Arlington Coronavirus Update: 1,800 Teachers Receive Vaccine

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington County inoculated 1,800 teachers with the COVID-19 vaccine in two events on Saturday and Monday, according to a county release. Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said the availability of the vaccine was the only limiting factor in the county's ability innoculate eligible individuals.

“We have the capacity to do at least 2,000 doses per day or 14,000 per week, and we can do more if we were assured a greater supply," de Ferranti said, in the release. "The County Manager and our Public Health Director have informed me that currently, we are being promised only 1,400 doses this week of the first-dose vaccine."

Last week, Arlington announced it was ramping up its distribution of the vaccine following Gov. Ralph Northam's announcement that all Virginians age 65 and older and those age 16-64 with underlying medical conditions would be eligible to be vaccinated under Phase 1b of the state's vaccination plan.

“Arlington has the infrastructure, staff, and preparation in place to continue to deliver the vaccine at the scale of these two events, and we are ready to use considerable additional staff from our Fire Department to scale immediately to do more vaccines. Supply of vaccine is the only limitation on our ability to put shots in arms,” de Ferranti said. “While we are aware that the uncertainty of federal distribution to the states seems to be affecting our local supply, we seek a commitment from the Virginia Department of Health that more doses will be allocated to Arlington. We are ready to expand our weekly throughput immediately to 10,000 doses per week, but we need assurance from VDH on delivery of first vaccines and greater clarity about the arrival of second doses.”

Arlington has also partnered with Virginia Hospital Center to operate a vaccination clinic for residents 75 and older.

Residents who are 65-74 years of age and 16-64 with a high-risk medical condition or disability can pre-register online to be notified when appointments become available.

Frontline essential workers as identified in Phase 1b who wish to be vaccinated should continue to pre-register with the Arlington County Public Health Division.

Virginia Department of Health confirmed 70 additional cases of COVID-19, the illness associated with the new coronavirus, Tuesday in the Arlington Health District. This is down from the 113 reported on Monday.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Arlington Health District stands at 10,860.

One new death due to COVID-19 was reported in the Arlington Health District on Tuesday. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in Arlington now stands at 189. A total of 707 people have been hospitalized in Arlington due to COVID-19.

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Globally, more than 95.7 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 2 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday morning. In the United States, more than 24 million people have been infected and over 399,000 people have died from COVID-19.

Arlington residents should take the following actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Also see ...

• After Record-Setting Sunday, Virginia Sees 7,245 New COVID Cases
• Over 9,900 New Coronavirus Cases Reported In Virginia
• Arlington Residents 65 And Up Are Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccine
• Most New Coronavirus Cases Reported In 1 Day In Arlington
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: No New Deaths; 82 More Cases