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An at-home rapid COVID-19 test (via sarah b/Unsplash)

As summer takes hold, COVID-19 transmissions appear to be plateauing in the Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.

After hitting 601 cases on May 25, the peak for this spring, the district’s weekly average dipped to 457.4 cases per day on Thursday (June 2) and is currently sitting at 479.1 cases, according to Virginia Department of Health data.

However, the testing positivity rate continues to increase, reaching 18.7% as of June 2 — the highest mark since Jan. 23 (19.6%). Less than half as many tests are being conducted now compared to this past winter, with encounters declining in the lead-up to and during Memorial Day weekend.

“While the number and rate of COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County has decreased in the past 2 weeks, we urge caution in interpreting this finding,” Dr. Ben Schwartz, the Fairfax County Health Department’s director of epidemiology and population health, said in an emailed statement.

Schwartz noted that many cases are now detected with at-home tests, the results of which aren’t shared with the health department.

Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases over the past 26 weeks, as of June 6, 2022 (via VDH)

Hospitalizations are also still on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which still classifies Fairfax County’s COVID-19 community level as “medium,” since the case rate was 297.68 per 100,000 residents, as of June 2.

An estimated 76 county residents were admitted to a hospital with COVID-19 last week through Friday (June 3). That amounts to 6.6 new admissions per 100,000 residents, a 16.8% increase from the previous seven days.

Patients with a confirmed Covid diagnosis are occupying 3.9% of the county’s staffed, inpatient hospital beds.

The Fairfax Health District reported 355 new cases today (Monday), bringing its totals for the pandemic up to 205,181 cases, 4,564 hospitalizations, and 1,522 deaths — four of them confirmed within the past week.

All Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases, as of June 6, 2022 (via VDH)

Schwartz cautioned that the frequency of infections continues to shift with the arrival of different mutations of the omicron variant that fueled this winter’s surge.

A subvariant by the unwieldy name of BA.2.12.1 became the dominant strain in the U.S. in late May. The speed with which it overtook previous subvariants suggests it’s highly transmissible, but there are no indications yet that it causes more severe disease.

“Remaining up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, staying home when ill and getting tested, and talking with your doctor about precautions for people at higher risk of severe illness all continue to be strongly recommended,” Schwartz said.

The Fairfax Health District has 994,503 residents, or 84%, who have gotten at least one Covid vaccine dose, including:

  • 92.7% of people 18 and older
  • 98.8% of 16-17 year olds
  • 94.7% of 12-15 year olds
  • 60.2% of 5-11 year olds

There are 905,960 fully vaccinated residents, who make up 76.5% of the population. That includes 84.7% of adults.

According to VDH, third or booster shots have been given to 515,281 Fairfax County residents, or 44.8%, including 54.2% of adults and 35.9% of adolescents aged 12-17.

Photo via sarah b/Unsplash

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Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases over the past 26 weeks, as of May 23, 2022 (via VDH)

More than half of the school-aged kids in Fairfax County — 53.6%, to be precise — are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

That means more than 57,000 Fairfax Health District residents aged 5 to 11 have gotten both shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine since they became eligible for it in early November, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.

The FCHD confirmed on Friday (May 20) that booster shots are now available for that age group after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee issued a recommendation the previous day.

Kids are eligible for the booster once at least five months have passed since they took the original two-dose regimen, which is the case for most fully vaccinated kids in the district, the county health department says.

“Data showed that side effects from a booster dose for children aged 5-11 years were similar to those seen after the primary series,” the FCHD said. “They were generally mild and could include pain at the injection site, fatigue and headache.”

In general, vaccination demand has leveled out since February, though the nationwide campaign could get another jolt if a vaccine for kids under 5 is finally authorized this summer.

In the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, 992,580 residents have gotten at least one vaccine dose. That is 83.9% of the population, including:

  • 92.6% of people aged 18 and older
  • 98.7% of 16-17 year olds
  • 94.6% of 12-15 year olds
  • 59.8% of 5-11 year olds

903,645 residents — 76.4% of the population — are fully vaccinated, including 84.5% of adults.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, 507,835 county residents, or 44.1%, have gotten a booster shot, including 53.8% of adults and 35% of adolescents aged 12-17.

