A new COVID-19 testing site is coming to Fairfax County, potentially easing up the current scramble for tests amid a surge in cases locally and statewide.
The Virginia Department of Health will open a community testing center tomorrow (Saturday) at the Fairfax County Government Center. The site will be set up in large tent in parking lot B, which is in the southwest corner of the complex.
With the capacity to administer 500 tests a day, the site will operate Saturdays through Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. by appointment only. Appointments will become available online one day before testing officially begins.
Here’s more from the county on how appointments will be administered:
Anyone who makes an appointment but cannot keep it or finds testing elsewhere is asked to cancel their CTC appointment so that the slot will be free for someone else.
CTC test results will be automatically sent via text or email message to individuals being tested, based on the information provided in the appointment system. PCR test results are usually available within a few days and are very effective in detecting an active COVID-19 infection, even if a person is asymptomatic (not showing signs of illness).
Testing is recommended for individuals who have COVID-19 symptoms or have been instructed to test following a COVID-19 exposure. A PCR test should not be done by those seeking to return to work or school after completing isolation for a COVID-19 infection as PCR tests may remain positive even after an individual is no longer infectious.
While appointments are required, all visitors are asked to be patient as there might be wait times. Please dress warmly as part of the line may extend outside. This is not a drive-in event so attendees will need to park and enter the tent.
The county continues to set daily records for new cases. Residents report that testing remains elusive throughout the county.
Expect the usual array of closings this Monday (Jan. 17) to remember the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Closures will affect public facilities, including schools and post offices, as well as most in-person banking services. Most other private businesses, however, will be open.
Here’s a list of other local services and how they’ll be affected.
DMV
All DMV offices will be closed Monday.
Fairfax County
County offices and the County Circuit Court will be closed Monday.
Fairfax Connector buses will operate on holiday weekday service. A full list of routes affected is available online.
Fairfax County Public Library will be closed for the holiday, but this weekend also marks the start of a new, temporary schedule, where all branches will be closed on Sundays and Mondays through April 1.
Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon will have special programming as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service.
Falls Church
Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed Monday. Most government offices and services will be closed. The community center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation will have a program in honor of King at 11 a.m. Monday at the Tinner Hill Civil Rights Monument (South Washington Street at Tinner Hill Road in Falls Church) and a march at noon.
Herndon
The town offices and Herndon Community Center will be closed Monday. Recycling normally collected on Monday will be collected on Tuesday (Jan. 18).
McLean
The McLean Community Center will be closed on Monday, but it will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a concert tonight (Friday) and a talk on Sunday (Jan. 16), both led by musician Daryl Davis.
Metro
Metrobus will operate on a Saturday supplemental schedule and Metrorail will run regular scheduled weekday service.
Reston
The Reston Community Center Hunters Woods will host its 36th Annual Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration with events on Sunday and Monday.
Both the Hunters Woods and Lake Anne locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday.
Vienna
The town typically lists MLK Day as a holiday. Expect town offices to be closed.
Photo via National Archives
(Updated on 1/14/2022 at 4:45 p.m.) The Fairfax County School Board has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a former student’s sexual assault lawsuit, a move that could reshape how the federal law against sexual violence in schools is interpreted.
A petition filed by the school board on Dec. 30 argues that public school systems can’t be held liable for sexual harassment and assault unless officials knew an assault took place and could have prevented it.
The lawsuit was initiated in May 2018 by a former Oakton High School student, identified as Jane Doe, who says Fairfax County Public Schools mishandled her report of being sexually assaulted by another student on a school band trip in 2017.
The school board is now seeking to reverse an appeals court’s order of a new trial in the case.
“Funding recipients are rightly held liable when their own conduct intentionally causes harassment,” the petition says. “But Title IX liability rightfully does not, under this Court’s precedents, extend to situations where a recipient does not actually know of harassment or when its actions cause no harassment.”
Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in public education programs and activities. Doe’s lawsuit argues that FCPS violated the law by ignoring reports of her assault, discouraging her from taking legal action, and failing to ensure her safety.
A U.S. District Court jury found in August 2019 that a sexual assault took place and harmed Doe’s educational experience, but the school board couldn’t be held liable under Title IX, because officials didn’t have “actual knowledge” that the assault had occurred.
Jury members’ reported confusion over the term “actual knowledge” — whether school officials need direct evidence of an assault or just a report of one — led Public Justice, the nonprofit representing Jane Doe, to appeal the case to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
A three-judge panel ruled in June that a sexual assault report meets the legal standard and ordered a retrial.
However, FCPS asked the appeals court to stay its order for a new trial in September, signaling that it planned to petition the Supreme Court.
In a statement to FFXnow, FCPS maintained that the school board “could not have foreseen the assault, did not cause it, and could not have prevented it”:
Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to upholding Title IX and firmly believes that every student deserves an education free from harassment or discrimination. The decision to pursue this legal avenue has nothing to do with challenging this critical civil rights law.
The question in this case is only about whether Congress intended America’s public schools, and the teachers that work in them, to be held financially responsible for student-on-student misconduct that they had no way to foresee and did not cause. We believe the law should be applied the same way nationwide, and only the Supreme Court has the power to restore that uniformity.
To fail to challenge the Fourth Circuit’s ruling would be to let down public school educators the length and breadth of the U.S., and especially in Virginia, during a time when they need support more than ever. In addition, to roll over in the face of costly and unfair lawsuits would be an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars and would set a worrying precedent for school divisions facing similar lawsuits now and in the future.
However, Public Justice says the school board’s position is at odds with its claims to support students’ safety and civil rights, essentially suggesting that schools can only be held liable for sexual violence if it reoccurs.
“[FCPS] has now asked the Supreme Court to gut crucial protections for Jane Doe, for Fairfax students, and for young survivors across the country, pushing a misinterpretation of Title IX that the U.S. Department of Justice has called ‘absurd,'” Public Justice staff attorney Alexandra Brodsky said by email. “We are confident, though, that the Court will deny the cert petition and Jane will have the chance to be heard by a jury.”
Brodsky added that Doe isn’t seeking to hold FCPS responsible for the assault itself, but rather, for how it responded to her report.
Public Justice has not filed a response to the school board’s petition yet. The Supreme Court docket shows that a motion to extend the deadline for a response to April 8 was granted on Tuesday (Jan. 11).
Shatter the Silence Fairfax County Public Schools, a nonprofit that says it was founded by survivors, parents, and FCPS students, has launched a petition demanding that the school board drop its appeal.
“We the citizens demand that FCPS withdraw the baseless appeal in Doe v. Fairfax County School Board and appropriately respond to sexual assault in school,” the petition says. “Since FCPS continues its culture of cover-up and indifference, we ask the Virginia Attorney General and the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into FCPS and bring accountability once and for all.”
Photo via Geoff Livingston/Flickr
A pilot program that will give monthly cash assistance to select low-income residents is in development in Fairfax County.
While eligibility criteria, payment amounts, and other details are still being determined, the county has allocated $1.5 million to the effort from its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, as noted in a stimulus update to the Board of Supervisors’ budget policy committee yesterday (Tuesday).
First proposed at a health and human services committee meeting on June 29, the pilot will help people improve their financial situation by providing an additional, flexible source of income, county staff say.
“At its core, it’s an economic mobility initiative, but it’s also an anti-poverty initiative, and it’s certainly innovative,” Deputy County Executive Chris Leonard told the board last summer.
If it implements the pilot, Fairfax County will join a nationwide experiment with basic income programs that has also drawn in Arlington County and Alexandria. Research from around the world suggests the initiatives boost people’s happiness, health, and economic stability without limiting employment.
