NEWSLETTER
MAY 28, 2020
Neighbors,
Join me tonight for a Tele-Town Hall at 6:30pm!
Hope you’ll join me at 6:30pm for my Tele-Town Hall 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
Re-Opening Northern Virginia’s Economy
Tomorrow, May 29, the Northern Virginia region will join the rest of the state in Phase I of re-opening our economy.
You can find detailed information about Phase I requirements at Executive Order (EO) 61 and Order of Public Health Emergency (OPHE) 3, available here, as well as a list of guidelines for all business sectors here. Below is a summary for your information:
There continues to be a ban of public and private gatherings of more than 10 people, including but not limited to, parties, celebrations, or other social events, whether they occur indoors or outdoors. (This restriction does not apply to individuals who are performing a function of their employment or family members living in the same residence.)
EO 61/OPHE 3 and the Business Guidelines provide more information about recommended best practices for all businesses that re-open during Phase I. These practices are in regards to maintaining physical distancing between co-workers and between members of the public; enhanced cleaning and disinfection; and workplace safety practices.
There are specific requirements and suggested best practices customized for the following sectors:
Restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, and tasting rooms.
Farmers markets.
“Non-essential” brick and mortar retail businesses.
Fitness and exercise facilities.
Personal care and personal grooming services.
Campgrounds at state parks and private locations.
Indoor shooting ranges.
I strongly suggest that you review EO 61/PHO 3 and the Business Guidelines if you are going to work under Phase I so that you know about the safety precautions that employers should have in place. Similarly, please review these requirements if you patron these businesses so that you know what is expected to ensure yours and workers’ health and safety.
Places of Worship
I have heard from constituents concerned about being able to worship in person. The Governor has shared specific guidance for places of worship in Phase I, which you can view here and a highlight is below:
Places of worship are able to conduct in-person services if they meet certain requirements. This includes:
Opening at 50 percent indoor capacity.
Requiring individuals, with the exclusion of family members, attending religious services to be at least six apart when seated and practice physical distancing at all times.
Not allowing items to be passed to or between attendees who are not family members.
Health Update
Face Covering Requirements
On May 26, the Governor signed EO 63/OPHE 5, which will require Virginians to wear face coverings in certain circumstances starting May 29. Below is a summary of this requirement, and you can find the full text of EO 63/OPHE Five here.
You must wear a face covering in the following circumstances:
Inside all brick and mortar retail establishments.
Inside all personal care and grooming establishments.
Inside places where people congregate.
Inside food and beverage establishments.
On public transportation.
When accessing state or local government services.
The following are exceptions to this new requirement:
While eating or drinking.
While exercising.
If you have trouble breathing or are unable to remove the mask without help.
If your health conditions prohibit wearing a face covering.
Children under the age of 10, though the Governor recommends children ages three to 10 wear one if possible.
Violations of EO 63/OPHE 5 are considered Class 1 Misdemeanors and are enforceable by the Virginia Department of Health. The Governor has indicated that VDH will aim to enforce gross, egregious, and repeated violations of this order.
Personal Protective Equipment
Just this week alone, our state government has distributed the following personal protective equipment (PPE) across Virginia:
30,430 N95/KN95 masks.
143,450 surgical masks.
169,400 gloves.
780 goggles.
175 coveralls.
8,810 face shields.
Department of Motor Vehicles
Driver’s licenses and identification cards expiring on or before July 31, 2020 have now been extended for 90 days, not to exceed August 31, 2020.
Credentials that expire between March 15 and May 31, must be renewed no later than 90 days beyond the expiration date.
Credentials expiring from June 1 to July 31 must be renewed no later than August 31, 2020.
Vehicle registrations that expire in March, April, and May are also extended for 90 days, while those expiring in June are extended for 60 days, and those expiring in July are extended for 30 days.
On June 1, the DMV customer service centers near the 42nd District will reopen, including the ones in Arlington, Franconia, and Tysons Corner. Constituents wishing to make an appointment for service at one of these offices can visit www.dmvNOW.com/appt.
Virginia National Guard
The federal government has agreed to extend Title 32 status for the Virginia National Guard. This means that Virginia will continue to receive financial assistance from the federal government to pay for our Guard’s COVID-19 response activities.
As I shared previously, our Guard members have been instrumental in conducting COVID-19 tests as well as assisting with the logistics of distributing PPE across the state.
Public Beaches
The Governor announced that all public beaches in Virginia may open for recreational activities on May 29. Beaches must have similar restrictions that are in place for Virginia Beach.
Other Activities
NASCAR and horse races will be allowed to take place starting May 29. These events will not be open to the public. The Governor has made this decision because these are open air events with space in between participants, which minimize the risk of transmitting COVID-19.
Updates From Fairfax County
Donating Fabric Masks
In order to increase the supply of PPE for vulnerable populations in our communities, the Fairfax County Health Department is accepting fabric mask donations to support our county’s nonprofit partners and the low-income clients they serve. You can view the announcement here.
Updates from Community Partners
CVS COVID-19 Testing
CVS has announced that it will be offering self-swab COVID-19 tests across Virginia to individuals who meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Testing can be scheduled online and will be done through their drive-through services.
CVS locations in and near the 42nd District that will offer this service include:
CVS Pharmacy, 9009 Silverbrook Road, Fairfax Station, VA 22079
CVS Pharmacy, 6400 Landsdowne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315
CVS Pharmacy, 10090 Fairfax Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22030
CVS Pharmacy, 3921 Prosperity Avenue, Fairfax, VA 22031
CVS Pharmacy, 7205 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
CVS Pharmacy, 3401 Charles Street, Bailey's Crossroads, VA 22041
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.