The FCHD has emphasized the importance of vaccinations and testing for combatting COVID-19, as other protocols like masking and social distancing have largely fallen away, despite an ongoing surge in cases.

The Fairfax Health District’s 17% positivity rate as of May 19 is the highest it has been since Jan. 25.

After recording more than 700 new cases twice last week, the first time daily case counts have reached that level since late January, the Fairfax Health District is averaging 586.7 cases per day for the past week, according to VDH data.

That remains well under the pandemic’s all-time peak of 2,590 cases on Jan. 13, but it’s seven times the number of cases seen in March, when the seven-day average reached a low for the year of 77.1 cases on March 22.

All Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases as of May 23, 2022 (via VDH)

Hospitalizations have ticked up again, as an estimated 79 new COVID-19 patients were admitted last week through Friday, a 60.5% increase over the previous week, according to the CDC. That amounts to 6.9 new hospital admissions per 100,000 residents, and 2.9% of staffed inpatient beds are currently being used by people with Covid.

Fairfax County saw 338.9 new cases per 100,000 residents from May 15 through Saturday (May 21), keeping its COVID-19 community level at “medium.”

With 405 cases added today (Monday), the Fairfax Health District has now reported 197,931 cases, 4,537 hospitalizations, and 1,517 deaths during the pandemic.

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Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases over the past 13 weeks, as of May 6, 2022 (via VDH)

Fairfax County’s ongoing Covid surge reached new heights this week.

The county is now seeing a “medium” level of COVID-19 in the community. This is the first time that the county’s classification has changed since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adopted its current metrics for measuring the disease’s spread in February.

The CDC measures COVID-19 community levels based on the number of cases and new hospital admissions per 100,000 people as well as the percentage of staffed inpatient beds utilized by people diagnosed with Covid.

As of yesterday (Thursday), Fairfax County has recorded 210.1 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days. If that number exceeds 200 cases, the CDC automatically classifies a community’s level as medium, regardless of the other metrics.

The county falls in the “low” thresholds for new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 residents (3.4), and the percentage of hospital beds filled by patients with Covid (1.9%).

The Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, is currently averaging 396.9 cases per day over the past week — a 90-case increase just since Monday (May 2), according to Virginia Department of Health data.

“Disease increases are likely related to the emergence of new Omicron sub-variants (BA.2, BA.2.12.1) and fewer people using mitigation measures such as masking or distancing from others,” the Fairfax County Health Department said today (Friday). “COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in Fairfax County remain low though the rate of hospitalizations has more than doubled in the past month.”

Schools see increase in COVID-19 outbreaks

According to the FCHD, the rise in cases has extended to schools with 139 classrooms reporting outbreaks this week — a jump of more than 50% from the 74 classrooms with outbreaks last week.

The department notes that those numbers include both public and private schools as well as childcare facilities. The outbreaks, which are clusters of three or more connected COVID-19 cases, have primarily occurred in elementary schools.

After seeing a dip in March, Fairfax County Public Schools students reported 1,687 COVID-19 cases in April, and there have already been 1,277 cases in May, according to the school system’s data dashboard. FCPS had 2,907 cases among students in January, which remains the all-time record.

COVID-19 cases reported to Fairfax County Public Schools in February through May 2022 (via FCPS)

“Our current protocols remain in place until we reach a high transmission level,” an FCPS spokesperson told FFXnow.

As noted in a newsletter earlier this week, FCPS says students’ parents and guardians are still required to fill out a daily screening questionnaire to determine whether they should be in school. Face masks are recommended, though they haven’t been required since the beginning of March.

FCPS recently updated its protocols for students who test positive for COVID-19, allowing students to return to in-person classes after five days of isolation if they are symptom-free and wear a mask.

With Mother’s Day and other spring occasions approaching, the county health department advises residents to keep COVID-19 health risks in mind and hold gatherings outside if possible.

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Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases for the past 13 weeks, as of May 2, 2022 (via VDH)

The calendar may have turned a page, but COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County keep going up.

The Fairfax Health District, which also includes Fairfax and Falls Church cities, has added 812 cases over the past three days, according to the Virginia Department of Health, which didn’t report new cases on Saturday or Sunday (April 30-May 1).

