Community Notice from
Dranesville Supervisor John Foust  

  
Dear Neighbor,

Yesterday, Virginia Governor Northam held a press conference regarding the Commonwealth's response to the rapidly changing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and announced several new directives. I want to highlight some of those developments in this email. In addition, Metro announced yesterday that it will be further reducing service. I've included more information from Metro below.

Further Reducing Public Gatherings and Increasing Social Distancing
    
Governor Northam told Virginians to avoid non-essential gatherings of more than 10 people, per federal guidelines. This does not include normal operations at essential services such as manufacturers, distribution centers, airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, grocery stores, or pharmacies. 

All restaurants, fitness centers, and theaters are mandated to significantly reduce their capacity to 10 patrons, or close. Restaurants are encouraged to continue carry-out and takeaway options 
 
Protecting High-Risk Virginians
    
Those with chronic health conditions or aged 65 or older should self-quarantine. Public health experts advise that individuals with underlying medical conditions and those aged 65 or older are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Neighbors and friends are encouraged to stay in touch and regularly check in with high-risk individuals.

Support for Affected Workers

Governor Northam announced the following actions to protect working Virginians impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak:
  • No waiting for unemployment benefits. The one-week waiting period to apply for unemployment benefits has been waived to ensure workers can receive benefits as soon as possible.
  • Enhanced eligibility for unemployment. Workers may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits if an employer needs to temporarily slow or cease operations due to COVID-19. If a worker has been issued a notice to self-quarantine by a medical or public health official and is not receiving paid sick or medical leave from their employer, they may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. In addition, a worker may be eligible for unemployment benefits if they must stay home to care for an ill family member and are not receiving paid family medical leave from their employer.
  • Fewer restrictions. For individuals receiving unemployment insurance, the Virginia Employment Commission is to give affected workers special consideration on deadlines, mandatory re-employment appointments, and work search requirements.
The Office of the Governor has provided a Frequently Asked Questions guide for workers that have been temporarily laid off or discharged during this public health crisis.

Support for Impacted Employers
  • Regional workforce teams will be activated to support employers that slow or cease operations. Employers who do slow or cease operations will not be financially penalized for an increase in workers requesting unemployment benefits.
  • The Governor is authorizing rapid response funding, through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, for employers eligible to remain open during this emergency. Funds may be used to clean facilities and support emergency needs.
Department of Motor Vehicle Office Closures
  • Virginia's 75 DMV offices, as well as mobile units, are closed to the public, effective today, March 18, until at least April 2. 
  • Online services will remain available, and anyone needing to renew a license or vehicle registration is encouraged to do so online at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/#/. 
  • For those who cannot renew online, or whose license or registration expires before May 15, DMV will grant a 60-day extension.
Courts
    
Governor Northam requested and the Supreme Court of Virginia granted a judicial emergency in response to COVID-19. Beginning Monday, March 16 and continuing through Monday, April 6, non-essential, non-emergency court proceedings in all district and circuit courts are suspended absent a specific exemption. This includes a prohibition on new eviction cases for tenants who are unable to pay rent as a result of COVID-19. All non-exempted court deadlines are tolled and extended for a period of 21 days.

Utilities
 
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) issued an order directing utilities it regulates, such as electric, natural gas, and water companies in Virginia, to suspend service disconnections for 60 days to provide immediate relief for any customer, residential and business, who may be financially impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

For a comprehensive list of actions Governor Northam has announced to combat COVID-19 in Virginia, visit virginia.gov/coronavirus.  
 
metroservicereducedMetro Service Further Reduced

Yesterday, Metro's Pandemic Task Force announced major service reductions as part of the ongoing pandemic response. According to Metro's announcement, the changes further reduce service to protect frontline employees, while maintaining regional mobility for essential trips taken by hospital staff, government officials, and emergency responders. The reduction takes into account the urgent public guidance from regional leaders, along with emergency orders to cancel events, close schools and offices, and limit social gatherings across the nation. 
 
According to Metro, ridership was down nearly 70 percent across the board on Monday. Starting today, Wednesday, March 18, service will be further reduced - on both bus and rail - to allow even more cleaning and to reduce sharing of workspaces and vehicles for employee safety. 

Metro is acting urgently to further reduce the number of employees required at any time and working to create additional redundancy in Metro's workforce to protect service continuity. 

If you are not feeling well, please avoid taking public transportation. 

Effective today, Wednesday, March 18, and continuing until further notice, Metro service will operate as follows:

Metrorail:
  • Rail system hours and service levels are further reduced to support essential travel only. Riders are asked to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary and to follow guidance from state and local authorities.
  • New hours: 
    • Weekdays: 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 
    • Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
  • Trains will run every 15 minutes on each line at all times, including the Red Line. All trains will operate with 8 cars, the maximum possible length, to help maintain social distancing between customers.
  • Metro's Rail Operations Control Centers (two) will actively monitor trains and station platforms for any possible crowding, something that has not been an issue at any point during the pandemic emergency response.
  • Metro is reducing/cancelling track work, except emergency maintenance and inspections, to avoid unexpected delays and maintain 15-minute intervals between trains.
Metrobus:
  • Bus hours and service levels are further reduced to support essential travel only. Riders are asked to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary and to follow guidance from your state and local authorities.
  • Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule, with supplemental service on selected routes to prevent crowding and ensure areas are not cut off. Visit https://www.wmata.com/ for information about "supplemental" routes that will operate in addition to Sunday routes.
  • Bus operators are granted the authority to bypass bus stops to maintain safe social distancing aboard the vehicle.
MetroAccess:
  • All subscription trips are cancelled until further notice. Customers with a critical need to travel should make a separate reservation by calling 301-562-5360 (TTY 301-588-7535) or via the online reservation system.
  • Customers are strongly encouraged to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.
Please share this information with your friends and neighbors and do not hesitate to contact my office if we can be of assistance; email Dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-356-0551. 

Thank you,

John
  
John W. Foust
Dranesville District Supervisor
1437 Balls Hill Road
McLean, VA  22101
Phone:  703-356-0551
Fax: 703-821-4275