Dear Providence Residents,
We have quite a few updates in this edition of our newsletter. Please find information below on the following topics:
- COVID-19 Text Alerts Now Available in Spanish
- Update from INOVA
- Garden Plots & Farmers Markets: Plans for Reopening
- Transportation Updates: I-66 Cedar Lane Bridge Closure, Orange & Silver Line Metro Closures, Shreve Road Safety Projects
- FY 2021 Revised Budget
- Food for Others Community Food Drive
- Town Halls & Events, including Providence Players Virtual Performance
We also invite you to tune into two upcoming Town Hall's I'm participating in:
- May 4, 7:00 p.m: Virtual Town Hall - Shreve Road Updates
- Zoom Info: Meeting ID: 898 8755 0491 Password: 012640
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family safe and well.
With Gratitude,
Supervisor Dalia Palchik
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COVID-19 Text Alerts in Spanish
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El Condado Fairfax Ahora Ofrece Mensajes de Texto de COVID-19 en Español
- Fairfax County now provides COVID-19 text alerts in Spanish.
- To sign up, text FFXCOVIDESP to 888777. // Para inscribirse, textear FFXCOVIDESP a 888777.
- See Fairfax County's Language Portal here.
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General Information on Inova’s preparedness for COVID-19
All Inova hospitals and care sites are open and serving patients. The most up to date information on Inova’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found at
inova.org/covid19
. Inova’s team of clinical experts is up to date on developments and CDC guidelines, and has developed a comprehensive response plan to maintain the safety and well-being of our community.
It is safe to visit an Inova hospital, emergency room, or other care site
. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please visit the ER or call 911 immediately. Delaying treatment can be a dangerous decision, especially when it comes to signs of a heart attack or stroke. Inova hospitals and emergency rooms have taken precautions to provide a safe environment for all our patients – including screening processes and separate areas for those suspected of having COVID-19.
What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms?
- Seek advice from your regular healthcare provider to determine if a medical evaluation is needed;
- If you feel it is an emergency, contact a local urgent care center, Respiratory Illness Clinic, or emergency room. Ask for instructions regarding accessing the facility;
- Practice “social distancing” by avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet) from others when possible;
- If you are experiencing a fever or symptoms of respiratory infection, such as cough or difficulty breathing, or had exposure to a COVID-19 patient and traveled to a high-risk area classified by the CDC, please contact Inova at 1-855-IMG-DOCS so we can assist you and arrange a clinic appointment if needed. Unless it is an emergency, please do not show up at an Inova site for COVID-19 screening without calling ahead.
Is COVID-19 testing available through Inova?
Yes, testing is available across Inova Health System based on clinical criteria outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health.
Inova has established Respiratory Illness Clinics to evaluate all patients with respiratory illness symptoms. These clinics will also be able to collect samples via physician ordered and coordinated vehicle-side appointments for COVID-19 testing. All Inova Hospital and HealthPlex emergency rooms are a resource for those individuals who are experiencing clinical symptoms of COVID-19 that include cough, fever and shortness of breath.
Please see the following hours and status for Inova Respiratory Illness Clinics and Urgent Care Centers:
- Inova Urgent Care Centers at Dulles South, Tysons and North Arlington are operating as Respiratory Illness Clinics and only evaluating patients with respiratory illness symptoms.
- Tysons Respiratory Illness Clinic is operating 7-days per week, from 8AM-8PM.
- Dulles South and North Arlington Respiratory Illness Clinics are operating Monday-Friday from 8AM-8PM
- Inova Primary Care – Old Town Alexandria operates as a Respiratory Illness Clinic *by appointment only* Monday-Friday from 1PM-4:30PM. To schedule a respiratory evaluation at the Old Town office, patients should call (703) 683-7220.
- Our Respiratory Illness Clinics are able to collect samples via physician ordered and coordinated vehicle-side appointments for COVID-19 testing, as well as screen patients for COVID-19 symptoms. For more information, visit the Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic webpage.
- All other Inova Urgent Care Locations are seeing non-respiratory patients only. For addresses and hours, visit the Inova Urgent Care webpage.
Before visiting any Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic, take the following steps:
- Contact your regular physician for evaluation. For assistance with recommendations, to arrange for a physician appointment, or if you do not have a primary care physician, call 1-855-IMG-DOCS.
- Your regular physician should evaluate your symptoms to determine if testing is needed based on COVID-19 testing criteria, provide a testing order, and coordinate your referral to the Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic for evaluation.
- Upon arrival at the Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic, a clinician will greet the patient at their vehicle to collect samples for a physician-ordered test, or escort the patient into the respiratory clinic for evaluation.
- For patients who undergo COVID-19 testing, an Inova nurse will contact those whose results are negative. For patients with positive results, an Inova nurse will coordinate with the patient’s regular physician for notification and further instructions. Patients who are tested can expect results in roughly 2-4 days.
- Visit the Inova Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic webpage for more information.
Inova Urgent Care – Tysons (8AM-8PM, 7 days a week)
8357 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182
571-665-6440
Inova Urgent Care – Dulles South (8AM-8PM, Monday-Friday)
24801 Pinebrook Rd. #110, Chantilly, VA 20152
703-722-2500
Inova Urgent Care – N. Arlington (8AM-8PM, Monday-Friday)
4600 Lee Hwy., Arlington, VA 22207
571-492-3080
Inova Primary Care – Old Town Alexandria (By Appointment Only, 1:00-4:30 PM, Monday-Friday)
325 South Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
703-683-7220
How can the public help Inova during this time?
