NEWSLETTER

MAY 14, 2020

Neighbors,

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Please make sure that you are also taking care of your mental health during this COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic challenges. And if you are able to, please continue to reach out to loved ones and neighbors so that they know they are not alone during these unprecedented times. I want highlight resources that are available for members of our community:

  • The Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board is offering mental health services through the telephone or video. You can apply for services by calling 703-383-8500. 

  • The Suicide Prevention Hotline continues to operate 24 hours a day. Their number is 1-800-273-8255. 

Below are updates from Governor Northam and our state agencies, Fairfax County, and Fairfax County Public Schools.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions by calling 804-698-1042 or emailing DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.

Best, Kathy

Updates from Governor Northam and State Agencies

Healthcare Updates

Testing

Pharmacies and drug stores across our Virginia are helping increase our state’s testing capacity. Since this past Monday, Rite Aid has performed over 1,200 COVID-19 tests at two different sites. Governor Northam says he will be making additional announcements of other companies that are helping to increase testing in Virginia. 

Contact Tracing

  • Virginia currently has 604 contact tracers. The goal now is to hire 1,300 contact tracers, which would be about 15 contact tracers for every 100,000 people. Research completed by Harvard University as part of its roadmap for ending the public health pandemic recommended having at least this ratio of contact tracers. If you or someone you know are interested in applying for these positions, please use the following website. 

DMV

  • Eleven DMV Centers across Virginia will open on May 18 for services that must be conducted in-person, such as obtaining new driver’s licenses, new registration or title, or vital records. Northern Virginia will be the only region not to re-open a DMV Center because we have not yet entered Phase I of the re-opening of the economy.

  • I encourage everyone in the 42nd District to continue to use the available online DMV services. You can find the announcement here. 

Childcare

  • If you need to find childcare, you can call 866-543-7852 to identify options near you. Childcare centers, which have been allowed to remain open, must follow social distancing and cleaning requirements to protect the health of children, their families, and workers. The Department of Social Services has issued guidance for childcare centers, which is available here.

Support for Local Governments

  • The Governor announced that Virginia will be providing local governments with $650 million in financial aid through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, of which Fairfax County is expected to receive $200 million. These funds are intended to help pay for the costs of responding to the public health pandemic. 

Updates from Fairfax County

Timeline for Easing Restrictions and Re-Opening Northern Virginia’s Economy

  • As I shared in my newsletter earlier this week, Governor Northam has delayed the re-opening of Northern Virginia’s economy until midnight on Thursday, May 28. He made this decision at the request of local elected officials representing Northern Virginia localities, including Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisor Jeff McKay, and afternoon assessing COVID-19 data for the region. You can read my summary of that decision here.

  • You can listen to Governor Northam, Chair McKay, and other local elected representatives from Northern Virginia discuss this decision at the Governor’s press conference yesterday on Facebook. 

Fairfax Health District COVID-19 Data Dashboard

  • The Fairfax County’s Fairfax Health District COVID-19 Dashboard includes information regarding COVID-19 in the Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, City of Fairfax, and City of Falls Church. 

  • With the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) updated policy regarding sharing COVID-19 data at the zip code level, the dashboard now provides COVID-19 data for all Fairfax County zip codes. You can see Fairfax Health District COVID-19 Dashboard here. You can see data on all the zip codes in Virginia here. 

Support for Small Businesses and Non-Profits

  • The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved a $25 million grant program to provide immediate relief for small businesses and non-profits that have been impacted by COVID-19. You can learn more about the program here. 

Updates from Fairfax County Public Schools

Food Security

  • As I previously shared, the federal government approved Virginia’s application to provide Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits. The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) will be providing P-EBT benefits to families who either have children receiving free and reduced meals or have students enrolled in schools that provide all students with free meals through the Community Eligibility Provision. 

  • Fairfax County Public Schools has provided information to VDSS for those FCPS families currently receiving free and reduced meals so these families do not need to complete additional forms to receive the benefits. 

  • Any family that is currently not eligible for free and reduced meals can apply by June 11 to receive P-EBT benefits. You can learn more about P-EBT here. 

View my summary of the 2020 legislative session here.

View my e-newsletters here.

View my new COVID-19 resource page to see a summary of state actions, guidance, and resources here.