The district is averaging 307 cases per day for the past week — nearly four times the 77.1 cases recorded on March 22, which remains the lowest weekly average of the year. The district last averaged over 300 cases on Feb. 11 (319.9 cases), as the pandemic’s winter surge was waning.

While hospitalizations are still relatively low, they have noticeably increased over the past month. Another 30 Fairfax County residents were admitted to a hospital for COVID-19 last week, a 23% increase from the previous seven days, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through Friday (April 29).

Virginia’s northern region is averaging 60 hospitalizations per day for the week, a roughly 60% increase from three weeks ago.

In addition, four more district residents have died from COVID-19 since last week, bringing the overall death toll to 1,511 people, according to Fairfax County Health Department data. The district has recorded 186,954 cases and 4,484 hospitalizations.

All Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases, as of May 2, 2022 (via VDH)

While the BA.2 omicron subvariant has been the predominant Covid strain during this surge, the VDH reported on Friday that another, even more transmissible omicron subvariant, dubbed BA.2.12.1, “is beginning to make inroads” nationally, particularly in New York and the northeastern part of the U.S.

In a blog post last Tuesday (April 26), the county health department again urged community members to get vaccinated if they haven’t done so already.

“There are instances where some vaccinated people get COVID illness, but the disease will be milder and they will have a reduced chance of hospitalization,” the FCHD said. “Consider wearing a mask in indoor settings, avoiding crowds and taking other precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safer.”

More than three-quarters of Fairfax Health District residents — 76% or 898,938 people — are now considered fully vaccinated. That’s 1,312 more people than this time last week, and it includes 84.1% of all people aged 18 and older.

A total of 988,831 residents, or 83.5% of the population, has gotten at least one dose:

  • 92.3% of adults
  • 98.5% of 16-17 year olds
  • 94.3% of 12-15 year olds
  • 59.1% of 5-11 year olds

According to VDH, about 43.3% of county residents, or 498,156 people, have received a booster or third shot, including 52.8% of adults and 34.1% of adolescents aged 12-17.

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Morning Notes

A spring dandelion (photo by Marjorie Copson)

Case Against Park Police Who Shot McLean Man Dropped — “Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) on Friday dropped the state’s federal appeal in the manslaughter case against two U.S. Park Police officers, effectively ending any attempt at criminal prosecution of the officers who fatally shot unarmed motorist Bijan Ghaisar in a Fairfax County neighborhood in 2017.” [The Washington Post]

Hundreds Help Pack Ukrainian Refugee Donations — “Hundreds of volunteers gathered this weekend in Oakton to help pack approx. 1800 boxes with donations collected for displaced Ukrainians. Huge thanks to our community members for donating, these wonderful volunteers, and to Paxton Co. for generously shipping these items.” [Chairman Jeff McKay/Twitter]

Mount Vernon Fire Started by Hair Dryer — A house fire in the 3700 block of Nalls Road on Wednesday (April 20) was started accidentally by an electrical event involving a hair dryer in the basement bathroom, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says. There were reported injuries or displacements, but the fire caused an estimated $37,500 in damages. [FCFRD]

Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers Critical to Covid Response — “Since February of 2020, over 1,400 MRC members volunteered more than 65,000 hours at vaccination clinics and testing events, and assisting with outreach, isolation and quarantine efforts, logistical support, and so much more.” [Fairfax County Health Department]

Merrifield Nonprofit Gets Boost from Football Fans — “Wolf Trap Animal Rescue keeps receiving donations from the public in honor of Dwayne Haskins, the former Washington quarterback who died in an accident on a Florida highway on April 9. Haskins…selected Wolf Trap Animal Rescue as his organization to represent for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign.” [Patch]

Turner Farm Observatory Seeks “Dark Sky” Designation — “To help reverse the trend of growing light pollution, the Great Falls observatory applied to become an Urban Night Sky Place with the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA)…If approved, the observatory would become the first IDA-designated place in the Washington region.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Construction Starts on Woodley Hills Park Playground — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will begin the installation of a new playground and removal of the existing playground the week of April 25, 2022. Construction access to the site will be from Old Mount Vernon Road. It is anticipated that the playground replacement will be completed by early June 2022.” [FCPA]

