February 17, 2021
Dear Neighbor,
Fairfax County is under another winter storm warning beginning Thursday February 18, at 3:00 a.m. until Friday, February 19, at 6:00 a.m., The current forecast today, Wednesday, February 17, is calling for several inches in our area and ice accumulation around one tenth to a quarter of an inch. VDOT road crews are pre-treating bridges, ramps, and known trouble spots today.
You can monitor the latest forecasts by signing up for severe weather alerts from Fairfax Alerts. Now is an ideal time to prepare for potential power outages and bad weather by purchasing needed groceries, and charging your phone. I recommend reviewing Fairfax County's Snow Guide for a compiled list of weather resources.
Due to the winter weather, the vaccine clinics scheduled at the Fairfax County Government Center and the four Health Department District office sites on Thursday, February 18 are cancelled. People who have appointments will receive an email informing them of the cancellation. The cancellation notice will contain a link to reschedule their appointment for clinics scheduled during the upcoming week. Please note that appointment locations may be at a different site than you were originally scheduled for. Residents who need assistance in rescheduling their appointment may call the COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at (703) 324-7404. COVID-19 vaccine clinics scheduled for Friday, February 19 are not impacted at this time. Learn more by visiting the County emergency blog.
Also, I'm excited to announce that on Monday, February 22, at 7:00 p.m., I'll be hosting a virtual town hall featuring Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu. We will discuss the vaccine distribution strategy and answer live questions. I invite everyone to tune in and learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
You can submit questions before the town hall by emailing Braddock@fairfaxcounty.gov, and using “COVID TOWN HALL” in the email subject line, or calling my office at (703) 425-9300. You can watch the town hall on Channel 16's live stream, my Facebook Live stream, and on my Youtube and Soundcloud accounts (after the program). Continue reading below for additional details and more information on how to submit questions during the program.
Continue reading for information on:
- Braddock District's Town Hall Featuring County Health Director Dr. Addo-Ayensu
- VDOT's Winter Weather Update
- What You Need to Know When/After You Get Vaccinated
- Sediment Collection and Analysis at Lake Accotink
- Fairfax County AARP COVID-19 Vaccinations Info Sessions
- Smart City Challenge Finale and Awards
- COVID-19 Vaccination Information Session En Español
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Supervisor James Walkinshaw |
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Braddock District COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall With Dr. Addo-Ayensu |
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Supervisor Walkinshaw will host a Virtual COVID-19 Town Hall with Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu on Monday, February 22 at 7:00 p.m. Dr. Addo-Ayensu will join Supervisor Walkinshaw to discuss the County’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, vaccine distribution strategy, and answer Fairfax County residents' questions live. The town hall will be televised on Channel 16, (COX Channel 1016; Verizon/Comcast Channel 16) and will be live streamed both on Channel 16’s website and Supervisor Walkinshaw’s Facebook Profile.
Residents are encouraged to send questions before the program to Braddock@Fairfaxcounty.gov and use “COVID TOWN HALL” in the email subject line. Residents can also submit questions via Supervisor Walkinshaw’s Facebook Live Comments Section or by calling Channel 16’s live phone line at (703) 324-1114 during the event.
A video recording will be available on Supervisor Walkinshaw’s YouTube Channel and an audio-only recording will be available on Soundcloud after the program.
Make sure to forward this invitation to a friend!
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VDOT Winter Weather Update |
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With winter weather in the forecast for Northern Virginia on Thursday and Friday, significant road impacts are expected. While VDOT crews prepare to deploy, residents are asked to closely monitor weather updates and plan ahead to avoid nonessential travel tomorrow and Friday.
What's Happening Now:
•A National Weather Service Winter Storm Watch covers VDOT's Northern Virginia District through late Thursday night for heavy mixed precipitation, including several inches of snow and ice accumulation of a quarter inch or more. A Winter Storm Warning has also been issued covering areas south and west of the district.
•Crews will finish pre-treating about 2,000 lane miles of interstates and primary routes in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties today. Drivers are asked to be alert to brine tankers and to give them room, as they move slowly to spray the salt water solution on the pavement. Pretreatment will help prevent ice from bonding to assist crews with snow and ice removal at the storm's onset. Learn more.
•About 3,000 pieces of equipment will be loaded and staged tonight to treat roads and begin to plow once two inches of snow have accumulated. Additional equipment and crews are on standby to report, including to handle downed trees or limbs from ice.
Tips and Reminders for Residents and Drivers:
•Prepare now to stay home. Monitor weather reports and plan to stay off roads as the storm begins to avoid deteriorating conditions and allow crews room to work. While pretreatment assists crews at the onset of the storm, it will not prevent subsequent refreeze or icy conditions. Plan ahead to avoid nonessential travel Thursday and Friday.
