Last weekend, over 2,400 PWC School teachers and staff received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Chair Wheeler joined Governor Northam and School Board Chair Lateef at the Saturday vaccination event held at Unity Reed High School. The doses were made available by the Novant Health UVA Health System, which operates two hospitals in PWC. As the second largest school district in the state, PWC Schools plan to hold additional events as vaccinations become available.

If you are currently an eligible individual in Phases 1a and 1b within the PW Health District, please use the waitlist form to request a future COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Completing this form will add you to a waitlist for when additional vaccine appointments become available. It does not automatically schedule you for an appointment.

In our last issue, we shared the Governor's announcements to greatly expand the Virginia call center and create a single state-wide vaccination registry.

Tomorrow, Saturday, February 6, 750 people will begin their call center training, which will be completed in a week.

Increasing the call center is a critical step in supporting Virginia's move to a new state-wide vaccination registration, which is expected to launch soon.

Today, Friday, February 5, Governor Ralph Northam held a COVID-19 briefing and shared new updates on Virginia:

Soon, the federal government will start shipping vaccines directly to pharmacies. Governor Northam shared in his briefing today, February 5, that CVS will be the first partner in this roll-out because it has the most locations of any pharmacy in Virginia. CVS will start with 36 locations sometime late next week. More information will be available soon on the locations and how to register for vaccinations there. These vaccines are in addition to the ones the Virginia Department of Health is already receiving and are the first phase of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership. Virginia is working to add other pharmacies to the partnership.

January 2021 saw record numbers of COVID-19 positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Fortunately, these are starting to trend down. While this information is encouraging, it is critical we don't let down our guards to this virus, especially in light of variants being identified in Virginia.

In our last issue, we mentioned that a case of the COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom had been identified in Virginia. This week, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reported a total of four cases identified in Virginia, with three of them in Northern Virginia. This variant is associated with increased person-to-person transmission. Additionally, the VDH advised that a preliminary report from experts in the United Kingdom indicates this strain causes more severe illness, but more studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Governor Northam also made several announcements regarding school operations in his briefing today, February 5. You can read the official press release here. While we have no details yet to share on what this means in PWC, we will update you in future Wheeler Reports as decisions are made.

Tuesday, February 9

In-person speakers can sign up at the meeting..

The PWC Department of Transportation (PWC DOT) invites you to attend a virtual information session regarding the Route 28 Bypass project on Thursday, February 18 at 7:00 pm. This session will provide information about the project's background, its current status, and the aspects that most directly impact residents. The PWC DOT will also share planned communication activities to help citizens remain informed and involved.

The latest information about the project, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of the County, is available on Route28Bypass.com. PWC DOT will continue to host information sessions as the project progresses.

Parenting is hard and the last year has certainly presented new challenges, but there is help. The Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) of PWC is offering virtual Parent Education classes, in English and Spanish. Pre-registration is required and classes are $40 per individual or couple. For information on the classes and schedules:

According to Punxsutawney Phil, we are in for six more weeks of winter. If that has you down, the Prince William Recreation Mapper can help. Featured in issue 42, the Mapper is a user-friendly, interactive tool full of great things to do in PWC including parks, historical locations and much more.

The PWC Building Development Division (BDD) ePortal, introduced in 2020, now features an Auto-Generated Permit Application which will be 'auto-filled' from information entered by the customer. For now, this change applies to electronic submissions only. Customers that submit in person will still need to provide a building permit application.

Carter G. Woodson was the second African American to receive a doctorate from Harvard, after W.E.B. Du Bois. Known as the "Father of Black History," Woodson dedicated his career to the field of African American history. He also wrote many historical works, including the 1933 book The Mis-Education of the Negro.

The PWC Historic Preservation Division, in collaboration with the Office of Tourism and the County Historical Commission, established the African American History Trail. The trail highlights 19 locations spread across the County, and one in the City of Manassas, focused on African American history. They include local parks, historic sites, State Parks, National Parks, local churches, and communities, many of which have never had their story told. Future plans include increasing the number of sites, adding an audio tour, and perhaps interpretive signage at each location. The Historic Preservation Division is working with PWC Schools to identify ways to introduce the trail in classes and camps focused on African American history.

PWC's unique and extensive African American history is being shared throughout Black History Month at many of our historic properties. You are invited to explore the history, arts, culture, and contributions of African Americans through the exhibits and events in PWC that honor and focus on the contributions Black Americans have made to American culture.

Curtis O. Porter, Chair of the PWC Human Rights Commission, issued a statement this week. An excerpt is provided below and you can read the statement in its entirety here. The Human Rights Commission consists of nine at-large members appointed by the BOCS and advises them on issues pertaining to human and civil ​rights enforcement and concerns that arise in the community.

There is a great variety of ways to celebrate Black History Month in the Commonwealth. You'll find board meetings, discussions, special exhibits, culinary arts, kid-friendly events, and special exhibits hosted by the Northam Administration and community organizations throughout the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Management Fellows (VMF) program is hiring its fourth cohort of emerging leaders. Participants selected, demonstrating a commitment to public service in state government, serve a two-year fellowship that begins on June 10, 2021 and ends on June 10, 2023. The Commonwealth developed the VMF program, which provides salary and full state benefits, in partnership with the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) at Virginia Tech to meet state government’s need for future leaders. The online application deadline is February 24.