Reston Library Book Sale Starts Wednesday — The Friends of the Reston Regional Library will host its biggest book sale of the year, starting with a members-only night from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday (April 27). The sale will be open to all starting at 10 a.m. Thursday through Sunday (April 28-May 2) and include 35,000 to 40,000 books. [Friends of the Reston Regional Library]

It’s Monday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 75 and low of 55. Sunrise at 6:19 am and sunset at 7:57 pm. [Weather.gov]

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The Virginia Department of Health’s mobile COVID-19 vaccine van parked in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County’s COVID-19 transmission level is still well below where it was this past winter, but a rise in cases that was barely perceptible a week ago has started to solidify into a more concrete trend.

The Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax and Falls Church cities, is averaging 167 cases a day for the past week. That’s the highest weekly average since Feb. 18 (169 cases) and more than twice this year’s low point of 77 cases on March 22, according to Virginia Department of Health data.

The current seven-day average is even higher — 191 cases — when looking at the Fairfax County Health Department, which doesn’t take data clean-up adjustments into account.

The uptick is driven in part by the addition of 254 cases on Saturday (April 9) — the most cases reported by the district in one day since Feb. 11, which had 311 new cases.

Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases over the past 26 weeks, as of April 11, 2022 (via VDH)

The omicron subvariant that drove up Covid cases in Europe last month has now become the dominant strain in the U.S. It is responsible for about two-thirds of infections in the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Virginia, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicates.

Evidence suggests the subvariant, known as BA.2, is more contagious and spreads faster than the original omicron variant, which fueled this winter’s surge, but it doesn’t appear to make people sicker, the FCHD says.

At the same time, hospitalizations and deaths due to the coronavirus continue to decline, according to the CDC, which still classifies the level of COVID-19 in the county as low.

During the pandemic, the Fairfax Health District has recorded 181,385 COVID-19 cases, 4,455 hospitalizations and 1,497 deaths among residents, including 90 new cases today (Monday).

Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases for the past year, as of April 11, 2022 (via VDH)

According to the FCHD’s dashboard, 967,835 district residents — 81.8% of the population — have received at least one dose of vaccine, including:

  • 90.8% of people aged 18 and older
  • 96.9% of 16-17 year olds
  • 92.8% of 12-15 year olds
  • 53.5% of 5-11 year olds

876,264 residents, or 74%, are now fully vaccinated, including 82.8% of adults. Just in Fairfax County, 488,322 residents — 42.4% of the population — have gotten a booster or third shot, including 51.8% of adults and 33.4% of adolescents aged 12 to 17.

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(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Your perception of the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Fairfax County might vary depending on which data dashboard you’re looking at.

For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies the county’s COVID-19 community level as “low” based on the hospitalization metrics that the federal agency has used since February.

An estimated 17 Fairfax County residents were admitted into a hospital with COVID-19 over the past seven days, a 3.2% decline from the previous week, according to the CDC. That amounts to 1.5 new patients per 100,000 residents, and 1.1% of staffed inpatient beds are being used by confirmed COVID-19 patients.

However, the CDC’s community transmission dashboard, which uses the number of new cases per 100,000 people and testing positivity rate, still rates the level of spread in the county as “substantial.”

The Virginia Department of Health’s cases dashboard indicates that the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, reported 83 new cases today (Monday), putting its current seven-day average at 113.9 daily cases. Recently, the county’s dashboard stopped reporting the number of new daily cases, favoring the 7-day average number of daily cases.

The weekly average has climbed slightly over the past couple of weeks. The 77 cases averaged on March 22 had been the district’s lowest rate since July 31, 2021. The all-time highest average was 2,590 cases on Jan. 13.

Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases over the past 26 weeks, as of April 4, 2022 (via VDH)
All Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases, as of April 4, 2022 (via VDH)

The Fairfax County Health Department’s dashboard, however, says, on average, there have been 163 new cases reported per day for the past week.

An FCHD spokesperson confirmed that the discrepancy between the county and state data stems from the former tracking total new cases, while the latter has been using net new cases, which subtracts any past cases that turned out to be duplicates or actually occurred in a different locality.

