April 6, 2020
To the Fairfax County Community,

I hope you had a great weekend and had the opportunity to spend some time outside, while remembering to follow social distancing orders.

We’ve been busy communicating with our state and federal partners to continue better positioning Fairfax County to fight the effects of this pandemic. I wrote to Governor Northam requesting continued funding for our local Health Departments, Community Services Board, and other local community and human services programs. The letter also emphasized the need to preserve state spending for our schools. I also signed onto a letter alongside 100 mayors and county leaders urging the Trump Administration to ramp up production of medical supplies and distribute those materials quickly. You can read that here .

Additionally, tomorrow the County Executive will be releasing his amended County budget. More information to come.

See below for the full April 6 edition. For the resources mentioned in past newsletters, visit my website . If you have a friend who would like to sign up for this newsletter, they can do so here.
Update from Inova

  • Inova has facilitated roughly 3,500 tests across the region through their five hospitals and Respiratory Illness Clinics. They are also working to obtain the equipment needed to process COVID-19 testing in-house.
  • InovaCares Clinics for Families is caring for the uninsured, underinsured, and those on Medicaid:
  • Helping patients apply for Medicaid and charity care depending on eligibility
  • Scheduling patients, regardless of ability to pay, for a telephonic COVID-19 screening with a healthcare provider where clinically appropriate
  • Providing referrals/physician orders to Inova Respiratory Illness Clinics for any patient who requires additional screening or testing for COVID-19, regardless of ability to pay
  • Regardless of diagnosis, those who qualify for Medicaid or Charity Care will receive ongoing care
  • Dr. Steve Motew, Chief of Inova’s Clinical Enterprise, is sharing daily video messages to keep the community updated on Inova's efforts. You can view the "Motew Minute" here.
  • Inova Urgent Care Centers at Dulles South, North Arlington, and Tysons have been converted to Respiratory Illness Clinics to evaluate all patients with respiratory illness symptoms. Should patients meet criteria, they may be tested. They are open daily 8 am to 8 pm and please note that these urgent care centers are strictly operating to meet this need. Learn more here.
  • Inova prioritizes protecting their team members. They have taken additional measures to ensure their safety, such as convening a PPE Committee, modifying HR practices, and implementing teleworking when possible.
  • Due to the current COVID-19 emergency, Inova is seeking physicians, advanced practice providers, and CRNAs who can assist in caring for hospitalized patients. Learn more here.

National Parks

  • The National Park service is modifying operations on a park-by-park basis.
  • Park gates and parking lots have been closed for Great Falls Park and along the George Washington Parkway.
  • Outdoor areas of the Great Falls Park and the George Washington Memorial Parkway including Theodore Roosevelt Island and Fort Hunt Park remain accessible to the public by foot or by bike.

Metro

  • Starting today Metrorail will close at 9 pm daily and Metro bus services will end at 11 pm.
  • For more on Metro's most recent change, click here.
  • For up-to-the-minute Metro service updates, click here.
  • Metro reminds riders to only travel if absolutely necessary and not to use Metro if you are feeling sick.

Homeless Shelters

  • Governor Northam announced Friday an initial $2.5 million in emergency funding to shelter Virginia’s statewide homeless population.
  • This emergency support will provide temporary housing for the approximately 1,500 Virginians who are currently unsheltered or rely on shelters.
  • The funding will also provide housing for individuals in shelters that may need to be quarantined, or where social distancing is not feasible.
  • Read more.

Other updates

  • Information on how the Health Department reports cases of COVID-19.
  • Despite kids being home and the weather being warm, Fairfax County doesn't recommend scheduling play dates for your children.
Health
Common Health Questions:

  • Not every case of coronavirus has symptoms, but those that do may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Some of the symptoms you might experience are below:
  • Cough
  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath
  • Continue to follow the health guidelines:
  • Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if that isn't an option (especially when in public places)
  • Cough and sneeze into your sleeve
  • Don't touch your face
  • Social distance
  • What it means to social distance, self-isolate, and quarantine.
  • The CDC has updated its guidance on face masks. They recommend the use of non-medical masks as a community mitigation tool.

Resources:

As we have more information to share, my office and Fairfax County Government will continue to update residents.

Thank you for your support and patience as we work to manage this challenging, complex, and rapidly evolving situation.

Jeffrey C. McKay
Contact the Office

chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov | 703.324.2321 |