Dear Neighbor,

I'm pleased to report that on Sunday, April 18, Fairfax County will be making the transition to Phase 2 of the vaccination rollout. During Phase 2, all individuals in the Fairfax Health District who are 16 or older will be eligible to schedule a vaccine appointment via a new system called VaccineFinder.

This new system will allow greater flexibility and choice of where residents receive their free and safe vaccine. Vaccine appointment availability will depend on the vaccine supply. For the time being, vaccine demand outweighs vaccine supply.

With the implementation of VaccineFinder on April 18, Fairfax County will no longer receive direct registrations via the County vaccination registration tool. 

However, everyone who is Phase 1 eligible and who registered prior to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, will be contacted by the Health Department to schedule their appointments within one week. Until then, I encourage everyone who is eligible in Phase 1 to register using the County vaccination registration tool.

Please note: Everyone in Phase 1a through Phase 1c is currently eligible to register for the vaccine.

As a result of recent CDC, FDA, and VDH guidance, Fairfax County will not be administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until further notice. But, at this point, we do not anticipate this negatively impacting our ability to schedule vaccine appointments as we had not been anticipating receiving shipments of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the next several weeks.

If you or a loved one are struggling to make the decision to get vaccinated, please reach out to my office for assistance. We can provide you with reliable information to help with this decision. We have trustworthy resources translated in multiple languages that we can share with you.

While thousands of residents are being vaccinated daily, thousands of residents in our community are also experiencing food insecurity and other hardships. This pandemic has created significant financial burdens for many families in our community. For those in need, Fairfax County has resources available. If you are in need of help, please contact:

Please continue reading for more information on:

Below: Screen shot of Fairfax County Health Department's COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard on Thursday, April 15, 2021.

Below: Screen shot of Fairfax County Health Department's COVID-19 Case Data Dashboard on Thursday, April 15, 2021.

Beginning this upcoming Sunday, April 18, all individuals in the Fairfax Health District who are 16 or older will be eligible to directly schedule a vaccine appointment through VaccineFinder as Fairfax County moves into Phase 2 with the rest of Virginia.

VaccineFinder displays available doses from approved vaccine providers across the County, including the Health Department, pharmacies, hospitals, and some private practices. However, clinics managed by the Health Department and some of its partners may not be listed on that site until late April or early May due to available vaccine supply and the need to finish vaccinating those on the existing County registration system waitlist. Everyone who is on County registration system waitlist before it closes at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, will be contacted to schedule appointments within approximately one week. All other residents interested in obtaining a vaccine should utilize VaccineFinder.

Residents are encouraged to schedule an appointment on VaccineFinder with any provider based on the day, time, and location that is most convenient for them. Be aware that each provider may have different processes to sign up to get an appointment. If you are on the health department's current waitlist but get vaccinated by another provider, please remove yourself from the Fairfax County Health Department waitlist.

The Health Department's current registration system was required in Phase 1 to accommodate the prioritization of residents when local health departments were the primary community vaccination sites. In Phase 2, the larger pool of community vaccination sites allows them to shift to this new process, which will allow greater flexibility and choice of where residents receive their vaccine.

Now that the entire commonwealth is in the same phase, the Fairfax preregistration system will be retired but the state registration system will remain open after April 18 for those who meet Phase 1 eligibility criteria. Individuals in this group after April 18 can choose to schedule appointments on VaccineFinder or can register at Vaccinate Virginia if no appointments are available. For assistance, call the state’s call center at 877-829-4682 or the Fairfax County call center at (703) 324-7404.

To find available appointments in the Fairfax Health District, visit the VaccineFinder website. Simply enter your zip code and select a search radius. Once appointments are available for clinics managed by the Fairfax County Health Department, those clinics will be listed on the map alongside other community providers and pharmacies. These other providers are more likely to have appointments available on VaccineFinder in the next few weeks.

VaccineFinder is not currently available in other languages, but users can change their web browser settings to their desired language as an alternative.

If you need assistance in another language or have difficulty using the online system, you may call the Fairfax County Health Department at (703) 324-7404.

Learn more by visiting the County Emergency Blog website.

The Department of Tax Administration (DTA), will host a Virtual Tax Relief Workshop on Thursday, April 22, 2021, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. DTA staff will be presenting information and answering questions about completing the 2021 Tax Relief application form. To join please click on the link provided below or call in. Residents who call in will not be able to view the presentation information. For privacy reasons, the virtual workshop will not include individual application consultation. DTA will be glad to make an appointment to serve residents and their authorized representatives if personalized help is needed.

