Chesterfield County, Virginia's Weekly E-Newsletter
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Stay Connected with Chesterfield!
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Scroll to the bottom for more helpful links and resources to stay up to date on all things Chesterfield!
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County Response to COVID-19
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The
Chesterfield County Response to COVID-19 webpage
has links to many resources for citizens during this situation. If you are looking for information in any of the following topic areas, please click the links below to be directed to additional resources:
Other important information and updates on resources for Virginians can be found at:
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Commonwealth Deploys COVIDCheck to Help Virginians Self-Screen for COVID-19
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Governor Ralph Northam announced that Virginians can now use
COVIDCheck
, a new online risk-assessment tool to check their symptoms and connect with the appropriate health care resource, including COVID-19 testing.
COVIDCheck is a free, web-based, artificial intelligence-powered telehealth tool that can help individuals displaying symptoms associated with COVID-19 self-assess their risk and determine the best next steps, such as self-isolation, seeing a doctor or seeking emergency care. This resource assists in identifying users who are at higher risk of COVID-19 and can help individuals find a nearby testing site. It is not to be used in place of emergency medical care.
COVIDCheck users who say they are experiencing symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19 are screened for occupational and medical risk factors and are given one of five care levels in accordance with the
Virginia Department of Health’s
(VDH) categories.
By answering a series of questions, an individual can receive a personalized, real-time self-assessment with information and recommendations on what to do next. The recommendations, based on the latest guidance from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), include advice on when to contact a medical professional or seek emergency care, next steps for care based on zip code and permission to follow up with the individual in three days to see how the person is doing.
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Chesterfield Economic Development Shares Important Phase One Information
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Additional Resources During COVID-19
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Staying Active - Fitness, Crafts, Learning Opportunities and More!
Mental Health and Coping
Access to the Internet During COVID-19
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May 27 Board of Supervisors Meeting
to be Held Virtually
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The Chesterfield County
Board of Supervisors
meeting on Wednesday, May 27, will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams to decrease the spread of COVID-19. The changes are designed to accommodate public input while encouraging the public to continue self-quarantining and practicing social distancing, as recommended by health officials.
All public comments received by the deadline
(which was Tuesday, May 26 at 5 p.m.)
will be distributed to the Board of Supervisors and posted online for the public to view in advance of the meeting and will be made a part of the board’s official public record within the
rules of procedure
adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
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June 3 Board of Zoning Appeals
to be Held Virtually
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Due to the COVID-19 health emergency, the Wednesday,
June 3 Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting
will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams as an effort to decrease the spread of the virus. The changes are designed to accommodate public input while encouraging the public to continue self-quarantining and practicing social distancing, as recommended by health officials. The Public Meeting Room, located at 10001 Ironbridge Road, will be closed.
Citizens are encouraged to use the online comment form at
www.chesterfield.gov/bzacomments
to provide comment on public hearings regarding Board of Zoning Appeals cases. Those wishing to comment must submit a new online form for each public hearing they want to comment on. Only one comment per person per public hearing will be accepted. In addition to the form, comments can also be received by email at
planning@chesterfield.gov
, or by calling 804-748-1050.
The
Board of Zoning Appeals
will accept all public comments (online portal, telephone message and email)
until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 2
to ensure the comments are provided to the Board prior to the June 3 meeting for their consideration.
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ChamberRVA Introduces New Initiative to Support
the Reopening of the Richmond Region
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With the support of
ChamberRVA
, Richmond region business, community and governmental leaders have
come together
to form
ForwardRVA
, a coalition focused on creating an innovative reopening and planning framework.
The immediate focus is to support businesses in reopening and operating safely. In the days and weeks ahead, ForwardRVA will share tools and resources, which will include the perspectives of RVA’s restaurateurs, retailers and small business owners.
To assist businesses in a responsible reopening, ForwardRVA will provide free Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) starter toolkits for RVA’s small, local, retail, and restaurant businesses with 25 or fewer employees that have remained open or are planning a future reopening. The toolkits include face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, “We’re Open” signage and important safety information.
The toolkits will be available for pickup at several locations throughout the region on Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28.
Small business owners must register in advance for the toolkits and select their pickup location at
forwardrva.com
.
For more information on the PPE Starter Toolkits, ForwardRVA and Forward Virginia, go to
www.forwardrva.com
.
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New Websites Honor Chesterfield County's
Fallen Heroes
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In commemoration of Memorial Day, Chesterfield County unveiled two new websites designed to honor the sacrifices of local public safety and military heroes who lost their lives while serving the county and the country.
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The Fallen Heroes websites offer several functions to users, including the ability to read heroes’ biographical profiles and learn more about how each were memorialized by Chesterfield County. Users are also able to learn the physical location of the heroes’ memorial markers using a virtual map, read memorial inscriptions and, where available, watch videos of the public safety officials’ and soldiers’ dedication ceremonies.
