccines can be found through vaccines.gov. The FCHD is providing assistance with scheduling from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays through its COVID-19 Call Center at 703-324-7404.
Photo via CDC/Unsplash
Recent Stories
Nearly 14 years after Clifton Elementary School shuttered, its sign has been repurposed. The sign now serves as a bulletin for local organizations, businesses, and community groups to promote events…
The Spring Hill Rec Center in McLean is now being partly powered by the sun. The Fairfax County Park Authority announced today (Thursday) that it has turned on a new, 307-kilowatt…
A Maryland-based early childhood education company is opening a second location in the Reston-Herndon area. Celebree School will celebrate the grand opening of its newest location at 12700 Sunrise Valley…
The Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail has reached the half-century mark. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) is marking the facility’s 50th anniversary with various activities from…
The Gillion Academy’s Home School Basketball Program begins Fall 2024 for 7th – 12th Grade student-athletes to complete their online academic studies in a supervised and focused setting while receiving elite training from our professional basketball trainers at The Gillion Basketball Academy, a state of the art training facility in Springfield, Va. We have developed over 200 college athletes and placed over 50 players in the NBA and pro leagues overseas and provide the same level of training for our student-athletes.
We will have a virtual Open House Zoom on May 6th at 7:30PM so please go to our website to learn more about us and to fill out an interest form and register for the event and learn about the top training facility in the DMV area.
Any questions please email our Director at philip.budwick@gil-lionbasketballacademy.com.
For many remote workers, a messy home is distracting.
You’re getting pulled into meetings, and your unread emails keep ticking up. But you can’t focus because pet hair tumbleweeds keep floating across the floor, your desk has a fine layer of dust and you keep your video off in meetings so no one sees the chaos behind you.
It’s no secret a dirty home is distracting and even adds stress to your life. And who has the energy to clean after work? That’s why it’s smart to enlist the help of professionals, like Well-Paid Maids.
Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride
Join us on Saturday, May 11th and ride into spring during our Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride. Back for its second year, Pedal with Petals is going to be bigger than ever. This year’s event will include both an
Encore Creativity for Older Adults at Capital One Hall
Encore Creativity for Older Adults is pleased to raise the curtain and welcome community members to its spring concert at Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA on May 4, 2024. The concert, which starts at 3 PM, will bring hundreds