Fairfax County plans to model its pilot on the nonprofit UpTogether, which gives underserved individuals and families access to cash investments through an online platform that doubles as a social network.
UpTogether’s emphasis on trusting recipients to make their own decisions and building community deviates from traditional social services, which deliver vital resources like food or housing but often come with conditions, such as work requirements.
It’s the difference between helping people survive poverty and giving them the tools to escape it, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay explained, suggesting families, particularly those with young children, as a possible target population for the pilot.
“Part of what I think our obligation to do is to stop this generational poverty that seems to happen everywhere in the country,” McKay said. “If you’re going to break the trends of generational poverty, you somehow have to get to the youth.”
Between 2015 and 2019, Fairfax County’s poverty rate consistently hovered around 6.9%, even though the median household income climbed from $113,208 to $128,374 during the same time frame, according to the most recent demographic report.
As of 2019, 8.3% of county residents younger than 18 lived in poverty.
In a statement to FFXnow, McKay said the worsening of existing wealth gaps and racial disparities during the coronavirus pandemic illustrates the need for a new approach to addressing poverty.
“Fairfax County is currently engaging with nonprofits, philanthropy, and residents with a lived experience of poverty to explore how a model of direct cash assistance could be included as a complement to our other investments in basic needs to demonstrate the value of investing in the initiative and self-determination of our residents, and where access to resources is determined by strengths,” he said by email.
The $1.5 million in ARPA funding covers the pilot design process, which is expected to take about a year and includes data compilation, participant recruitment, and work with community members.
Additional funds could come from philanthropic partners and seed money allocated to the county’s Human Services Council, an advisory group of board-appointed citizens that has helped develop the pilot, according to county staff.
The county is working with the Virginia Department of Social Services and Department of Medical Assistance to ensure the cash assistance won’t count as income when deciding eligibility for Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and other services.
The goal is to avoid pushing participants over the “benefits cliff,” where people move out of the income threshold to qualify for certain services but still don’t earn enough to cover the loss of benefits.
“This allowance provides Fairfax with the opportunity to fully consider the needs of the most needy people in our community as we consider the target population for this project,” Fairfax County Department of Family Services Director Michael Becketts said.
More information about the basic income pilot will be available later this month, McKay’s office says.
Photo via Sharon McCutcheon/Unsplash
Fairfax County could designate different times and days for when tennis and pickleball players can use its shared courts.
That is one of the changes under consideration by the Fairfax County Park Authority after its board approved a pickleball study report in December that highlighted concerns about the two sports competing for limited court space.
“This information would be posted onsite and is aimed at reduced conflicts between players of both popular sports,” Park Authority spokesperson Judy Pedersen said by email.
Intended to gauge demand for new facilities and illuminate existing issues in the county, the pickleball study kicked off with an online survey in December 2020.
The survey ultimately drew over 1,800 responses, around 600 of which mentioned locations where people experienced conflict between pickleball use and another recreational activities, particularly tennis.
Respondents reported encountering often crowded courts, and one person recalled being told by a tennis player at Kemper Park in Oakton that the courts were for “tennis only,” even though the pickleball group had eight players.
In response to the sport’s growing popularity, Fairfax County has added 19 pickleball courts to existing tennis courts over the last 18 months. In November, two pickleball-only courts opened at Wakefield Park in Annandale.
With those additions, the FCPA now has 52 outdoor courts outfitted for pickleball, on top of six indoor courts in its recreation centers — a total similar to other similarly sized jurisdictions, according to the report.
However, the report also noted that the park authority has fewer facilities with six or more dedicated pickleball courts compared to other providers.
It recommended that the county create at least two pickleball-only facilities with at least six courts for large group drop-in play and tournaments, either by repurposing underutilized facilities or building new ones.
The FCPA is already looking at Lewinsville Park in McLean as a possible site for adding pickleball courts or converting the existing tennis courts into shared-use facilities.