Times like this reinforce that community dedication to Inova allows us to provide world-class care every day no matter what the situation — we are most grateful. Visit the
Inova "I Can Help" webpage
for ways you can support Inova at this time including meal/supply donation, sharing a note of gratitude for frontline healthcare heroes, and how to participate in Inova research if you have recovered from COVID-19.
Visitation
Inova Health System has suspended all in-person visitation and is encouraging video meetings between patients and loved ones. Understanding that a family member, caregiver or visitor may be crucial for clinical and patient care, exceptions to Inova’s Visitation Guidance can be made in extenuating circumstances. For more information, visit
Inova’s visitation policy webpage
.
Telemedicine
With the philosophy of trying to limit risk of exposure and spread of COVID-19, and to help our clinicians with greater flexibility to safely treat our patients, Inova has adopted a system-wide initiative that will allow patients to receive a wider range of healthcare services without having to travel to an Inova healthcare facility. In the month of April alone, Inova has facilitated more than 30,000 video and telephone care visits.
Inova offers the option for appointments to be conducted via telemedicine (video or phone), with flexibility to meet in person if a clinician determines necessary. For more information, visit
Inova’s Virtual Visits webpage
.
How can I protect myself?
The best way to protect yourself and your community against the spread of COVID-19 is to avoid being exposed to the virus by:
- Practicing good hand hygiene,
- Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the using the inside of your elbow,
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick,
- Practicing social distancing of six feet or more,
- Cleaning high-touch surfaces regularly, and
- Staying home if you feel sick.
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Garden Plots and Farmers Markets
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- The Fairfax County Park Authority reopened garden plots and will reopen some seasonal Farmers Markets with conditions that allow for compliance with the Governor’s orders on social distancing and safety guidelines.
- All garden plots reopened on April 29.
- Gardeners will be notified of the opening and guidelines via email.
- Gardeners will be expected to comply with all COVID-19 health and social distancing requirements.
- The gradual re-opening of Farmers Markets will begin May 9, in a phased approach for the markets.
- Reston Farmers Market at Lake Anne Shopping Center will open on Sat., May 9, from 8am-12pm.
- Burke Farmers Market will open on Sat., May 16, at Burke VRE Parking Lot from 8am-12pm
- Mount Vernon/McCutcheon Farmers Market will open on Wed., May 13, from 8am-12pm.
- More operational details such as pre-orders, limited contact sales and distribution, and other safety procedures will be announced later this week.
- Farmers market information can be found online.
- All other park amenities currently closed (like visitors centers and restrooms) will remain closed.
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I-66 Construction
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To accommodate the widening of I-66, the Cedar Lane Bridge over I-66 will close for approximately six months starting on or about Friday, May 15. Drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists will be directed to detours on Gallows Road. Beginning May 9, Fairfax Connector will offer free and expanded bus service including weekends for routes 462 and 467 while the bridge is closed. For more information, go
here
.
The Orange and Silver Lines
- Four Orange Line stations and five Silver Line stations beyond the Ballston station will close on or about May 15, 2020 for platform improvements and continuing construction on the Silver Line. Metro will offer free bus and express services to affected riders at the closed stations. The fall re-opening date is uncertain due to COVID-19 which has caused a 95% drop in ridership. For more information, go
here.
Shreve Road
- The Corridor Study to improve safety on Shreve Road is well underway with participation by residents, Supervisor Palchik, Delegate Marcus Simon, staff members from the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, consultants, and more. A Town Hall is set for Monday and a virtual public meeting is set for mid-September.
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FY 2021 Proposed Budget:
- If you missed our Providence Community Virtual Town Hall, you can watch the video here.
- Public hearings on the FY2021 budget began on Tuesday, April 28 and ran for three days through Thursday, April 30.
- Find the full FY 2021 Proposed Budget here.
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Notes on the revised budget proposal:
- Revised proposal maintains the current Real Estate Tax rate of $1.15 per $100 of assessed value and eliminates the proposed three-cent increase (which included the two cents that was proposed to balance the General Fund and the one cent for affordable housing).
- Revised proposal also removes the recommended 4 percent Admissions Tax.
Funding increases that remain in this new proposal include:
- Positions and support for the County’s Health Department and School Health programs. School Health positions will be temporarily deployed to assist in efforts to respond to the coronavirus epidemic.
- Increased support for the Consolidated Community Funding Pool and flexibility will be maximized to ensure that the funding responds to the community’s most urgent needs.
- Support for the coordination of services for those with developmental disabilities.
- Requirements for maintenance of County facilities and lease payments
- Support for information technology requirements, including that necessary to support upcoming elections.
- Recurring impacts of actions that occurred in the current fiscal year, including position movements and adjustments approved at prior quarterly reviews.
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Food for Others Providence Food Drive
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Our office has partnered with
Food for Others
on a community based food drive! The kickoff was on Monday with the
Miller Heights Neighborhood Association. Miller Heights: thank you for coming together and donating over 800 pounds of food to Providence District’s very own
Food for Others!
This is the first of many food drives we are coordinating, so the community can give back to people in need during this time of COVID-19.
For more information, visit our
website
.
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May 2
, 11:45 a.m: 20-min Flyover Salute to COVID-19 Frontline Responders
May 4,
7:00 p.m:
Virtual Townhall on Shreve Road Updates (Zoom info below)
Enjoy a "Virtual Performance" by Providence Players of Fairfax
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We want to hear from you! Please reach out to us with questions, comments or just to say hello.
Office Phone
: (703) 560-6946
Email us
HERE
if you would like events included in our newsletter or you would like a member of our team to join your HOA meeting.
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