On Tuesday, March 23, the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) began registering public transit workers and mail carriers who live or work in the Fairfax Health District to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. FCHD opened these categories because the vaccine supply is increasing, and they are moving through their current waitlist at a faster pace. They expect to move into Phase 1c by mid-April and move into Phase 2 by May 1 in accordance with the Virginia Department of Health's guidance. You can learn more about this by visiting the County's Emergency blog website.

If you would like to be removed from FCHD's COVID-19 vaccine registration list (because you have already been vaccinated by another provider) and don’t already have an appointment scheduled, use this online tool to cancel your registration. This helps FCHD move through the queue faster by not having to extend appointments to those who unnecessarily remain on the waitlist.

If you receive an appointment with someone else before your scheduled appointment with the Health Department and you want to cancel the latter, wait to receive your email confirming your appointment (email titled: “Notice of Appointment Confirmation” and go to the bottom of the email where you can click “Cancel Appointment.” Or, you can call (703) 324-7404 to cancel your appointment.

In an effort to get the COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of residents as quickly as possible, FCHD will be hiring approximately 250 vaccinators (licensed nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and pharmacists) in coming weeks. Interested in applying? Make sure you apply online soon. You can learn more about these positions and needed qualifications on the County website.

Tuesday's Board of Supervisors Meeting was a busy one. A couple of the highlights were:

I'm particularly excited that The Fairfax Connector is taking over some local bus routes that are being discontinued by WMATA. I truly appreciate all of the community members who have helped me advocate to continue these routes. Changes that will impact Braddock District residents are:

For additional information, you can view the Board’s Meeting Package.

Continue Reading for More Information on:

Supervisor James Walkinshaw invites you to join the Braddock District Budget Town Hall on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Supervisor Walkinshaw, Fairfax County's Chief Financial Officer, Joe Mondoro, and Braddock School Board Member Megan McLaughlin will discuss and answer constituent questions on the County’s proposed FY 2022 budget. The proposed budget was recently presented to the Board of Supervisors by County Executive Bryan Hill. The town hall will be televised on Channel 16, (Verizon/Comcast Channel 16; COX Channel 1016), 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 BraddockTownHall@Fairfaxcounty.gov. Participants can also submit question 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. Both of these social media platforms are free to use and you do not need to have an account to use them.

On Tuesday, April 6, at 7:00 p.m., Supervisor Walkinshaw, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and local members of the General Assembly will hold a virtual information session on the construction of a new DMV Customer Service Center at 9911 Braddock Road. The link to the information session will be published in next week’s Braddock Beacon and will also be available on Supervisor Walkinshaw's website as soon as it is available. The DMV site is just east of Burke Station Road, across from the entrance to Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, and is currently being used for motorcycle training. The DMV purchased this property in August 2015. Because this is a state facility being built on state property, it follows the procedures required by the state, not county procedures which require notice and provide for community input. The DMV has developed plans and specifications and presented them to the Virginia Department of General Services for review. The next step is for them to present their proposed final plans to the State Art and Architectural Review Board.

The Braddock District office only recently became aware that the DMV had developed detailed plans for this facility. Supervisor Walkinshaw requested that DMV inform the community about their plans, engage residents, and receive input that could inform and improve the project. At the request of Supervisor Walkinshaw and Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, the DMV agreed to participate in this virtual meeting to present their plans and answer questions or hear thoughts from community members. At the state’s request, the format will be similar to that used in Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors hearings. Those who wish to speak are asked to register in advance by emailing communications@dmv.virginia.gov. To ensure the DMV provides the most helpful information, please provide the following in the email:

You can watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and on Channel 16’s on demand section. Prefer to listen to the podcast on the move? Visit my Soundcloud account to listen to the episode while you go about your day. You can enjoy these options for free, and you do not need to have an account. Make sure to reach out to me if you have recommendations on guests we should include next!

Governor Ralph Northam announced further changes to public health restrictions in place to prevent transmission of COVID-19. These changes come as Virginia’s vaccination rates rise and case counts fluctuate.

Effective April 1:

Read amended business guidance and more details on the Governor’s announcement.

On Tuesday, the Board approved zMOD, the first major update to our zoning ordinance in over 40 years. This process included over 100 meetings for Board members and the community. The goal of zMOD was to create a cleaner and more straightforward document that is more accessible to the general public. It reduces permit fees, removes inconsistencies, and simplifies land use categories to allow for emerging treNds in development, like solar farms and electric vehicle charging. The Board received significant input, but most concern was over three changes to the ordinance.

It's important to continue testing for COVID-19 anytime you display any listed symptoms. While COVID-19 cases are currently trending downward, testing remains paramount in identifying who is infected in order to perform a case investigation and identify close contacts -- which will ultimately help slow the spread of illness. In addition, approximately 10% of all positive swabs collected by the Fairfax County Health Department are submitted to the state laboratory to test for variant strains of COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic, the Health Department has focused on making COVID-19 testing readily available and equitable. In addition to the 80+ clinics and health care providers offering testing, the agency provides community testing in neighborhoods where socioeconomic factors and transportation make it difficult to access testing. The Health Department’s testing sites are open Monday through Friday in locations based on epidemiology (disease) data and input from community leaders. No appointment is necessary and testing is free of charge.

Learn more about testing options in Fairfax County by visiting Fairfax County's website.

VDOT's 2021 Paving Status Map is now available on their website. This application provides the status of each paving project scheduled on VDOT maintained roads for this year. Users can zoom to an area to view specific paving projects and their status (to be paved, in progress, completed).

The link to the Northern Virginia Paving Program provides information on the different treatment types, State of the Pavement report, and other information you may find useful.

The Fairfax Department of Family Services, Fairfax Area Agency on Aging and Disability Rights and Resources will be hosting a panel conversation on Developmental Disabilities Resources and Services available to family caregivers and their loved ones during COVID-19. Make sure to join!

The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Fairfax County Health Department, will host a virtual zoom session in Spanish on Friday, March 26, from 3:00 through 4:00 p.m. Health Department Epidemiologist Dr. René Nájera will share vaccine facts and address common vaccine myths and fears. Additionally, Hector Alonso will share with us his experience about receiving the vaccine.

Register for the event on the event website.

¡Atiende esta sesión gratuita y aprovecha los recursos e la información que el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Fairfax ofrece a sus residentes! Recuerda que si nos cuidamos, estamos cuidando a nuestra familia y comunidad.

Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) has reopened for interior express services. Customers will be able to visit FCPL branches for up to 30 minutes Monday and Tuesday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Curbside pickup of materials on hold will remain available to customers Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Capacity limits will be in place: up to 30 members of the public at a time may be in community branches and up to 60 may be in regional branches.

Library programming will remain virtual and meeting rooms will remain closed at this time.

Ask Your Library via the website and text messaging will continue to be available 10:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Learn more about Express Services.

Marion Homes Document Shredding Events Marion Homes Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to serving the intellectually disabled, is hosting two upcoming document shredding events. The events will take place on:

Fairfax County will also be holding a series of document shredding events during the upcoming months. The residential collection events are open to Fairfax County and residents of the Clifton, Herndon, the Town of Vienna, and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. The event will feature four document shredding trucks and shredding will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The event begins at 7:00 a.m. and end at 11:00 a.m., or until all trucks reach capacity. All participants must be in line by no later than 11:00 a.m. to ensure service.

The following document shredding event will take place in the Braddock District:

*This event location and date was rescheduled due to the previous location (Burke VRE) being used for a local Farmers Market. Check the document shredding events website to find a complete list of local events.