September 9, 2020
To the Fairfax County Community,

I hope all students, teachers, faculty, and parents had a successful first day back to school. The back to school photos might be different this year, but it's still a big day. I shared photos of my kids below.

I know my own kids struggled with the new way of schooling, but were also relieved to see their friends and teachers, albeit virtually. All in all with two days under our belt, I have seen firsthand all the dedication the faculty and staff have put into making the best of a tough situation. There of course were some hiccups, but no wide spread issues.

This will be a challenging year for all of us, but I promise that Fairfax County Government will continue to work with schools to make this year as positive as possible.

Below, you will find the latest COVID-19 data. Our numbers remain consistent. Again, we have seen increases in case numbers since the beginning of the summer, but our Health Department expected some increases as we reopened. Largely residents are following public health practices - like mask wearing and social distancing - so for now, we haven't seen a spike in cases. However we are in this for the long haul and things can change. We need you, your friends, and your family, to continue to protect yourself and each other.

See below for the full September 9 edition of my newsletter. 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.
COVID-19
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Percentage of Positive Cases, Fairfax Health District
Percentage of Positive Cases

  • Status: The percentage of positive COVID tests from August 23 to August 30, 2020 has fluctuated between 5.7% and 5.1%. 
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Daily Hospitalizations, Fairfax Health District
Hospitalizations

  • Status: Hospitalizations for COVID-related illness remain low with a steady trend.
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Testing, Fairfax Health District
Increased Testing

  • Status: Since early July, testing totals have remained above 10,000 tests per week.
  • 10,085 tests have been reported that were collected during the week of August 30 (Week 36).
  • Remember, if you have symptoms you can get tested. More information is here.

Contact Tracing

  • As of September 8, 97% of the contract COVID response positions have been hired.
  • The final cohort in this initial hiring surge will be trained and deployed by September 25, 2020.

Hospital Beds and Intensive Care Capacity

  • Hospital Beds Status: Overall available hospital beds were at 26%; an 8% increase from the August 28 report.
  • Adult Critical Care Beds Status: Since the beginning of August, a generally steady trend of more than 25% in available adult critical care beds has been observed.
 
Personal Protective Equipment

  • PPE for hospitals appears to continue to be adequate.
What to do if an employee tests positive

  • Report the exposure to the Virginia Department of Health.
  • Communicate with staff - Employers should notify all employees about an exposure within the workplace.
  • Outline clear return-to-work guidelines for exposed employees.
  • Read more here.
Other Updates
Community Conversation in Spanish

  • Join the Providence District for a community conversation in Spanish about COVID-19, rent assistance, and FCPS virtual learning.
  • On Wednesday, September 16, 7-8:30 pm, Join here.
  • Supervisor Palchik and Albán Zamora, host of Telemundo44 News, will moderate this conversation to answer your questions, along with the following community leaders:
  • Alejandra Caballero, Services Manager, CASA of Virginia
  • Jorge Figueredo, Executive Director, Edu-Futuro
  • Claudia Estevez, Family Literacy ESOL Instructor, Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Dr. René Najera, Epidemiologist, Fairfax County Health Department

Una Charla Con Nuestra Comunidad

  • Acompáñenos a una charla comunitaria organizado por el Distrito de Providence sobre COVID-19, asistencia para el alquiler, aprendizaje virtual de FCPS y más.
  • Miércoles 16 de septiembre, 7-8:30pm, unirse aquí.
  • Dalia Palchik, supervisora del Distrito de Providence en el Condado de Fairfax, y Albán Zamora, presentador del Noticiero Telemundo 44, moderarán esta conversación para responder a sus preguntas junto a los siguientes líderes comunitarios:
  • Alejandra Caballero, Gerente de Servicios, CASA de Virginia
  • Jorge Figueredo, Director Ejecutivo, Edu-Futuro (Educación Para Nuestro Futuro)
  • Claudia Estevez, Instructora de Inglés como Segundo Idioma del Programa "Family Literacy", Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Fairfax
  • Dr. René Najera, Epidemiólogo, Departamento de Salud del Condado de Fairfax

Mental Health Resources

  • The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board offers a number of mental health services:
  • A suicide prevention text line in Fairfax: text "CONNECT" to 855-11 and a volunteer will respond within minutes. You can also call 703-527-4077, 24/7.
  • If it is not an emergency situation, but you are in need of mental health services, call Entry & Referral Services Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm, at 703-383-8500, TTY 711. Staff can take calls in English and Spanish and can access interpreters for other languages.
  • Telehealth services for therapy, counseling, case management, and prescribing are also available. Contact CSB for services.
  • The Fairfax County Spiritual Support Team is offering spiritual support for adults age 60 and over. Read more.
  • Call: 703-324-5185, M-F, 10am - 6pm
  • More resources can be found on my website.

ArtsFairfax

  • ArtsFairfax invites Fairfax County creatives to a free interactive workshop series to take the next step in their professional careers.
  • Attendees will learn the basics of forming a business, copyrights and trademarks, contract and negotiations, taxes, and navigating the grants process.
  • The series runs September 15 through October 20, 2020.
  • Participants must register for each session. Learn more and register here.  

Stuff the Bus

  • Fairfax County is hosting its twice a year Stuff the Bus food drive. COVID-19 has increased the need for food and this will help nonprofits meet the needs of residents.
  • On Saturday, September 12 and Saturday, September 26, buses will be parked at 21 locations from 10am - 3pm.
  • Buses will be located in less-frequented lots throughout the County to allow donors to comply with social distancing recommendations.
  • See the complete list of drop off locations and food donation needs here.
  • For those unable to come in person, donations can be made to the virtual Stuff the Bus food drive by visiting Volunteer Fairfax’s Donation Page to connect with and donate to nonprofits serving our community.
Low-Cost Rabies Clinics

  • The Animal Shelter has announced the dates for the next curbside, no contact, low-cost rabies vaccination clinics:
  • Sunday, September 13
  • Sunday, October 18
  • Sunday, December 6
  • Dogs, cats, and ferrets may all be vaccinated. Pre-registration is required.
  • All details, including how to sign up, are here.
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:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • 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. It is now required in Virginia.
  • 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, shoes, 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 9am-7pm weekdays and 9:30am-5pm on weekends: 703-267-3511
  • Email: [email protected]. This account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm.
  • Inova has a helpful FAQ.
We recognize that we are in very trying times, but I hope you see in these newsletters that positive change has occurred over the last several months.

As I often say, we are truly lucky to live in Fairfax County where we have the resources to overcome challenges and a community who rises to the occasion.

Jeffrey C. McKay
Contact the Office

[email protected] | 703.324.2321 |