Site constraints, the proximity of other facilities, and accessibility for populous areas in the county are among the factors that the county is taking into account when deciding potential court locations, according to Pedersen.
“Although we may potentially use park bond dollars in the future for the design and construction of pickleball-only facilities that could be used by larger groups, these projects would compete with the many other Park Authority projects, initiatives and capital needs of the entire park system,” Pedersen said.
Fairfax County Public Library has received a new shipment of rapid COVID-19 testing kits, but supplies are extremely limited, even compared to previous rounds of distribution.
Exactly 300 kits each will be available tomorrow (Wednesday) at the county’s Reston, George Mason, Chantilly, and Sherwood regional branches, FCPL announced this morning (Tuesday).
Because of the limited availability, each household will only be allowed to take up to four kits.
FYI #Fairfax: a limited supply of COVID-19 test kits will be available at Reston, George Mason, Chantilly & Sherwood regional libraries when they open Wed. at 10 a.m. Only 300 tests available at each so only 4 per household while supplies last. More info: https://t.co/fmCINLMzDl pic.twitter.com/ekg6F331iy
— Fairfax Library (@fairfaxlibrary) January 11, 2022
This is the first testing kit shipment of the year for Fairfax County as part of the Virginia Department of Health’s ongoing Supporting Testing Access through Community Collaboration pilot program.
FCPL has now gotten 35,862 kits since it joined the program on Dec. 1.
Shipments had stalled over the winter holidays due to government closures and supply-chain issues that have made rapid tests hard to obtain nationwide.
FCPL doesn’t have a timeline right now for its next shipment, advising community members to check its website and call their local branch for up-to-date information on testing availability.
“All we can do is make requests, and VDH fulfills them as they are able,” spokesperson Erin Julius said. “At this time we don’t know when the next will arrive or how many test kits it will contain.”
Demand for Covid testing remains high in Fairfax County, which is currently averaging 2,275 new cases a day. Details about a state-run community testing center coming to the county are expected to be announced this week.
FFXnow will officially launch next month as a new Fairfax County-wide news source and home to hyperlocal coverage of the Tysons and Reston areas.
Our Reston Now and Tysons Reporter sites will be folded into FFXnow, though each will maintain its brand identity as separate social media accounts and daily email newsletters focused on their respective coverage areas. The archives of those sites will also remain, for now, on their current domains.
Three full-time journalists will helm FFXnow’s coverage, which we eventually plan to expand to additional hyperlocal reporting areas within the county. Reston Now and Tysons Reporter readers can expect the same local coverage on which they’ve come to depend over the years, but with more coverage of county government and other countywide issues.
FFXnow will provide local government, development, business and breaking news, like our sister sites ARLnow and ALXnow do in Arlington and Alexandria, respectively. All three sites are publications of Northern Virginia-based Local News Now, which also today announced additional business partnerships and a key editorial leadership hire.
Readers can sign up for the FFXnow daily newsletter ahead of the official launch.
Fairfax County’s General Assembly delegation could get a serious shake-up in upcoming elections.
Virginia’s new redistricting maps, which were unanimously approved by the state Supreme Court late last month, created four open General Assembly seats, while pairing some long-time incumbents.
The maps also altered U.S. House of Representatives electoral boundaries. They are in effect for the 2022 general election, which will have members of Congress and the state Senate on the ballot.
Intended to reflect population changes shown by 2020 Census data, the maps were drawn by two court-appointed “special masters” — one Democrat and one Republican — after a nonpartisan commission failed to complete the task. It was a contentious process in comparison to Fairfax County’s redistricting efforts last year.
