May 20, 2020
To the Fairfax County Community,

Some good news to report today. To help meet the increasing need for food assistance in the community, Fairfax County held two Stuff the Bus events for local nonprofits. Thanks to your help, we collected over 33.6 tons of donated food items!

See below for the full May 20 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.
Bottom line: What's Changed?

  1. Fairfax County has begun a phased reopening of County parks.
  2. Outdoor water parks and pools run by the Fairfax County Park Authority will be closed this summer.
  3. All 2020 Fairfax County summer programs have been cancelled.
  4. The application period for the Nonprofit Sustainability Grant Program closes this Friday.
Parks and Pools

  • The Park Authority has begun reopening all 427 parks for Memorial Day weekend.
  • Visitors will be asked to adhere to physical distancing and small group guidelines (do not exceed ten people).
  • All facilities and restrooms remain closed.
  • The Park Authority will not open outdoor water parks and pools this summer. This includes the Water Mine in Reston, Our Special Harbor Spray Ground at Lee District Family Recreation, and Martin Luther King Jr. pool.
  • A reminder that County farmers markets and golf courses have begun a phased reopening.

Fairfax County Summer Camps

  • All Fairfax County 2020 summer camp programs are cancelled this summer.
  • This includes: FCPA sponsored summer camp programs, REC-Pac programs held at local schools, summer camp programs sponsored by NCS, and SACC programs.

Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence

  • Fairfax County is committed to supporting victims of domestic violence and the Department of Family Services continues to update their resources.
  • A list of essential resources during COVID-19 can be found here.
  • Ideas on how to keep yourself safe at home can be found here.
  • If you are a family member or friend to a loved one being affected by domestic and sexual abuse, here is how you can support that person.

How You Can Help

  • Fairfax County Health Department's Neighbor to Neighbor Program needs volunteers.
  • The program offers grocery shopping and pharmacy pick-up service for County residents age 60 and over.
  • If you are interested in helping visit Fairfax County's volunteer website and:
  • Register online as a new volunteer, you will have to have a criminal background check to participate.
  • Following this process you will be able to register as a N2N volunteer.
  • For more opportunities visit the "How You Can Help" section of my website.

Housing

  • The state has launched the Stay Home Virginia website to provide resources and information to renters, homeowners, property owners, developers, and the homeless.
  • Because of the phased in reopening of the District Courts, Governor Northam noted that eviction processes and orders may start resuming, but there has been legislation put in place to support renters. This information can be found on the Stay Home Virginia website and here.
  • Renters should know their rights: Your landlord cannot evict you without a court order, no matter what your lease says. 
  • If you need financial assistance to pay your rent, call Fairfax County's Coordinated Services Planning:
  • Call 703-222-0880, TTY 711
  • Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm

Health
Common Health Questions:

  • People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms reported - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. You might experience:
  • Cough
  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Chills, repeated shaking with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste and smell
  • 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 recommends wearing non-medical masks to slow the spread of COVID-19. Read here for information and to learn how to best wear a mask and how to make your own.
  • The New York Times (access to COVID-19 content is free) spoke with infectious disease experts, aerosol scientists, and microbiologists to find out if COVID-19 can land on your clothing, hair, shows, and mail.

Resources:

  • Fairfax County Health Department
  • To view the number of cases in Fairfax County this page is updated at noon daily.
  • Visit the County site on COVID-19, Health Department Website, and see their FAQs.
  • To view multilingual health materials visit the County's Language Portal.
  • Sign up for text message alerts: text FFXCOVID to 888777. Para inscribirse, textear FFXCOVIDESP a 888777.
  • Call the Health Department from 9:00 am - 7 pm weekdays and 9:30 am - 5 pm on weekends: 703-267-3511
  • Email: [email protected]. This account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8 am - 8 pm.
  • Inova has a helpful FAQ.
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

[email protected] | 703.324.2321 |