Northern Virginia Regional Enforcement Office Closing Tomorrow
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) has confirmed that two employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at stores in the Northern Virginia area. Both stores were closed Tuesday.
A sales associate at the Huntington Gateway ABC store located at 5940 Richmond Highway in Alexandria last worked Sunday, April 5, and received a positive diagnosis from the health department soon thereafter. The employee notified ABC management Monday of the positive diagnosis and is in isolation as advised by health authorities. Another sales associate at a store in Merrifield Plaza Shopping Center, 8105 Lee Highway, in Falls Church who last worked Sunday, March 29, was notified of a positive COVID-19 test result on Monday, April 6. The latter remains in isolation, as well.
For the safety of employees and customers, both stores will undergo thorough deep cleaning and sanitization per Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. After a 14-day quarantine from the last day the employee worked, the Huntington Gateway store in Alexandria is expected to reopen April 20 and the Merrifield Plaza Shopping Center store in Falls Church is expected to reopen on April 13.
Virginia ABC will continue to work with the other employees at these stores and will follow guidance from VDH on what precautions they should take.
“We are sharing regular updates with all of our employees and encouraging them to follow VDH and CDC guidelines for personal health and safety,” said Chief Executive Officer Travis Hill. “We are constantly monitoring developments related to the coronavirus and adhering to all CDC guidelines, as well as federal, state and local directives. The health and safety of our employees and customers continues to be our top priority.”
Customers will not be able to place online orders for pickup at these stores during the closure, however nearby ABC stores located in the Belle View Shopping Center (1524 Belle View Blvd.) and the Alexandria Commons Shopping Center (3161 Duke St.) in Alexandria and Graham Park Plaza (7263-B Arlington Boulevard) and MetroWest Center (7121 Leesburg Pike) in Falls Church will be open for business from noon to 7 p.m., seven days a week.
All ABC stores currently operating across the commonwealth are open from noon to 7 p.m., seven days a week. The reduced operating hours allows staffing flexibility as well as more time for employees to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and stock shelves. In addition, all stores are limiting the number of customers in the store at one time to no more than 10. Stores have also installed social distancing markers to ensure customers stand at least 6 feet apart from one another. Customers can practice social distancing and reduce time spent in stores by placing their order online at
www.abc.virginia.gov.
Since the beginning of the health crisis, ABC has closed four stores due to the virus. Two of those stores located in Virginia Beach and Richmond have both now been reopened after following VDH and CDC guidance for store sanitization and employee quarantine.
Regional Enforcement Office Closed
In keeping with the decision of local governments to close their offices, starting tomorrow, Virginia ABC will temporarily close its Northern Virginia Regional Enforcement Office located at 6308 Grovedale Dr., Alexandria, to the public until further notice. ABC special agents will continue to provide support to licensees and answer questions. Anyone with pending business at this office should call (703) 313-4432 Monday through Friday during normal business hours (8:15 a.m.–5 p.m.) and press “0” to reach an operator or email
[email protected]. Residents may apply for one-day banquet and special event licenses online at
www.abc.virginia.gov.
In the event of an urgent application or license matter, individuals should call the regional enforcement office to determine if an in-person visit is necessary. A dropbox at the Alexandria office is also available and checked regularly.
The Northern Virginia Regional Enforcement Office serves the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Falls Church; and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties.
For more information about Virginia ABC’s response to COVID-19, visit https://www.abc.virginia.gov/covid-19.
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The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) is a major source of revenue for the commonwealth, contributing more than $2.2 billion to the general fund in the last five years. Virginia ABC currently operates 388 state stores, and provides alcohol education and prevention programs for people of all ages. Its Bureau of Law Enforcement oversees more than 18,000 ABC licensed establishments. Now marking its 86th year, ABC remains committed to progress and innovation in carrying out its vision of bringing good spirits and excellent service to Virginia.
Web: www.abc.virginia.gov Facebook: @VirginiaABC Twitter: @VirginiaABC
