Month: June 2021

What the data shows

COVID-19 case numbers are currently falling as vaccinations go up, but we need to keep an eye on the data to see if Memorial Day weekend had an impact. The holiday may have resulted in fewer people receiving tests, or it may have affected how quickly those tests were processed. Also, gatherings could add to more cases.

The data will finally tell. For comparison, in 2020 the seven-day mean new cases fell after Memorial Day and then began to rise rapidly a few weeks after Independence Day.

DC didn’t release data over Memorial Day weekend and then reported 102 cases on Tuesday. The 7-day average was 28 compared to 27 a week ago.
The district estimated that as of May 23, 51.2% of residents were vaccinated.

Maryland counted just 101 cases, the lowest since March 24, 2020.
Seventy percent of Maryland’s adult residents have received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Virginia reported 158 new cases Tuesday, and the seven-day average of new cases dropped to 201. About 67% of adults received a dose of vaccine.

Local coronavirus headlines

• Certain DC public schools offer COVID-19 vaccinations to residents 12 and older. Walk-up clinics will be available at Anacostia High School, Eastern High School, Luke C. Moore High School, and Ida B. Wells Middle School. No appointments are required. Here you can find information about the opening times.
• Other local libraries reopened on Tuesday. Six locations in Montgomery County welcome readers again. In DC, visitors can spend up to 70 minutes in the library browsing books.
• The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is lifting some restrictions. In churches, masks are recommended for anyone who has not been vaccinated. People from different households should continue to keep social distance, but only need to stay three feet apart. Here are the full details.
• In Virginia, all remaining social distancing and capacity restrictions have been lifted. Governor Ralph Northam had previously planned to lift the restrictions in mid-June, but the date has been postponed for two weeks.
• Montgomery County entered its final phase of reopening on Friday morning, ending all COVID-19-related capacity restrictions and social distancing requirements for indoor and outdoor activities and businesses. Businesses and workplaces may have their own policies that require facial coverage, and businesses and county residents must continue to obey any direction or direction from the state.
• Prince George’s County lifted its mask requirement for fully vaccinated people, except on public transportation, schools and daycare, and healthcare. Companies or organizations can choose to adhere to more stringent requirements. Unvaccinated people are urged to continue wearing masks and get vaccinated as soon as possible, district officials said.
• The district has reopened its public swimming pools and paddling parks. Face covering is required for all visitors aged 2 years and over, including in changing rooms and leisure centers. Face covering is also required on pool decks for visitors who are not fully vaccinated. Check out the pools’ locations and schedules, and find more information here.
• Prince George’s County’s vaccination efforts are shifting to mobile resources that reach residents directly. The county has closed vaccine sites at the Cheverly Health Center and the Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center. Several other websites are still open; Here you can book a vaccination appointment. However, appointments are no longer required in COVID-19 vaccine clinics operated by the district health department. Here you can find information about walk-in clinics.
• University of Virginia students living, studying, or working on campus this fall will need to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, and regular coronavirus testing will be required for unvaccinated employees starting this summer, administrators said last week, the Associated Press reported .
• Most companies in DC operate without restrictions. Restaurants, wedding venues, places of worship, retail stores, and gyms can all be 100% busy with no social distancing requirements. However, some companies will have to wait a little longer. Large sports venues, bars and nightclubs as well as music and entertainment venues cannot be opened at full capacity until June 11th.
• In Virginia and Maryland, indoor mask requirements are being lifted, and those who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear masks in DC with a few exceptions. Exceptions are public transport, health facilities and schools. Unvaccinated individuals are strongly advised to continue to wear masks in all facilities. Companies can still ask for masks.
• Maryland’s statewide restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings, as well as capacity limits in restaurants, malls, gyms, and other businesses have been lifted.
• NBC News makes it easy to find information on when, how, and where to get your coronavirus vaccination with the Plan Your Vaccine website.

Important charts and graphs

Vaccination portals by district

Here’s a look at local portals that DC area residents can use to sign up for vaccination appointments or receive notifications.

As more Americans become fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the number of breakthrough infections is also expected to increase. Here’s what you need to know about this medical phenomenon.

June is Pride month for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. Twelve workshops are offered over three days. Some workshops are creative and others educational, but they all celebrate the resilience and beauty of Alexandria’s LGBTQ + community. Moderators and moderators include members of the Alexandria LGBTQ Task Force and other local and state partners including Alexandria Library, Safe Space NOVA, Center for Black Equity, Heard Program, Virginia Anti-Violence Project, Drag Queen Story Hour, Equality Virginia, Impacto LGBT, Affiliates Visit Alexandria and More. Also, don’t miss the Progress Pride flags that will be flying at Alexandria City Hall in June.

