June 8, 2021
To the Fairfax County Community,

Today, in addition to this being the Democratic Primary Election Day - the Board met for the first time since last fall in-person rather than electronically. It was great to be with my colleagues again and bring things back to normal and this is largely because of our community's determination to get vaccinated and protect each other.

Before I provide an update on the Board meeting, I have a couple of announcements.

  1. Tysons Community Vaccination Center (CVC): Beginning today, June 8, the CVC will operate until 8 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Vaccine appointments on those days can be made as late as 7:45 pm. In addition, the last day to make an appointment or walk in for a COVID-19 vaccine at this site is Saturday, June 26. Vaccine appointments are widely available across the County and can be found here. Read more about the changes at the CVC here.
  2. COVID Testing: The Fairfax County Health Department is demobilizing COVID-19 community testing sites it operates at the close of business on Friday, June 4, and will be transitioning COVID-19 testing to their traditional clinic sites. Other testing options will remain operational throughout Fairfax County and are widely available through health care providers, urgent cares centers, and pharmacies. Read more here.
  3. COVID-19 Remembrance Event: Tomorrow, June 9 at 6 pm, Fairfax County will be hosting the Northern Virginia Regional Commission’s COVID-19 Remembrance Ceremony. Sadly too many lives have been lost to this pandemic and we must never forget them. The public is encouraged to view the ceremony online. It will be televised on Fairfax County Government Channel 1016 (Cox) and Channel 16 (Verizon/Comcast) and streamed online at Channel 16 and my Facebook page. Learn more here.
  4. BAC Appointments: We have openings on the following volunteer Boards, Authorities, and Commissions: A. Heath Onthank Award Selection Committee, Commission for Women, Fairfax County Convention and Visitors Corporation Board, Health Care Advisory Board, Oversight Committee on Distracted and Impaired Driving, Tenant Landlord Commission (Landlord Member). If you are interested in applying please send a resume to [email protected]. Learn more about the BACs here.

You can review today's full Board package here and read more on it below.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month
What? Happy Pride Month! Today, the Board voted to proclaim June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

Anything else? In January 2021, I introduced a Board Matter to get a perfect score on the HRC Municipal Equality Index. Last year, our County policies scored an 88, up from 53 in 2019. While we have been improving, we can always do better. I'm told in the coming days we will be receiving an update on our progress to score a 100. The County's diversity is our strength and we must continue to be a welcoming community to everyone.
PIVOT Grant Program
What? The Board approved a new, additional targeted $25 million grant program for small businesses most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grant program? PIVOT will be targeted based on the results of the Economic Recovery Framework report funded by Fairfax County. The report illustrated that of the estimated 48,200 jobs lost through December 2020 were concentrated in the retail, hospitality, and food service sectors. Businesses who are able to apply for funding include: food service; retail, services and amusements; arts organizations and historical sites; and lodging. This is the third recovery program we have offered to help our small business community in the County. They are vital to our future economic success.

When? The application portal is expected to open on June 23 and be available through July 7. More information can be found here.

Anything else? The program will be paid for through the funds allocated by the American Rescue Plan. The County will receive $222 million over two years and today, we approved to adjust the FY 2021 appropriation level to accommodate the first half of the funding.
Made in Fairfax
What happened? The Board authorized the licensing out of the "Made in Fairfax" logo, and for the County to pursue trademark protection of the logo.

Made in Fairfax? It's an initiative by Fairfax County and participating partners to support small-scale production businesses and “makers” throughout the County. Learn more here.

Anything else? Moving forward, our Economic Recovery Framework proposes boosting our Made in Fairfax program, this licensing agreement is a great way to increase visibility for our local producers. 
School Bond
What happened? The Board approved a Fairfax County Public Schools bond referendum totaling $360,000,000 to be included on the next election ballot in November 2021. I am proud that we have consistently increased this amount to meet capacity and renovation needs at our schools, these bonds historically these have been heavily supported by voters throughout the County.

For what? The funds will be used towards renovations at 14 schools across the County and for the land acquisition of a western county high school. You can read about the projects on page 71 of the Board package.
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: [email protected]. This account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm.
  • Inova has a helpful FAQ.
Sincerely,
Jeff McKay
Contact my Office

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