The Chesterfield Fallen Public Safety Heroes website may be accessed via the
Fire and EMS
,
Police
and the
Sheriff
webpages. The Chesterfield Fallen Military Heroes website is available on the county’s
History webpage
.
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Adoptable Pet Spotlight: Sokka
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Meet Sokka:
This handsome boy is Sokka! Sokka has a gorgeous black coat and if you look close enough you will see, he has one light brown eye and one dark brown eye. He is very high-spirited and has endless energy.
Sokka loves to run around in the yard and play with toys. His favorite game is fetch and he is a master at bringing the ball back. Sokka is very lovable and enjoys scratches behind the ear.
Due to his athletic nature, he would do well in a home with a yard to run around in. Sokka does well with other dogs and would benefit from having a sibling. Sokka is a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois Mix.
Animal #567123
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Chesterfield - Employee Excellence:
Mental Health Support Services;
Parks and Recreation - Virtual Recreation Programs
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These unprecedented times have forced innovative adaptations in how Chesterfield County continues to keep resources and services available for our citizens, businesses and employees. Those adaptations have taken multiple forms, from teleworking to completely new processes, and many employees are being redeployed in other areas to keep essential functions operating.
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Mental Health Support Services
Even in the best of times, Chesterfield’s
Department of Mental Health Support Services
(MHSS) has the important, yet difficult, task of providing an array of health services to our community. Under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, MHSS was faced with having to provide critical care to residents without risking the spread of the coronavirus.
MHSS knew that putting their vital services on hold was not an option. So, they adapted.
Although the MHSS building is currently closed to the public, the medical services team continued to distribute psychiatric medications and provide outdoor, drive-by injections by appointments.
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Clockwise, from left: Nie’cole Debates, psychiatric RN, providing a long-acting injection; Monique Hayes, OBOT RN, handing a cup for a urine drug screen; Rose Rodgers, medication assistant, handing out medications from Westwood pharmacy.
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In addition, MHSS nurses continue to conduct Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) drug testing and screening. By following guidelines established by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), MHSS is cleaning and sanitizing their offices after assisting customers, and chairs in their waiting area have been spaced out to meet best practices for social distancing.
According to Kelly Fried, executive director of MHSS, innovating to meet residents’ needs has been a team effort.
“These are just a few examples of the many unique and creative ways staff are continuing to provide services offered by MHSS,” said Fried. “Unprecedented times call for unprecedented ways of delivering services, and MHSS staff have been incredible in ensuring our citizens are continuing to receive the critical services they need.”
For more information about the important work being done by MHSS, visit their
department webpage
.
In addition,
listen to an interview
between Fried and WRWK 93.9 FM about staying mentally healthy during COVID-19 pandemic.
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Parks and Recreation virtual recreation programs cover a wide variety of topics: top right, Kecia Allen demonstrates chair aerobics; bottom right, Tory Rogers edits recreation videos.
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Parks and Recreation: Virtual Recreation Programs
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many public buildings and facilities to close to the public. For Chesterfield’s
Department of Parks and Recreation
, these closures have meant thinking creatively about how to continue offering residents educational, entertaining programming.
Interested in staying active while social distancing? Parks and Recreation’s new webpage and YouTube playlist have several at-home workout videos, including
chair aerobics
,
functional fitness
,
karate
and more.
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And just as the department itself has had to rethink the way it serves Chesterfield residents, some Parks and Recreation employees have taken on new roles and shown off new skills. Tory Rogers, for example, is a certified therapeutic recreation specialist who normally plans and facilitates inclusive programming for individuals with disabilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, though Tory is using her videography skills to create and edit videos for the virtual programming webpage.
According to Dr. James Worsley, director of Parks and Recreation, the department’s virtual shift has proven to be a success.
“Although our recreation centers, nature center and satellite locations are closed, the department has adapted to the new environment,” said Worsley. “The recreation staff have done an excellent job repositioning services to a virtual format while maintaining quality programs for the community.”
While they look forward to once again welcoming back visitors when it is safe to do so, the Department of Parks and Recreation will continue developing informational content for residents to enjoy from home. To explore all that Parks and Recreation has to offer, view their
department website
.
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Remember to Complete Your U.S. Census!
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While April 1 was Census Day, Chesterfield encourages residents who have not yet completed their
2020 U.S. Census
to do so as soon as possible.
Completing the Census is easy!
Households should have received official U.S. Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 U.S. Census
online, by phone or by mail.
Pay close to attention to the unique number given to your household and be prepared to use it during your response.
The 2020 U.S. Census is mandatory and responses are based upon the members of a household as of April 1 (Census Day).
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To learn more about the 2020 U.S. Census, visit the official website at
2020census.gov
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Learn More About Your District
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