Overall, the Fairfax Health District has recorded 180,216 COVID-19 cases, 4,446 hospitalizations, and 1,490 deaths during the pandemic.

While federal funding for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations has officially run out, Fairfax County will still provide those services for free to people without insurance, the county health department says.

Free testing concluded in March, and free vaccinations are set to end tomorrow (Tuesday), though Congress is negotiating a new funding deal.

“At this time, the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) will continue to provide vaccinations for all at no charge at county-operated clinics, including pop-up clinics, held throughout the community,” FCHD said. “The Health Department will continue to work with the state to determine the future impact on these programs.”

The federal government is still offering four free at-home tests at no charge, and the county operates mobile clinics that provide free testing. FCHD advises residents to call pharmacies and other private providers in advance to see whether they are charging for tests.

Vaccination rates in the district have not substantially changed since last week. Per the FCHD, 966,773 residents, or 81.6% of the population, have received at least one dose, including:

  • 90.7% of people aged 18 and older
  • 96.9% of 16-17 year olds
  • 92.7% of 12-15 year olds
  • 53.3% of 5-11 year olds

874,858 residents, or 73.8%, are fully vaccinated, including 82.5% of adults.

According to the VDH, 482,472 Fairfax County residents — 41.9% of the population — have gotten a booster or third dose, including 51.2% of adults and 32.9% of adolescents aged 12-17.

Certain residents who are aged 50 and older, have only received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or are immunocompromised are now eligible to get a second booster shot if at least four months have passed since their first booster.

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Fairfax County Public Schools

Recent drug overdoses by teenagers in the Richmond Highway corridor and emergency care statistics have led Fairfax County officials to intensify their efforts to address the opioid epidemic.

Hospitals and urgent care centers in the county have seen nonfatal overdoses rise in the last three years, from 232 to 324 and 354 as of last year. Most of the opiate cases involve fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s 80-100 times more powerful than morphine, while heroin cases are declining, the county health department told FFXnow.

County Executive Bryan Hill and Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand reported in a March 15 letter that the county has seen “a concerning number” of nonfatal overdoses involving teens aged 15 to 17 in the Richmond Highway corridor.

They said the incidents have primarily involved illicit pills, likely fentanyl, but the substances weren’t verified by lab tests at the time of their writing.

“Individuals of all ages are impacted by the opioid epidemic in the Fairfax Health District, with the 18-34 age range having the highest rates of fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the Fairfax Health District in recent years,” the letter said.

In Fairfax County, opioid overdoses are the top non-natural cause of death. They were involved in the deaths of 83 people in 2019, 94 people in 2020, and 85 individuals for a nine-month period in 2021.

Last spring, the U.S. saw more than 100,000 people die from drug overdoses during a 12-month period — the highest rate ever recorded, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opioids were involved in most of those deaths.

Ellen Volo, Fairfax County’s opioid task force coordinator, says there are over 30 activities underway or in development across five priority areas:

  1. Education, prevention, and collaboration
  2. Early intervention and treatment
  3. Enforcement and criminal justice
  4. Data and monitoring
  5. Harm reduction

Fairfax County Health Department spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said the department is collaborating with the Fairfax County Opioid and Substance Use Task Force.

Resources for prevention, treatment, and enforcement can also be found through the school system, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, the police department, and community organizations like the nonprofit Chris Atwood Foundation.

“It is not just one effort — it is the coordinated efforts — that will make a difference,” she said by email.

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Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases over the past 26 weeks, as of March 28, 2022 (via VDH)

Fairfax County saw a slight uptick in COVID-19 cases this past week, but the overall level of community transmission remains low.

After seeing mostly double-digit daily caseloads during the previous week, the Fairfax Health District — including the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church — reported 157 new cases on Wednesday (March 23), 154 cases on Friday (March 25), and a total of 249 cases over the weekend, including 75 new cases today (Monday).

On its data dashboard, the Virginia Department of Health reported all of this weekend’s cases today, pushing the district’s rolling seven-day average up to 117 cases — the highest it’s been since March 9.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still classifies the county’s community transmission level as low based the case rate per 100,000 residents (52.55), new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 residents (1.6) and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds used by patients with confirmed COVID-19 (1.5%).

