July 2, 2021
To the Fairfax County Community,

As you may know, the Commonwealth's State of Emergency ended yesterday. This is encouraging news as we enter the Fourth of July weekend and celebrate that over 70% of Virginians have been vaccinated. The ending of the State of Emergency will not greatly impact state or County operations, however I want to note a few technical changes to be aware of:

  1. You may have heard talk of masks now being illegal because of the end of the State of Emergency, however this is not the case. The Virginia Department of Health has assured: There is no legal barrier to wearing masks to protect oneself and others from the virus, nor should anyone be penalized for doing so. While the state law prohibits wearing a mask for the purpose of concealing one’s identity, it does not prohibit wearing a mask for the purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19. This is true even now that Virginia is no longer under a statewide declaration of emergency. You can read more on that here. Short and simple if you choose to wear a mask for comfort or because you are not yet vaccinated, you should continue to do so.
  2. Fairfax County's State of Emergency remains. This is because additional measures need to be taken to respond to the pandemic and its aftermath. For example, the Board must act to allow restaurants the flexibility to continue outdoor dining with tents in parking lots for up to a year following the state of emergency. This requires a local ordinance change that the Board will act on this month, but we must remain in a "state of emergency" to do so.

During the majority of the pandemic our County flag has been raised at half-mast to remember those who have died and to commemorate our front line workers. In line with the ending of the Commonwealth's State of Emergency, I ordered the flags to return to full-mast. While we still have work to do and need those unvaccinated to continue to be diligent and wear masks, Fairfax County has made incredible strides in our vaccination efforts.

  • 75% of people 18+ have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
  • 62.7% of people 18+ are fully vaccinated.
  • In May, we held 86 vaccine equity events that distributed over 16,000 doses. 84% of event attendees were Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Pacific Islander.
  • For our population 65+, the proportions of those vaccinated ranges between 70-100%!
  • Only one zip code in the County has reported a percentage below 70%.

That said, as vaccination rates slow and as variants spreads (like the Delta variant), we will likely see increases in COVID-19 cases in our Health District, particularly among those who are not vaccinated.
I urge you, if you or your family member is able, to get vaccinated. This is the most effective way to keep yourself and family healthy. Read more on that here and available Fairfax County Health Department vaccine opportunities this holiday weekend here.

Finally, I want to thank our Health Department for all the work they have done to get us to a point where we are seeing some of the lowest levels of disease transmission since the pandemic began. This work would not have been possible if not for our committed staff and our extensive Medical Reserve Corps program. Since March 1, 2020, we have had 1,358 volunteers contribute 56,781 hours to slowing the spread of this disease. Their volunteerism is inspiring and we are all forever grateful for your dedication to the community.
Legislative Changes
In addition to the State of Emergency ending on July 1, I wanted to highlight some changes to County and state code that went into effect this week. I have included some highlights below:

  • zMod: As of July 1, the new Zoning Ordinance is in effect with new regulations on accessory living units, home-based businesses, accessory structures, and much more. You can see the new zoning regulations here. Upcoming lunch and learn events and educational meetings are scheduled for the months of July and September, and information is available on the zMOD Outreach Page. Learn more about the new Ordinance and online platform in this press release.
  • Green Banks (HB 1919) : This new law grants localities authority to establish green banks to promote investment and financing for clean energy technologies. Green banks are important tools that can help leverage financing for clean energy, increase investments and resource support for green technologies, and address increasing consumer demand for sustainable initiatives.
  • Absentee Voting and Election Administration (HB 1888, SB 1245, HB 1968, HB 1921): These new laws expand access to the ballot. Some changes include: establishment of drop-off locations for the return of absentee ballots, creation of an absentee ballot cure process to allow voters to fix any potential errors on their ballot envelopes, authorization of the usage of certain voting technologies and procedures that assist visually impaired voters with casting their ballots independently and remotely, permits in-person absentee voting on Sundays, and allows for curbside voting for voters with disability or during a declared state of emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat. 
  • Firearms (HB 1992): This new law prohibits a person who has been convicted of assault and battery of a family or household member from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm.
  • Foster Care and Kinship Programs (SB 1328 and HB 1962): These bills create a State-Funded Kinship Guardianship Assistance program to facilitate child placements with relatives, including fictive kin, and ensure permanency for children. In addition, they require local departments of social services and licensed child-placing agencies to involve the child’s relatives and fictive kin in the development of a foster care plan.
  • Marijuana (HB 2312/SB 1406): This new law authorizes the home cultivation and legal possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. 
  • Commonwealth Clean Energy Policy (SB 1284): This new law sets out energy policy and objectives which include: reducing greenhouse gas emissions across Virginia's economy to reach net-zero emission by 2045 in all sectors, the need to promote environmental justice and ensure that it is carried out throughout the state, and the Commonwealth must continue to prioritize economic competitiveness and workforce development in an equitable manner.
  • Education, Virtual and In-person: This law requires all school divisions to offer in-person instruction to each student enrolled in the local public school division. 
  • Cocktails To Go Extension (HB1879 and SB1299): Both bills allow the continuation of a practice to allow restaurants to sell cocktails to go. 
Health
Vaccine Resources:


Common Health Questions:

  • People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms reported - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. You might experience:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Follow mitigation practices:
  • Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if that isn't an option (especially when in public places)
  • Cough and sneeze into your sleeve
  • Don't touch your face
  • Social distance
  • Wear a mask (Which is required in Virginia.)
  • What it means to social distance, self-isolate, and quarantine.
  • If interacting with others outside of your household, being outside is safer than inside. You can make your home safer by increasing ventilation and filtration.
  • The New York Times (access to COVID-19 content is free) speaks with infectious disease experts, aerosol scientists, and microbiologists to find out if COVID-19 can land on your clothing, hair, shoes, and mail.

COVID-19 Resources:

  • Fairfax County Health Department
  • To view the number of cases in Fairfax County this page is updated at noon daily.
  • Visit the County site on COVID-19, Health Department Website, and see their FAQs.
  • To view multilingual health materials visit the County's Language Portal.
  • Sign up for text message alerts: text FFXCOVID to 888777. Para inscribirse, textear FFXCOVIDESP a 888777.
  • Call the Health Department from 9am-7pm weekdays and 9:30am-5pm on weekends: 703-267-3511
  • Email: ffxcovid@fairfaxcounty.gov. This account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm.
  • Inova has a helpful FAQ.
Sincerely,
Jeff McKay
Contact my Office

chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov
| 703.324.2321 |
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