NEWSLETTER

MAY 18, 2020

Neighbors,

I hope you will save the day for my next Tele-Town Hall on Thursday, May 28, with Senator Scott Surovell! We will provide an update from the 2020 legislative session and our state’s response to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 

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

Updates

Below are COVID-19 and other updates from Governor Northam, state agencies, Fairfax County, and community partners. 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

  • The Governor’s Health Equity Work Group is using available COVID-19 data to increase testing in areas with at-risk populations, defined as communities with residents who have higher health risks from COVID-19 complications and incomes of less than $30,000 a year. 

  • Additionally, over the next few weeks, Virginia will be hosting test sites in these communities. Many of these test sites will be in Northern Virginia as our region works to curb the pandemic.  

Opening of Virginia Beaches

  • The Governor announced that, starting May 22, he is granting the City of Virginia Beach authority to open its beaches for recreational purposes. Social distancing guidelines must be followed and parking in garages and flat surfaces will be capped at 50 percent capacity. Additionally, the following are prohibited:

    • Group sports, such as volleyball;

    • Speakers;

    • Alcohol;

    • Tents and grouping of umbrellas; and

    • Fishing on sand beaches in the resort area

  • The City of Virginia Beach has the authority to enforce these rules. 

Housing Support

  • As I shared previously, the Fairfax County General District Court begins its phased re-opening today. The Governor announced that, as more courts begin to re-open and hear cases, some eviction proceedings can continue. 

  • Virginia has created a resource page for people experiencing housing insecurity as a result of COVID-19. You can find the resource page here. 

  • The Virginia Housing Development Authority has committed $12 million to support over 200 nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping Virginians with housing needs. 

  • Additionally, legislation the General Assembly passed this year provides tenants with a 60-day deferral on an eviction if you demonstrate that you have lost wages as a result of the current public health pandemic. We also passed legislation to cap late fees at 10% of periodic rent or 10% of the remaining balance due, whichever is less. House Bills 340 and 1420 were approved with an emergency clause, which means they are effective immediately.

Education

  • I had noted earlier that a workgroup had been formed to make recommendations to Governor Northam on how to safely re-open Virginia’s schools. Secretary of Education Atif Qarni chairs this workgroup and it first met on April 23. 

  • Today, Governor Ralph Northam announced a diverse set of education stakeholders from across Virginia will be participating. They represent public and private early childhood, K-12 systems, and higher education institutions and include teachers, superintendents, parents, college presidents, state agency personnel, special education advocates, museum directors, and student perspectives. You can see the announcement here. 

Updates from Fairfax County

Nonprofit Sustainability Grant Program

  • The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has established a $5 million fund to help non-profit organizations whose primary work supports social safety net services. This program will be funded through federal CARES Act dollars. Applications are due May 22. Learn more here.

Glass Recycling

  • The County glass recycling resumed Monday, May 11. To see this announcement and locations of the glass containers, click here. 

Updates from Community Partners

Health Insurance Resources

  • The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that over 500,000 Virginians will lose their employer-sponsored healthcare as a result of COVID-19, of which more than 300,000 Virginians will be eligible for Virginia's Medicaid program and about 113,000 people will be eligible for a subsidized plan through the Affordable Care Act’s Healthcare Marketplace. You can check your eligibility for Medicaid and apply for the program here. You can apply for health insurance through the ACA Healthcare Marketplace here. 

  • Also, the Virginia Association of Health Plans has a new resource page with information on what health insurance carriers in Virginia are doing to respond to COVID-19. You can see the page here.

  • Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding applying for Medicaid or connecting to your health insurance plan. 

View my summary of the 2020 legislative session here.

View my previous e-newsletters here.

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