NEWSLETTER

APRIL 27, 2020

Neighbors in the 42nd District,

On March 7th, the first case of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in Virginia in the 42nd District. Today, there are 13,535 cases. All of us have been affected by the pandemic, and my thoughts are with those that have lost family or friends to this disease. It is still critical that we practice social distancing to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The General Assembly reconvened in Richmond last week to vote on Governor Northam’s proposed amendments and veto to legislation passed during the 2020 legislative session. Our legislature made significant changes to our two budget bills to give our state the resources it needs to address the current public health pandemic. 

I will be providing updates on our work during this year’s legislative session, as well as answering questions regarding Virginia’s response to COVID-19, at my upcoming Tele-Town Hall. Join Senator George Barker, Senator Dave Marsden and me on Thursday, April 30 at 6:30pm. 

You can participate in the conversation with the following information: Dial-in (605) 472-5239 | Access Code 811044 | Submit questions here. 

Below are updates from the federal government, Governor Northam, state agencies, and Fairfax County. As always, please let me know if you have any questions. 

Best, Kathy

https://www.kathyfordelegate.com/coronavirus-resources

Updates from Federal Agencies

COVID-19 Symptoms

  • The CDC has issued updated guidance regarding COVID-19 symptoms to include: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell. More information is here. 

Loan Program for Small Businesses and Eligible Non-profit Organizations

  • The U.S. Small Business Administration is now accepting applications for the Paycheck Protection Program, which just received new funding from Congress. More information is here.

Updates from Governor Northam and State Agencies

Healthcare Updates

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  • Governor Northam announced that today, April 27, Virginia is receiving 800,000 gloves and 300,000 surgical masks as part of a $27 million contract to procure PPE. 

  • Virginia is expecting to also receive 14,000 test swabs and additional cloth masks for critical infrastructure workers from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Testing 

  • We continue to increase our capacity to test for COVID-19. Virginia’s is currently able to conduct 4,000 COVID-19 tests daily, which includes about 400 tests per day from the state lab, as well as the ability of private labs, universities, and hospitals. 

Hospital Capacity

  • The Governor has paused construction on alternative care sites in Fairfax County, City of Richmond, and Hampton Roads area. Current data shows Virginia has sufficient hospital bed capacity to address our expected needs during the pandemic; however the Governor may revisit this decision if new data shows the need for additional hospital beds. 

Mental Health Support

  • Virginia has received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to help meet mental health and substance abuse needs throughout the state. This funding will go to Virginia’s Community Services Boards (CSBs), including the Fairfax-Falls Church CSB.

  • As I previously shared, if you or someone you know would like to access mental health services, you can contact the Fairfax-Falls Church CSB by calling 703-559-3000, emailing wwwcsb@fairfaxcounty.gov, or visiting their website.

  • If you or someone you know is considering self-harm, please know that the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is also a resource.

Flexibility for Medicaid Providers

  • The Governor signed Executive Order (EO) 58, to make it continue making it easier for Medicaid recipients to access health care services during the pandemic. Below is a summary of the EO; the full text is here.

    • The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) will suspend pre-admission screenings. All new nursing facility admissions will be treated like exempted hospital discharges. 

    • Copays for Virginians with health insurance plans through the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan (FAMIS) are now waived. 

    • Certificates of medical necessity and any supporting verifiable documentation requirements in order to place durable medical equipment are now waived. Also, face-to-face meeting requirements, new physicians orders, and new medical necessity documentation are not required for replacement equipment.

    • So healthcare providers can receive immediate information on flexibilities authorized by DMAS, the requirement for 30 days advance public notice and comment period is waved in order for DMAS 

Nursing Homes

  • Virginia Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver announced nursing homes can now share information regarding COVID-19 cases and contact information efforts amongst each other, though they still cannot share it with the public. This will allow nursing homes across the Commonwealth to share information that may help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

Meat Processing Plants

  • There have been reports of COVID-19 outbreaks at meat processing plants across the country, as well as in Virginia. Governor Northam co-signed a letter with Governor Hogan (MD) and Governor  Carney (DE) to ask President Trump and the CDC for guidance and assistance with addressing the public health and safety of meat processing plants and their surrounding communities.

Economic Updates

Re-opening Our Economy

  • Governor Northam shared his criteria and plans for re-opening Virginia’s economy. He is basing his decisions on CDC guidelines and data regarding the spread of COVID-19 in Virginia. 

  • In order to move to “Phase One,” Governor Northam said the following criteria must be met:

    • Downward trend of positive tests over 14 days

    • Downward trend of hospitalizations over 14 days.

    • Increased capacity in testing and contact tracing. 

    • Sufficient hospital bed and intensive care capacity. 

    • Increased and sustainable supply of personal protective equipment. 

  • Once those requirements are met, Phase One for reopening Virginia will include:

    • Some businesses will be allowed to re-open with strict safety restrictions. 

    • Continued social distancing.

    • Continued teleworking. 

    • Continued recommendation to wear face coverings when out in public. 

  • As I shared earlier, the Governor is working with a taskforce to plan for re-opening the economy. Information about the taskforce is here.

  • The Taskforce will be focused on developing consistent and clear guidelines for businesses and patrons (customers) generally as well as specifically for the following sectors: 

    • Brick and motor retail businesses; 

    • Personal care/grooming businesses 

    • Fitness and exercise businesses

    • Entertainment and amusement businesses

Support for Businesses

  • Our state’s Go Virginia Economic Grant Program will be awarding $14.6 million to support businesses impacted by COVID-19 and will create new initiatives focused on resiliency and recovery for impacted businesses. 

Transportation

  • The Governor announced the Commonwealth Transportation Board has approved nearly $100 million in projects funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This will offset revenue losses that our local governments and transit agencies are experiencing. 

Elections

  • I shared previously that Governor Northam proposed to move Virginia’s May elections to November. That proposal required the approval of the General Assembly. While it passed the House of Delegates on April 22, it failed in the State Senate. As such, Governor Northam is using authority under current Virginia law to move the May 5 local elections to May 19. No one currently registered to vote in the 42nd District will be impacted by this order, as elections for local offices that overlap with our community took place in 2019.

  • Per the Governor’s directive earlier, the June 9 elections will be postponed two weeks until June 23.

Judicial System

  • The Supreme Court of Virginia has extended its Order of Judicial Emergency for all district and circuit courts until May 17. As I previously shared, this order suspends non-essential court proceedings, including evictions. You can find the announcement here. 

Fairfax County Updates

  • Fairfax County has launched a new dashboard with data regarding COVID-19 in the Fairfax Health District. This data includes cases by locality, case rates by combined zip code, cases by age group, cases by racial and ethnic groups, and more. You can find the dashboard here.  

For my previous updates about how Virginia is addressing COVID-19 and related resources, see https://www.kathyfordelegate.com/coronavirus-resources.