I know that many of you have questions about the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Fairfax County. The Health Department has developed a list of frequently asked questions that includes detailed responses. It is important to note that the Health Department's ability to schedule vaccination appointments is contingent upon the supply of doses they receive from the Virginia Department of Health. To date, we have only received a fraction of the doses necessary to vaccinate those in Phase 1B.

You might have seen that today Governor Northam announced that individuals 65 and older and those with high-risk medical conditions will be eligible to receive the vaccine as part of Phase 1B. As of 4:45 PM today (January 14) that new policy has not been built into Fairfax's online pre-screening form or questionnaire. We will be sharing more information on this as it becomes available and will inform you when those between the ages of 65 and 74 can begin the process of scheduling a vaccine appointment.

Next Monday, January 18, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I encourage everyone to reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.'s contributions to our society by participating in the Volunteer Fairfax Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service. As Dr. King famously said, "Everybody Can Be Great, Because Anybody Can Serve."

Finally, Inauguration Day is normally a time when our nation comes together to witness a peaceful transition of power less than 20 miles from the Braddock District. However, due to the recent attack on the Capitol and threats of further violence, I'd like to echo Chairman Jeff McKay in urging families and individuals to stay home and avoid downtown Washington D.C. on January 20. Ensuring Braddock District constituents remain safe is my highest priority.

Supervisor James Walkinshaw

P.S. Forward this message to your neighbors in the Braddock District! Residents can use our sign up feature or email [email protected] to subscribe to the monthly Braddock Beacon newsletter and Advisories like this.

Since January 11, the Fairfax Health District began vaccinating priority groups in phase 1B. Groups being vaccinated include adults age 75 and older, frontline essential workers, and several other groups.

Below you will find information about how you can receive the vaccine if you are eligible. These details are posted on the county’s Emergency Information Blog.

Vaccine supply in the United States is still limited and is expected to increase gradually over the next months. Because there is not sufficient supply to vaccinate everyone in phase 1b at the same time, frontline essential workers will be vaccinated in the following order:

The vaccine will be administered to FCPS staff via Inova Health System, in partnership with the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD), starting this Saturday, January 16, 2021. All FCPS employees will have access to the COVID-19 vaccine as a part of the Virginia Department of Health 1B group of other essential workers. All FCPS staff who wish to access the vaccine will have the opportunity to receive their first dose in the next three weeks.

FCPS has developed a COVID-19 vaccine schedule for staff. Read this update from Superintendent Brabrand for the specific FCPS Staff COVID-19 Vaccine Schedule and registration details.

Frequently Asked Questions:

If someone has submitted their information online, the Health Department will contact the individual to schedule an appointment. It will take a number of weeks to get through the 1B phase, but the registration is in queue and the individual will be contacted to schedule an appointment as vaccine supply and appointments become available.  

It will take several weeks to months to vaccinate Virginians who fall into Phase 1B. The ability to schedule appointments will depend on vaccine availability. The latest information about who is currently eligible is available on our website. More details about populations age 65+, announced by Gov. Northam today, will be available soon.

Did you know that Fairfax County Government is searching for a new Chief of Police? There's still time to provide your input on what characteristics, traits, and skills you would like to see in Fairfax County Police Department's new Chief. All Fairfax County residents and businesses can participate. The survey ends on Saturday, January 30, 2021.

Learn more and take the survey today by visiting FCDOT's website. Comments will be accepted until February 19, 2021. You can review the presentation slides and watch the presentation recordings of the three community public meetings when they are uploaded to the website.

This route would replace Metrobus 3A and operate 7-days a week. Weekday rush hour service would operate every 30 minutes, non-rush hour service would improve to every 40 minutes, and weekend service would improve to every 45 minutes. The service operates from Seven Corners on weekends.

Route 834 - Annandale:

Route 835 – Braeburn Dr. – Pentagon Express:

This route would replace Metrobus 29W, providing rush hour service every 30 minutes (eastbound in A.M. and westbound in P.M.).

On Monday, January 18, the Fairfax Connector will operate on Holiday weekday service in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

All routes operate regular weekday service except:

Route 980 will run every 12-15 minutes instead of every 6-8 minutes.

The Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee (BLUE Committee) will be holding an electronic meeting on Tuesday, January 19, at 7:00 p.m. A draft agenda and details on how to connect to the meeting will be posted on the Braddock District website three days in advance. BLUE Committee meetings are open to the public and interested residents are encouraged to participate.

The Park Authority invites the public to participate in an online survey on how to provide for pickleball. This survey will be open through January 24. It will be followed by a public meeting in the spring. More information may be found on the Park Authority’s Pickleball Study website. To find pickleball facilities near you, use the Park Locator and turn on the “pickleball lined court” filter on the right side of the top bar.

Fairfax County is excited to announce the next Stuff the Bus Food Drives that will take place on Saturday, January 30, and Saturday, February 6, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. On these two dates, buses will be parked at locations throughout Fairfax County to collect nonperishable food donations for area food pantries. In the Braddock District, donations will be received at:

Fairfax County will soon embark on a community-wide planning process for a Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan (CARP), which will help the County better understand and prepare for the threats that climate change poses to its residents, businesses, infrastructure, and local government operations. A Community Advisory Group is currently being assembled as part of CARP.

The Community Advisory Group will review and provide input throughout the planning process. The group will meet up to four times between February 2021 and June 2022. More information about the scope, framework and timeline may be found on the Proposed Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan webpage. Input from the members of the Community Advisory Group will be critical to the success of the CARP.

Interested candidates should email [email protected] and provide their name, contact information, and a letter of intent by Thursday, January 21, 2021.

Supervisor Walkinshaw and the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services invite you to attend an upcoming community meeting on the Long Branch Central Watershed Management Area Project on Thursday, February 11, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will provide an update on the project, solicit input about the watershed condition, introduce the work plan to be developed late spring, 2021, and introduce some of the project partners. Use this virtual meeting link to join the community meeting.

The primary goals of the project are to:

• Meet the Long Branch Central waste load reduction requirements

• Improve water quality within the Long Branch Central Watershed

• Improve habitat and environmental health

Learn more about this project and submit comments and thoughts by visiting the Long Branch Watershed Study Public Input Map.