No registration is required for residents to attend either of the two identical sessions, however a free download of Microsoft TEAMS will be needed to view the video link.

Click here to join the meeting.

Every year, one exemplary volunteer is chosen to be Braddock’s Community Champion. This is someone who has gone above and beyond for their community and has made a noticeable impact. This year’s Community Champion is Betsy Clevenger. Betsy has been volunteering for over a decade at the Annandale United Methodist Church Mission Center. She oversees the community meal program including preparing 220 food bags for her neighbors. She is always ready to lend a hand to help those around her. 

Help us celebrate Betsy and the rest of the County’s volunteers by joining us at the 2021 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards. It will take place on Tuesday, April 20 at 12:00 p.m. and will be a virtual celebration broadcast on Facebook Live. We encourage people to leave congratulatory comments on the Facebook comment section for Betsy to enjoy. 

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors amended the county’s Solid Waste Management ordinance on February 23. The ordinance now prohibits the use of plastic bags for set out and collection of yard waste.

The change took effect on Monday, March 1 and required county residents who have curbside collection of yard waste to use reusable containers or paper yard waste bags to set out grass, leaves, and brush.

Although the new rule took effect March 1, the Solid Waste Management Program is currently exercising enforcement discretion for a six-week period to allow time for customer notification and education on the new rule. Enforcement will begin Monday, April 19, 2021.

Visit Public Works and Environmental Services' Curbside Yard Waste website to learn more.

Take advantage of a free, convenient, confidential, and safe disposal of unused or expired medications during Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 24, 2021.

Drug take back programs are a safe method for disposing of prescription drugs and are organized and closely monitored by local, state, and federal government agencies.

Safe disposal of unused or expired medications prevents drug abuse and misuse, accidental poisoning, and protects the environment.

Braddock District residents can safely dispose of their prescription drugs by visiting the West Springfield District Station, located at 6140 Rolling Road, Springfield, VA 22152, on Saturday, April 24, from 10:00 am through 2:00 p.m.

Want to learn more about the program? Visit Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Drug Take Back Day website.

Bring Your Ideas to the ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan Community Conversations. Join the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) for virtual community conversations on the ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan. Learn about the plan and tell FCDOT how you travel and access destinations by biking, walking, rolling (scooter/wheelchair/stroller), hiking, running and riding in and around your local community. 

The Braddock District virtual meeting will be on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. You can join by phone by calling 1-844-621-3956 and using access code # 129 953 8791.

Members of the public are invited to fill out a community survey (until May 1) on walking and biking preferences and safety issues (available in 8 languages), and populate two interactive maps with information about barriers to walking and biking, and suggested routes for trails and bikeways. 

The Solarize Fairfax County program is back for a fifth year, providing county residents and businesses the chance to install solar arrays at a discount. From now until June 30, Solarize reduced rates will be available through a pre-qualified solar installer, Solar Energy World.

All county residents and business owners are eligible for a free, remote assessment to evaluate if solar is appropriate for their home or commercial building. Those who decide to pursue solar through the program receive a 10-15% discount off current consumer rates for solar arrays and systems.

In 2021, for the first time, the Solarize program is offering participants the opportunity to install battery storage systems in connection with their arrays. Additionally, residential Solarize participants are eligible for a complimentary, virtual home energy assessment to help improve their home energy performance holistically. Solarize participants can also bundle electric vehicle charging stations with their solar system purchase at a discount.

If you are curious about Solarize, attend one of the remaining virtual information sessions taking place in the coming months:

Fairfax County's Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) is calling all high school rising juniors and seniors interested in environmental science or environmental policy. Fairfax County's Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) is seeking a student representative for the 2021-2022 school year! Any current sophomore or junior in good standing who is interested is encouraged to apply. The application is available online.

EQAC makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding county environmental protection and enhancement. Monthly meetings address issues on a range of topics including water quality, air quality, land use, transportation, solid waste, climate change, energy, hazardous materials, and noise, light, and visual pollution. More information about EQAC is available online. Please see this short video prepared by the 2020 EQAC Student Representative, Clare Sparling, for information about the student member position.

Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on Friday, May 14, via email to [email protected].

Amusements at many Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) facilities have begun opening for the season -- such as the Boating Marina at Lake Accotink Park.

COVID-19 safety procedures remain in place at all park venues. Amusements will run at reduced capacity, equipment and rides will be cleaned between uses, sanitation breaks will be implemented, and social distancing is required in queues and while participating in park activities. Certain seats or areas may be blocked off to facilitate social distancing. Masks are required for visitors age 2 and up, and residents are encouraged to carry wipes and hand sanitizer.

Please check FCPA's website for site-specific hours and details.