Thursday June 3rd

Register for one or more workshops on June 3rd using this link.

10 AM – PREVENT VIOLENCE WITHIN AND AGAINST THE LGBTQ + COMMUNITIES

Natasha Smith, Virginia Anti-Violence Project (VAVP)

Learn more about anti-violence work in Virginia and advocacy from an intersectional, multicultural perspective. Rely on resources for LGBTQ + survivors and their loved ones in Virginia.

12 o’clock | SUN IS OUT, BUNS OUT!

Tina Kantiano, listening program

Take a break from dancing (with the camera on or off)! When you are vaccinated and you know it, clap your hands! And stamp your feet! And work, work, work this arm! Join us as we shake it from our mask-free faces to the tips of our safely pedicured toes. We are here, Ms. Sommer! And we come to kill.

2 p.m. | LIVING AUTHENTICALLY: STORIES OF TRANSGENDER VIRGINS

Sara and Dani

Join transgender advocates for a time of community and learning as they share their stories as transgender people living in Northern Virginia, followed by time for dialogue and questioning.

4:00 p.m. | ON THE PATH TO RACIAL EQUITY AND COMMON HUMANITY: REFLECTION ON WHITE PRIVILEGES IN LGBTQ COMMUNITIES

This workshop is designed to inspire white participants to reflect on their experiences of being both LGBTQ and white, and to consider the impact of those experiences on their motivation to support the racial justice cause in America.

6 p.m. | THE CHANGE IN THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE FOR LGBTQ VIRGINS

Northern Virginia Legal Services, Alexandria Office of Human Rights, and Virginia Equality Bar Association

It’s been a big year for LGBTQ Virginians at the state and federal levels. Learn about the city and state legislation that affects the community. Alexandria City Council members will begin this session by reading the Alexandria Pride Proclamation 2021.

Friday 4th June

Register for one or more workshops on June 4th using this link.

12 o’clock | HISTORY OF BLACK LGBTQ + ACTIVISM IN THE DMV AND DC BLACK PRIDE

Kenya Hutton and Earl Fowlkes, Jr., the Center for Black Equity

Starting in 1991, DC Black Pride began to offer black LGBTQ + people an alternative to the predominantly white mainstream LGBTQ + movement. Learn about these beginnings from one of the movement’s founders and leaders of the Center for Black Equity.

2 p.m. | ELDERLY LGBTQ ADULTS – WE ARE HERE TOGETHER!

Ray Biegun, Alan Dinsmore, Bob Eiffert, Terri Lynch, Babs Waters – Alexandria Commission on Aging and Aging and Adult Services

What challenges do older LGBTQ members of our community face? We may not have a partner. We are not allowed to have close relatives or children. We can be alone. Do we have a support circle? Participate in a conversation about how we are part of a supportive, compassionate, and understanding community. We promise that by attending this workshop you will not get older, and it might even make aging less intimidating, knowing that we live in a community that cares.

4:00 p.m. | AND THE CATEGORY IS! CONVERSATIONAL WORD WITH C. THOMAS

Listening program

Against the backdrop of the TV show Pose, participants will hear original poetry (and create their own) and identify the meaning and relevance of LGBTQ artists and how their work has inspired others to live their truth.

6 p.m. | QUEERING THE MEDIA: LGBTQ PRESENTATION IN BOOKS, TV AND FILM

Isaiah West, Librarian and Bookstagrammer: @thequeerbrarian

Are you looking for a good, queer character to fall in love with? Join Isaiah West to discuss the representation of LGBTQ + in books, television, and film.

Saturday 5th June

Use this link to register for workshops on June 5th, with the exception of Drag Queen Story Hour at 10 a.m., which has a separate registration link.

10:00 am | DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR WITH CITRINE

Sign up for the Story Hour using this link.

What do drag queens and children have in common? They love to dress up and everything that is glittery and fancy! Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is exactly what it sounds like – drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. Enjoy songs and stories for children ages 3-8.

12 o’clock | HOW TO RECOGNIZE Mental Health Problems in LGBTQ + ADOLESCENTS

Safe Space NOVA Executive Director, Jordan L. Costen-Sumpter and Denisha Johnson, LCSW

Register for this workshop using this link.

Mental health problems plague the LGBTQ + community at an extraordinarily high rate. Worse, symptoms – the first signs of mental health problems – are overlooked, ignored, or misdiagnosed. The purpose of this training is to provide parents and caregivers with signs of mental health problems so that they are better able to identify them in children and provide helpful resources.

2 p.m. | HELPFUL TIPS FOR THE COMING-OUT PROCESS – GUIDELINES FOR FAMILIES, PARENTS / CAREGIVERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS

Safe Space NOVA Executive Director, Jordan L. Costen-Sumpter

Register for this workshop using this link.