Overall, the district has recorded 179,419 total COVID-19 cases, 4,446 hospitalizations, and 1,485 deaths during the pandemic. The four most recent confirmed deaths, based on the date of death, came during the week of March 5.

All Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases as of March 28, 2022 (via VDH)

The omicron variant is still responsible for majority of cases in the area, but a subvariant known as BA.2 has been gaining ground. It is behind 34.9% of infections in the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Virginia, according to the CDC.

The subvariant is more transmissible than the original omicron variant and triggered a new surge in cases across Europe this month.

However, scientists say it does not appear to cause more severe illnesses. Vaccinations remain effective at preventing severe illness and death, and the similarities between the variants means that people who were infected with omicron may have some immunity to BA.2.

According to the Fairfax County Health Department, vaccinations in the district have slowed to a crawl, with only about 200 more residents obtaining a first dose since last Monday (March 21).

As of today, 965,535 district residents, or 81.6%, have received at least one vaccine dose, including:

  • 90.6% of people 18 and older
  • 96.8% of 16-17 year olds
  • 92.5% of 12-15 year olds
  • 52.9% of 5-11 year olds

There are 873,032 fully vaccinated residents, which is 73.8% of the population, including 82.5% of adults.

In Fairfax County, 477,892 people — or 41.5% of residents — have gotten a booster or third dose, including 50.7% of adults and 32.6% of people aged 12 to 17, VDH’s data dashboard shows.

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There is still a mass COVID-19 vaccination site in the Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

About eight months after the delta variant revived face masks, Fairfax County’s COVID-19 case rate has dropped back into double digits.

With 53 new cases today (Monday), the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, is now averaging 87 cases reported a day for the past week — its lowest seven-day average since Aug. 1, 2021, when it was seeing 86 cases per day.

Case levels have declined precipitously since peaking at a weekly average of 2,590 cases on Jan. 13. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still classifies community transmission levels as low based on its current hospitalization-focused metrics.

As of Friday (March 18), there had been 21 county residents newly admitted into a hospital with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. The county’s seven-day average of 1.9 per 100,000 residents represented a 35% drop from the previous week, according to CDC data.

In total, 4,440 Fairfax Health District residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 during the pandemic. There have been 178,716 cases and 1,476 deaths.

Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases over the past 26 weeks, as of March 21, 2022 (via VDH)
All Fairfax Health District COVID-19 cases as of March 21, 2022 (via VDH)

With cases continuing to fall, demand for vaccinations has slowed to the point where the Virginia and Fairfax County health departments are preparing to close two mass vaccine sites at the end of this week, citing “a diminished need” for that approach.

Since the first supplies arrived in December 2020, more than 2.2 million vaccine doses have been administered in the Fairfax Health District. 965,319 residents — 81.6% of the population — have gotten at least one dose.

According to Fairfax County Health Department data, that includes:

  • 90.6% of people aged 18 and older
  • 96.8% of 16-17 year olds
  • 92.4% of 12-15 year olds
  • 52.7% of 5-11 year olds

Fairfax County’s vaccination rates for the 5-11 and 12-17 age groups (58.4% and 94%, respectively) are among the highest in the state, the Virginia Department of Health says.

In addition, 41.2% of county residents have gotten a booster shot or third dose, including 50.2% of adults and 32.2% of youth aged 12-17.

However, the future of Virginia’s vaccination campaign could become hazier, as federal health officials warn that funding for COVID-19 response efforts, including vaccines and tests, is running out — even as a highly transmissible omicron subvariant takes hold in the U.S.

Brought about after Congress eliminated a $15 billion coronavirus aid package from its budget bill last week, the White House says the funding collapse could affect everything from the availability of antibody treatments to vaccine and testing reimbursements for uninsured individuals.

The Virginia Department of Health says it’s not clear yet how the federal funding shortfall will affect the state’s vaccination program, but testing efforts are safe for now.

“VDH’s COVID testing programs are funded through a grant that will not be impacted by the federal government’s funding challenges,” the department’s central office said in a statement.

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