Arlington Residents 65 And Up Are Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccine

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington County is ramping up its distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination. This follows 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.

“We are thankful that the state is making the COVID-19 vaccine more accessible to Virginians who need it and want it,” said Dr. Aaron Miller, director of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management in a release. “Right now, every available dose that we have has a corresponding arm for it to go into. And we continue to support the Commonwealth’s efforts to release more vaccine.”

Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said the county's top priority is making vaccination distribution quick, efficient, and equitable.

“We know that many residents are frustrated, and we understand and share your concerns," he said. "Since Monday, there have been rapid changes in eligibility within the priority groups, including the addition of those 65-74 years old and those 16-64 with underlying medical conditions to Phase 1b. We also are receiving far fewer vaccines than the demand from Arlingtonians. We ask you to be as patient as possible as we work with urgency on this critical challenge.”

This weekend, the Arlington Public Health Division is conducting two clinics to vaccinate 1,800 people from childcare/preK-12 teachers/staff in the Phase 1b priority group, including those from Arlington Public Schools.

In addition, Arlington has 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 94 additional cases of COVID-19, the illness associated with the new coronavirus, Saturday in the Arlington Health District. This is up from the 67 reported on Friday.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Arlington Health District stands at 10,520.

No new deaths were reported in the Arlington Health District on Friday. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in Arlington now stands at 187. A total of 689 people have been hospitalized in Arlington due to COVID-19.

As of Saturday morning, 5,131 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered in the Arlington Health District.

VDH reported that 164,870 COVID-19 tests have been taken in Arlington, with a 10.7 percent positivity rate. Statewide there have been 5,815,263 COVID-19 tests taken, with a 14.1 percent positivity rate.

There have been 42 outbreaks of COVID-19 in the Arlington Health District. There have been 26 outbreaks at long-term care facilities, eight in a congregate setting, one at a correctional facility, four in healthcare settings, two at a child care facilities, and one at a college or a university.

The total number of cases associated with an outbreak is 881. There have been 287 reported coronavirus cases in Arlington involving health care workers.

There have been 429,391 total cases statewide, according to data reported by the Virginia Department of Health. In Virginia, there have been 5,706 coronavirus-related deaths to date. There have been a total of 19,846 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

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Globally, more than 94.1 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 2 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Saturday morning. In the United States, more than 23.6 million people have been infected and over 393,000 people have died from COVID-19.

VDH breaks down the number of cases and deaths in Arlington by age, race and ethnicity. The breakdown by age is as follows:

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 ...

• Most New Coronavirus Cases Reported In 1 Day In Arlington
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: No New Deaths; 82 More Cases
• Coronavirus Positive Average Continues Downward Trend In Virginia
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: 1 New Death; 75 Additional Cases
• Coronavirus Positive Average Dips Below 16 Percent In Virginia
• 2 Free Walk-Up COVID-19 Testing Kiosks To Open In Arlington