The process of understanding and accepting a sexual orientation and / or gender identity can be difficult as the reaction of close family members and friends plays a large role. This training gives parents and caregivers the information and resources they need to properly manage the process.

More Pride Monthly Activities and Events

In addition to the workshops, residents are invited to participate in other city events during Pride Month, including:

Dr. Eric Gonzaba will discuss his digital project which aims to understand the often ignored queer geographies through an interactive web application and digital public history project. Based on the Damron Guides, an early but longtime travel guide aimed at gay men since the early 1960s, this online mapping project explores various dimensions of American gay life over time, from bars and nightlife to bookstores, Cinemas and churches. Fee: $ 6.

Throughout the month, the Alexandria Library hosts a variety of events for all ages including craft workshops, story lessons, book clubs, writing workshops, and more. View or download a full list. Also visit alexlibraryva.org/lgbtq for books, audiobooks, resources, and more.

Boy Scouts with Troop 29 helped raise more than 400 flags in Arlington Cemetery to mark Memorial Day this year.

Every year (except last year), Boy Scouts and other parishioners get up early in the morning to honor flags on the sidewalks of the local cemetery to honor those who died in military service.

“We only respect those who fought for our freedom to do so,” said Gregory Vaughn, a parent of Arlington’s Boys Scouts of America Troop 92.

“It is important to remember those who fell and to teach these boys how to be young men and serve their community and country,” said Bob Beam, Master Scout for the group.

Beam said the Boy Scouts love to get together for a project.

“They like the camaraderie, they just hang out and have fun digging all the holes,” he said.

Boy Scouts said they enjoyed going out and doing something for their community.

“That’s a good thing,” said Troop 92 Scout Daniel Dunn.

“I just wanted to get out there to be part of the Boy Scout Troop and help the community,” said Troop 92 Scout Carson Raz.

Many of the volunteers who came out during Memorial Day had family members who were veterans or currently in the military.

“We have a family that has served, so it is important to us to fly these flags,” said mother Nicole Donohue.

For the scout troop, however, work begins before Memorial Day.

“One of the things we did during our normal meeting time in April is that we came here and cleaned up all the holes that the flagpoles go into,” Beam said.

But that was more work for this year’s Memorial Day.

“This year was a little different because we didn’t do anything about COVID in 2020, so it took a little longer to clean all the flag holes,” said Beam.

The dirt had built up and the grass had grown stronger than in a typical year.

“There is a flag hole every few feet and we literally had to dig some of them out because they were two or three feet deep,” said Beam.

The event helps teach the children about community service and is also a way to give back to the Arlington American Legion, which also organized the flag-up display.

“We’re going to fly the flags of the American Legion,” said Vaughn.

“The American Legion charter Troop 92 and Pack 92 so we’ll come out and help in return,” he said.

© courtesy photo

PACIFICA, CA – The high school graduates of 2021 had an experience unlike any other in a century – a year turned upside down by a pandemic and lockdowns that kept them from enjoying much of the activities that earlier Seniors took for granted.

Patch hopes to be able to help these seniors with a special farewell greeting. We asked parents and other family members to honor this year’s graduates with a special submission form so that we can publish these honors individually.

Anuheaikekaimoana Furuya will graduate from Terra Nova High School.

Post Graduation Plans: University of Oregon

Achievements: High awards.

Special message: Well done Anuhea !, we are so proud of you!

Would you like to congratulate a special graduate on Patch? Submit yours here. Continue reading

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Top news and notes from Northern Virginia and beyond

5. Local Veteran Honored

Prince William’s leaders honored a Woodbridge soldier who was lost in the Fort Hood mass shootings by adding his name to the Roll of Honor granite memorial in the county government complex on Friday.

4. Woodbridge arrested

A 32-year-old man is jailed without bail at Winslow Court in Woodbridge on Saturday afternoon after two break-ins and an attack on a police officer.

3. Warming trend

Near normal temperatures in the low 80s are expected this week, with some showers on Wednesday. Click here for a detailed forecast by postcode.

2. Teachers on vacation

A Loudoun County teacher was on leave after saying he would not address transgender students with their preferred pronouns, WTOP.com reported this weekend.

1st Educator of the Year

Amy Schott was named Headmistress of the Year and Jamie Dziuba was named Teacher of the Year by Prince William County Public Schools.

From the inside to the outside

The 16th annual Manassas Jazz Festival will take place on June 19th from 12pm to 7pm on the lawn of the Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William St. Tickets cost between $ 25 and $ 130. Visit visitmanassas.org for ticket sales and more details.