Under the new maps, there are three open seats representing Fairfax County in the House of Delegates and one open seat in the state Senate, according to analysis by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project:
House of Delegates
- District 11, which is bounded by Hunter Mill and Lawyers roads in Oakton to the north and Braddock Road past Fairfax City to the south
- District 15, which encompasses Burke up north to Little River Turnpike and reaches the Loudoun County border to the south
- District 19, which follows Telegraph Road starting in Hayfield and includes Lorton, Mason Neck, and parts of Prince William County
Senate
- District 33, which covers Burke into Prince William County
The county’s Congressional districts for Reps. Don Beyer, Jennifer Wexton, and Gerry Connolly remain intact, though with District 10 shifting further south, Wexton now represents a smaller portion of county residents than before.
However, at the state level, four House and two Senate districts now have incumbents living within the same district lines, requiring them to make a choice: run in a primary against a colleague, move to another district, or retire.
Throughout the redistricting process, the special masters said aligning with incumbents’ residences was not a priority compared to other considerations, like compactness and preserving communities of interest.
“It’s a challenge for any incumbent when paired with a colleague after redistricting, especially within the same political party, to decide whether he or she should continue on or call it a day for the public service,” said George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government professor David Ramadan, a former delegate himself. “Bottom line, this is politics, and each member is going to do what that member thinks is best for them.”
Long-time incumbents Kathleen Murphy and Richard “Rip” Sullivan have been paired in a district that extends from the Arlington to Loudoun county lines, encompassing McLean, Great Falls, and Wolf Trap.
The district includes mostly Murphy voters, according to VPAP. A McLean resident, Sullivan’s previous territory of House District 48 also represented parts of Arlington.
This district encompasses Falls Church City, Idylwood, Merrifield, and the Fairfax County side of Seven Corners, extending south past Lake Barcroft to Columbia Pike.
Most residents are currently represented by Marcus Simon, but there are also some constituents of Kaye Kory.
After criticizing the draft maps for “trying to be cute” in early December, Simon said after the finalized maps came out that he is looking “forward to continuing to represent Fairfax County and Falls Church in the General Assembly for many years to come.”
Covering Springfield down to the Occoquan and the Loudoun County border, this district pairs outgoing Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn and Delegate Kathy Tran.
The newly formed district mostly consists of Tran’s constituents, potentially leaving the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House in Virginia vulnerable even in a primary.
Dan Helmer and David Bulova are paired in a district that includes Centreville and Clifton, extending to the Loudoun County border. Bulova was first elected in 2006, while Helmer took office more recently in 2019.
Helmer, whose voters make up a majority of the district, said that he looks “forward to continuing to fight for our values in the future.” FFXnow also reached out to Bulova, but has yet to hear back as of publication.
Rumors have emerged that ​​Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw could be retiring after being drawn into the same district as Senator Dave Marsden. Saslaw, who’s served in the Senate since 1980, has not announced any intention as of yet.
Marsden plans to run for reelection in the district, which has Springfield, Annandale, Lake Barcroft, and George Mason. He told FFXnow that he and Saslaw have spoken about the situation, but declined to give details beyond that.
Marsden says compacting the district into Fairfax County, as opposed to it extending into Alexandria and Prince William County, makes the job easier for him and reduces the need to commute to various events.
However, he believes pairing incumbents will cost the General Assembly experienced lawmakers.
“We count on those who’ve been there for years,” he said. “They help and teach you. This is a part-time job and we need that. We could lose…legislators with lots of institutional knowledge.”
FFXnow contacted Saslaw, but hasn’t heard back as of publication.
Janet Howell and Jennifer Boysko face a similar situation in this district that covers Herndon, Reston, McLean, and Great Falls up to the Potomac River.
There’s been some retirement talk around Howell, a veteran of the Senate since 1992. Boysko is a relative newcomer, first elected to the House of Delegates in 2016 and to the Senate in 2019.
Boysko says compacting the district and bringing Herndon and Reston back together “makes more sense,” but she laments being put in competition with Howell, who she describes as “the dean of the Senate” and a “true pioneer for women in government.”
Howell hasn’t responded to a request for comment from FFXnow, but Boysko says they have spoken.
“There’s an ongoing dialogue between the two of us,” she said. “I think the world of her.”
