COVID cases trending upwards in Fairfax County

COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County are on the upswing, while the economic challenges are mounting.

There were 205 new cases on Nov. 11 and 131 new cases on
Nov. 10, the Fairfax County Health Department reports. There were two deaths
since yesterday, for a total of 624.

As of Nov. 11, the county had a total of 26,051 COVID cases,
622 deaths, and 2,390 hospitalizations.

Weekly averages in November are the highest since June. The
number of deaths is also up this month. The positivity rate for COVID has been
above 5 percent for the past two weeks.

Although coronavirus cases are increasing in Fairfax County, “they have not reached the surge in disease transmission that has occurred
across the country,” says Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay in his
newsletter.

“Our community transmission level has increased from low to
moderate,” McKay says. “Our case investigators are seeing more exposures
occurring in workplaces, at celebratory events and gatherings, and within
households.”

That’s in line with trends reported nationwide by
researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who found
household contacts and indoor gatherings are common sources of COVID-19
transmission.

“People are experiencing COVID fatigue, which is
understandable, but this is when spread occurs,” McKay says. “We must continue
to stay home when sick, social distance, wear masks, and hand wash frequently.”

This is particularly important as the holidays near.
Controlling COVID cases will be crucial to continuing to allow the economy and
schools to open, he warns.

The Fairfax County Health Department’s guidelines for a safe thanksgiving urge people to avoid high-risk activities, such as shopping in
crowded stores and attending crowded parades and large indoor gatherings with
people outside one’s household. 

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the local
economy, according to a report by HR&A Advisors Inc. which was presented to
the Board of Supervisors’ Economic Initiatives Committee Nov. 10.

McKay summarizes the highlights in his newsletter:

• Fairfax County initially lost about 48,200 jobs but 30,500
  jobs have been regained. However, the labor force has shrunk by 22,000 workers.
• The majority of job losses were concentrated in just a few industries.
  More than 12,000 jobs were lost in the accommodations and food services sector,
  which represents 26 percent of that sector’s entire workforce. Other sectors
  experiencing big job losses are healthcare, retail trade, and administrative
  services.
• Residents in Fairfax County are still primarily working
  remotely and spending 40 percent less time at their workplaces.
• Residents are spending 22 percent less time visiting retail
  shops and restaurants, and consumer spending has decreased by 14 percent.
• In the D.C. area, 38 percent of small businesses have either
  temporarily or permanently closed. For businesses that remain open, revenue is
  down 55 percent.
• Total passenger activity at National and Dulles airports is
  down 64 percent.
• Job losses were disproportionately concentrated in sectors
  with relatively low wages, which means that workers who were already more vulnerable were the most likely to lose employment. Ninety percent of all
  job losses in the county were in industries with average annual wages less than
  80 percent of the area median income.
• Job losses were also disproportionately concentrated in
  sectors with relatively more diverse workforces and higher concentrations of
  workers of color.

The Board of Supervisors will consider the report’s findings
as it develops a strategy for economic recovery.