Community Notice from
Dranesville Supervisor John Foust
Dear Neighbor,

I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends, while continuing to practice safe social distancing and taking appropriate precautions. Fairfax County Government offices are closed Thursday, November. 26, and Friday, November. 27, for the Thanksgiving holiday. However, some facilities are open and schedules vary, particularly as some offices continue to feature reduced hours in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the county government is providing many essential services online, by phone and by mail. For specific schedule information, please see the operating status page here.

Below I have included recommendations from the Health Department on staying safe through the holiday season, and contact tracing data has been added to the COVID-19 data dashboard. In addition this email includes a link to Dranesville District School Board Representative Elaine Tholen's recent newsletter, information on a virtual meeting on proposed improvements to Westmoreland Street, and the Fairfax County Police Department Victim Services Division's 7th Annual Gift Card Drive.

Please share this email 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.

Sincerely,
John
Winter Holidays and COVID-19
Recommendations for Family Celebrations, Shopping and Entertainment

Many of us associate December as a time of hustle and bustle, parties and sparkle, friends and family. As the Thanksgiving and winter holidays approach, many residents may be wondering how to celebrate safely this season. While travel and large gatherings are typically common during this time of year, it is still vital to remember that we all have an important role to play in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Recommendations shared for Thanksgiving apply to December holidays as well. Remember: the safest way to celebrate the holidays this year is with people in your household. Therefore, we recommend making the holidays more leisurely this year. Stay home, stay cozy, and keep it small and simple.

If you plan to celebrate with people outside your household, take steps to make your celebration safer. Remember, Virginia has statewide measures to contain COVID-19 in place including limiting in-person gatherings to 25 people, an expanded mask mandate, on-site alcohol curfew, and increased enforcement.

Here are some tips for a healthy, safe and enjoyable holiday.

FAMILY CELEBRATIONS
High Risk
  • Large family gatherings
  • Travel
  • Flights with layovers
  • Traveling on a cruise ship or river boat

Medium Risk
  • Small family gatherings that are: 
  • Outdoors 
  • Everyone wears a mask 
  • Everyone social distances 
  • Everyone washes hands frequently 
  • No one shares plates, utensils, cups or other items
  • Travel
  • Car trips with people outside your family  
  • Long distance train or bus trips 
  • Flights 

Lower Risk
  • Virtual family gatherings
  • Travel
  • Stay home 
  • Short trips by car with members of your household with no stops along the way 

SHOPPING AND ERRANDS
High Risk
  • Visiting a crowded mall, indoor or outdoor
  • Lengthy and/or multiple grocery shopping trips

Medium Risk
  • Pre-order items online, then go to store for pick-up
  • Limit shopping trips – create a strategy so you physically enter as few stores as possible
  • Always follow protocol for shopping: wear a mask, social distance in the store, and wash hands immediately when finished shopping
  • Make a concise list and plan your trip to keep your in-store shopping time as limited as possible
  • Look with your eyes, not with your hands as you select products

Low Risk
  • Shop online and have goods delivered to your house
  • Wait for the delivery person to be at least six feet from your package before retrieving

ENTERTAINMENT
High Risk
  • Indoor events such as concerts or sports
  • Crowded public tree lighting ceremonies
  • Sitting on Santa’s lap
  • Ice skating, indoors on a crowded, small rink
  • Attend large parties with people from outside your household

Medium Risk
  • Attend an outdoor event where:
  • Capacity is limited
  • Attendees social distance
  • Attendees wear masks
  • Have a small outdoor dinner with family and friends who live in your community where:
  • Everyone wears a mask
  • Everyone social distances
  • Everyone washes hands frequently
  • No one shares plates, utensils, cups or other items

Low Risk
  • Enjoy a virtual concert
  • Watch your favorite team play on television
  • Create an in-home ceremony to light your own tree
  • Watch tree lighting ceremonies on television
  • Send Santa a letter in the mail
  • Book a private session
  • Host a virtual party

The CDC is providing health updates for various fall and winter holidays here.
COVID-19 Data Dashboard
Now Includes Contact Tracing
The Health Department’s case and contact investigation teams find people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and provide guidance to prevent them from spreading illness in our community. Contact tracing is one of many trusted public health tools used to prevent further spread of contagious diseases.

The COVID-19 data dashboard now features an overview of contact tracing, including cases and close contacts. Metrics are provided on the percent the teams are able to reach and of those they do reach, how many are interviewed within one day.

The Health Department, through its contract with Institute for Public Health Innovation, has hired nearly 400 COVID response staff that include case and contact interviewers and community healthcare workers. Case and contact interviewers identify contacts, provide public health guidance, refer people to testing if symptomatic and enroll them into the Health Department’s monitoring program. Staff include individuals from different cultures and backgrounds to help serve the full diversity of Fairfax County. Community healthcare workers serve a critical role in assisting those individuals who may need to connect to support services while recovering from illness or are quarantining at home because they’ve been identified as a close contact.

Robust case and contact tracing efforts help prevent COVID-19 from spreading in our community.
Update from Elaine Tholen,
Dranesville District School Board Representative
Dranesville District Representative, Elaine Tholen, provided several updates, resources, and upcoming meetings related to Fairfax County Public Schools in her Thanksgiving newsletter, available online here.
Virtual Meeting on Westmoreland Street Corridor Improvements, December 2
between Haycock and Chain Bridge Road

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust will host a virtual online community meeting to discuss recommendations for the Westmoreland Street corridor, between Haycock Road and Chain Bridge Road.
  • FCDOT, VDOT and Supervisor Foust have been working together to develop recommendations to enhance safety along the corridor.
  • The meeting will provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions about the improvements and provide feedback through an online survey that will be open from December 4 through 18, 2020.

Meeting Registration Information
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 
7:30 p.m.
Dial In: 1-844-621-3956 ; Access code: 173 732 0397

First time Webex user? See Virtual Meeting Instructions here.

We look forward to seeing you at the online community meeting on December 2.

Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) ensures non-discrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To request information in an alternate format or for reasonable ADA accommodations, contact FCDOT at 703-877-5600, TTY 711
Victim Services 7th Annual Holiday Gift Card Drive
As the holidays approach, it’s important to stop and reflect on the joy and blessings in our lives while also being aware that there are children in need. As we all know, the holidays are not always joyous for everyone. 

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need to help is even greater. This year, as in years past, Victim Services Division worked cases involving child victims and witnesses of domestic and sexual violence. Many of these children will not to get to celebrate holidays this year due to the financial burden that comes with being a victim of crime. Your generous donation of gift cards will help those families most impacted by crime bring a smile to the faces of their children who have had a tough road due to the violence they have witnessed or been a victim of themselves.  

Now through Friday, December 18, 2020 gift cards can be dropped off or mailed to:
Saly Fayez
Director, Victim Services Division
Fairfax County Police Department
12099 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035

Suggestions: places like Giant, Target, Safeway, Walmart, TJ Maxx, Target, Kohl’s, local restaurants, clothing, and grocery stores. Gift cards will allow parents to be active participants in purchasing gifts for each child and practical needed items that they would normally go without.

Your generosity will brighten the eyes and hearts of our child victims, will bring so much joy, and most importantly will make an impact this holiday season.

For more information, contact Saly Fayez at 703-246-2465 or saly.fayez@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Stay Informed about COVID-19
Fairfax County is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Residents are strongly encouraged to utilize the resources listed below: