Coronavirus Prompts Grocery Shortages, Planning In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Amid cases of new coronavirus confirmed in Northern Virginia, Fairfax County is seeing impacts, from schools preparing for potential closures to empty grocery store shelves.

As of Tuesday, March 10, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed five presumptive cases of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, in the state. The patients include a married Fairfax City couple who went on a Nile River cruise, a Spotsylvania County resident, a Marine assigned to Marine Corps Base Quantico who was in Ethiopia for official business and is being treated on Fort Belvoir, and Arlington resident who had recently returned from international travel. Presumptive cases mean confirmation is pending testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A sixth presumptive Virginia case was reported by the Loudoun County Health Department. The person is believed to have come in contact with a person with the coronavirus while attending Christ Church Georgetown, which has reported a case.

The new coronavirus, first identified during December 2019 in Wuhan, China, can cause mild to more severe respiratory illness. In a small proportion of patients, COVID-19 can cause death, particularly among those who are older or who have chronic medical conditions. Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing and can appear two to 14 days after exposure. According to the CDC, COVID-19 is thought to spread between people within six feet of each other through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

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According to the Fairfax County Health Department, the risk to the county and general American public remains low. There is an increased risk on an individual basis for those who have had close contact with people diagnosed with COVID-19, health care workers who have cared for patients with COVID-19, people who traveled to countries where COVID-19 is widespread and people living in places where there is community spread of COVID-19.

We've rounded up information on how the new coronavirus is impacting Fairfax County, from the health department's response and school preparations to consumer reactions. Residents can avoid misinformation about COVID-19 by following official sources such as the Fairfax County Health Department, Virginia Department of Health and CDC.

Health Department

The Fairfax County Health Department is coordinating with the Virginia Department of Health and healthcare partners to mitigate the spread of the new coronavirus.

"We are prepared to respond to a COVID-19 outbreak if it happens," reads a statement from the health department.

The health department's strategy involves identifying people who may have been exposed to the new coronavirus and work with the CDC to test people. If a person is diagnosed with the new coronavirus, the health department will work with the patient, their medical provider, and their family to treat the illness and isolate the patient.

Public health officials aren't urging people to avoid places other than the countries under CDC travel advisories. The health department says "there is no reason to treat people of a certain race or ethnicity differently, no reason to assume they have or can spread COVID-19, and no reason to avoid businesses owned by people of a certain race or ethnicity because of fear of COVID-19 infection."

To lower the risk of contracting the new coronavirus or spreading COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Health encourages the following behaviors:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Avoid non-essential travel.

Grocery Stores

If you've been seeing shortages of products on grocery store shelves, you're not alone. Grocery stores have been seeing increased sales of products like hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, bottled water and nonperishable foods — and even toilet paper. The shortages have prompted some stores to limit the quantities of products customers can buy.

Kingstowne Patch reader Marlene A. Eilers Koenig wrote that she hasn't been able to buy one bottle of sanitizer after trying Wegmans, Lidl, Safeway, Giant, CVS and Walmart in the last five days. The reader compared the buying frenzy to "the blizzard mentality."

Marlig Da Costa submitted photos of empty shelves at the Burke Walmart on Monday, which included where hand sanitizer is usually stocked. She also reported shortages of hand soap and disinfecting wipes.

Toilet paper is one of the items being bought en masse, leaving some puzzled. Burke Patch reader Angela Brown wrote that toilet paper and disinfectant cleaners were out at Wegmans in Fairfax on Monday, while Francesca Crispino said there was little to no toilet paper at the Burke area Target and Walmart. Kingstowne Patch reader Lara Mitchka said she got the last toilet paper at the Costco in Newington.

Public Schools

Fairfax County Public Schools, will have a student holiday on Monday, March 16 to prepare for the possibility of a school closure related to a new coronavirus outbreak. The day will be a staff development day "to provide an opportunity for staff to prepare for the possibility of distance learning in the event of a school(s) closure," the school district tweeted.

Scott Brabrand, superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, said in a March 9 update a COVID-19 response team was formed to create a crisis response strategy for schools and departments. While schools continue to operate normally, FCPS has two planning scenarios should the outbreak affect the district.

The first scenario would keep a large percentage of schools open, but a single school or small group of schools would dismiss students from classes to limit transmission of illness. The superintendent may allow students to be dismissed from classes based on the health department director's recommendation. This scenario could limit instructional program support and division-wide support services due to high absenteeism rate or the redeployment of staff.

The second scenario would involve students being dismissed from all schools by order of the state health commissioner to limit transmission of illness, or by order of the division superintendent or the school Board due to falling class attendance or rising staff absenteeism. FCPS facilities would remain open to faculty and staff.

FCPS has snow days available should schools need to be closed. The school district plans to make loaner laptops and mobile hotspot devices available to families who lack access to computers and internet access at home. The school district's plan will account for staff who may be unable to provide instruction because of their own health or caring for a sick relative.

As spring break approaches, FCPS has introduced a travel history questionnaire in light of the CDC's travel advisories for China, Iran, South Korea and Italy. Students who have traveled to these four countries will not be able to newly enroll or return to school for 14 days after returning to the U.S. FCPS has directed schools to provide instructional materials to students who have been advised to self-quarantine and be absent from school.

FCPS-sponsored international field trips and short-term international visitations have been cancelled through June 30.

More information on the school district's response to new coronavirus is available at www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update.

Hospitals

Hospitals in Fairfax County are monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, which is treating the U.S. Marine who tested positive for COVID-19, said there is a low risk to the general population.

"Transmission of COVID-19 requires very close contact with infected individuals," the hospital said in a statement. "A person would need to be within 6 feet for over 15 consecutive minutes for such transmission to occur. Simply walking past an individual does not put you at risk of contracting COVID-19. Proper protocols have been in place, and will remain in place here at FBCH."

Inova Health System, which has several locations, advises patients to come to the hospital "if you are having difficulty breathing or have flu-like symptoms that are not improving." Before going to the hospital, patients should call their health care provider for guidance. Patients should call ahead and wear a facemask if directed to go to a hospital or an outpatient clinic.

Reston Hospital Center and Dominion Hospital say the "top priority" is patent and visitor safety. "We regularly treat patients with infectious diseases and our clinical teams are highly trained in infection prevention protocols," the hospitals' websites say.

Police

A Fairfax County Police Department spokesperson said officers were directed to CDC guidelines for law enforcement. This includes information about symptoms, the way health officials believe COVID-19 spreads, and ways law enforcement can protect themselves from exposure. When law enforcement has contact with individuals confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19, the CDC arecommends minimum personal protective equipment of disposable examination gloves, disposable isolation gown or single-use coveralls, NIOSH-approved particulate respirator and eye protection.

Transit

Transit agencies serving Fairfax County are responded with enhanced cleaning protocols.

Metro workers have been cleaning heavily-used areas and Metrobus steering wheels each day, while train cars undergo a "hospital-level disinfectant process" each week, The Washington Post reported. The transit agency distributed hand sanitizer to Metrobus operator and other "front-line" workers last week.

The contractor operating Fairfax Connector bus service has reviewed and updated cleaning protocols based on public health guidance. That includes increased cleaning cycles of vehicles with a focus on bus interiors and touchpoints like door handles, handrails and other surfaces. The contractor initiated regular communication with workers about the virus with guidance on preventing it from spreading.

On Virginia Railway Express, passenger cars on the commuter trains are wiped down daily with disinfectant, especially on areas people touch like seats and handholds. Restrooms are also cleaned and disinfected.

We will update this guide as needed with information on the impacts of COVID-19 to Fairfax County.