•Where possible, park in driveways or on a single side of the street to allow a wider path for plows.
•If you must drive, ensure gas and wiper fluid tanks are full, be prepared with an emergency kit, and be familiar with these winter driving tips.
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What You Need to When/After
You Get Vaccinated
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You may have questions about what happens during and after your appointment. These tips will help you know what to expect when you get vaccinated, what information you will receive, and resources you can use to monitor your health after you are vaccinated.
At the Time of Your Vaccination:
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When you have scheduled your appointment, you should receive an electronic version of a fact sheet that tells you more about the specific COVID-19 vaccine you are being offered (Pfizer fact sheet; Moderna fact sheet). Each authorized COVID-19 vaccine has its own fact sheet that contains information to help you understand the risks and benefits of receiving that specific vaccine. You may also request a printed copy of the fact sheet when you get your vaccine.
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You will receive a vaccination card that tells you which COVID-19 vaccine you have received, the date you have received it, and where you received it and, if your first vaccine, it will list the recommended date for your next dose. Keep your vaccine card. You will need it for your second dose and to show your doctor. Take a picture of your vaccine card to make sure you have an electronic copy of it -- even if you misplace it.
- All people who get a COVID-19 vaccine are monitored on-site for 15 to 30 minutes to watch for any allergic reactions.
After Vaccination:
- Following vaccination, you may experience pain or swelling in the arm where you got the shot. You may also get a fever, have chills, feel tired or get a headache. These are normal symptoms. If they don’t resolve in a few days, contact your healthcare provider.
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With both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that the Health Department is currently using, you will need two shots to be fully vaccinated. If you got your shot with Fairfax County Health Department, you will get an invite to schedule your second dose 4 to 7 days before it is due. Get the second shot, even if you had mild or moderate side effects after the first dose. If you had a more severe reaction, talk with your doctor about getting the second dose.
- If you get your shot with Fairfax County Health Department, you may get your first shot at one clinic location while your second shot is offered at another of the health department’s clinic locations. This occurs because the Health Department is now using both Pfizer and Moderna vaccine and typically only provides one of these vaccines per clinic site.
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Ask about getting started with v-safe, a free, smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccination. V-safe also reminds you to get your second dose if you need one. Learn more on the CDC's website.
- It takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines that require two shots do not reach their full effectiveness until two weeks after your second shot.
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Learn About Sediment Collection and Analysis at Lake Accotink on February 19 |
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Come see the Lake Accotink sediment sampling operation in action on Friday, February 19, at 1:00 p.m., in the Lake Accotink Marina parking lot. There will be a sampling boat on the lake taking core samples, which will then be processed in the parking lot. Engineers and technicians will be present to talk about the process of sediment sampling, how the cores are assessed and processed, and the follow-on lab analysis to learn more about the sediment in the lake. They will also discuss how that will help in determining the options for processing and disposing of the sediment dredged from Lake Accotink. Look for the van with a tent in the marina parking lot. We hope you can join to learn more. |
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Fairfax County/AARP
COVID-19 Vaccines Info Session
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Join AARP members in Fairfax County for a conversation about the vaccine rollout on Saturday, February 20, from 10:00 a.m. through 11:00 a.m. with Gloria Addo-Ayensu, MD, MPH, Director of Health, Fairfax County Health Department.
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Smart City Challenge Finale & Awards |
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The Smart City Challenge (hosted by Refraction, Smart City Works, Fairfax County, Virginia Tech, and others) is a month-long innovation competition for the best solutions to our pressing challenges in transportation, broadband, housing, health, public safety, and more. Register for the Challenge Finale and Awards event tomorrow, Thursday, February 25 from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. to watch 11 finalists pitch live to win $350,000+ in prizes. Speakers/judges include U.S. Senator Mark Warner, Fairfax County Chairman Jeff McKay, Dominion Energy Bob Blue, Clark Construction CFO Sameer Bhargava, and DC CTO Lindsey Parker. |
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COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Session en Español
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The Department of Family Services, Fairfax Area Agency on Aging in partnership with the Fairfax Health Department will be hosting a community conversation in Spanish to share information on the COVID-19 vaccine. Join this informational session on Friday, February 26, 12-1:00p.m. Guest speaker, Dr. René Nájera, epidemiologist from the Fairfax Health Department, will provide information and answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. |
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El Departamento de Salud del Condado de Fairfax y El Departamento de Servicios a la Familia, La Agencia del Área Sobre el Envejecimiento de Fairfax los invita a participar de una charla virtual para informales sobre la vacuna contra el COVID-19. El evento es el viernes 26 de febrero, a las 12:00 p.m. a 1:00 p.m. Participación gratuita vía GoToWebinar. INSCRÍBASE HOY. |
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