Nonetheless, Boysko says she plans on running again and winning.
When lawmakers convene for the next session later this month, redistricting will certainly be a topic of conversation, Ramadan says.
“Colleagues sitting next to each other that have the same interests in legislation are now going to have it in the back of their minds as well: ‘Oh, I’m running against this person, possibly, in a primary,’” he said. “That’s going to change the atmosphere and it’s going to look like a totally different legislative session than a regular session.”
Fairfax County has a new single-day record for COVID-19 infections.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, the county reported 3,463 new cases on Saturday (Jan. 8), surpassing the previous daily record of 3,111 cases set on Dec. 31. Before Dec. 22, the county had only seen more than 1,000 cases in a day once — on Jan. 17, 2021.
Now, with an additional 1,938 cases coming in today (Monday), the county is averaging 2,168 cases a day for the past week. That is the highest weekly average of the pandemic, even after cases dipped during the middle of last week, when a snowstorm closed some testing and vaccination sites.
In total, the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, has recorded 141,395 cases, 4,338 hospitalizations, and 1,260 deaths due to the disease caused by the coronavirus.
While hospitalizations remain relatively low in Fairfax County, which is currently averaging 4.7 a day, Virginia as a whole reported an all-time, single-day high on Friday (Jan. 7), prompting Gov. Ralph Northam to declare a state of emergency today to increase bed and staffing capacities.
Inova Health Systems, which serves Northern Virginia, admitted 94 patients with Covid last week after averaging fewer than 10 a week between April and Christmas last year, according to Northam, who emphasized that the majority of people being hospitalized with the disease have not been vaccinated.
“Vaccines work, plain and simple,” the governor said. “To protect yourself, to stay out of a hospital, get vaccinated.”
According to FCHD data, 938,926 Fairfax Health District residents have gotten at least one vaccine dose, amounting to 79.3% of the population. That includes 89% of adults, 94% of 16 and 17-year-olds, 89.3% of people aged 12-15, and 44.7% of children aged 5-11.
As of today, 832,236 residents — 70.3% of the population — are fully vaccinated, including 79.7% of adults. According to the VDH, 32.3% of Fairfax County residents have received a booster or third dose, including 40.8% of adults.
Demand for Covid testing has soared in the wake of the omicron variant’s arrival. The district’s seven-day moving average has jumped from 2,481 daily encounters on Nov. 28 to 5,292 encounters as of Jan. 6, when nearly a third of tests — 32.8% — came back positive.
With many testing sites booked days, even weeks in advance, Gov. Ralph Northam announced last week that VDH will open nine community testing centers across the state in coming weeks, including one in Fairfax County.
According to the announcement, the facility will be at or near the mass vaccination site that has been operating out of the former Lord & Taylor store at Tysons Corner Center since October, but the county health department said on Friday (Jan. 7) that it couldn’t confirm the exact location yet, since the contracts were still being finalized.
The county did confirm that the testing site will provide drive-thru PCR testing services and require appointments, with the capacity to administer about 500 tests a day, five days a week.
“PCR test results are usually available within a few days and are very effective in detecting an active COVID-19 infection, even if asymptomatic,” FCHD spokesperson Tina Dale said by email.
More details about the facility, including the location, opening date, and how to make an appointment, are expected to be announced early this week.
For now, Fairfax County has a range of testing options at local pharmacies, health care providers, and other community sites. Inova and the county health department also offer testing for people who are symptomatic, though the county hasn’t shared dates for its mobile lab yet.
(Updated at 2:40 p.m.) Fairfax County Public Library will close on Sundays and Mondays starting this coming Sunday (Jan. 16) through April 1 to deal with a staffing shortage.
Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said on Twitter this morning (Monday) that the changes were prompted by staffing issues due to the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases and recruitment challenges.
FCPL confirmed that all of its branches will be closed on Sundays and Mondays for the near-future in a news release:
- Regional libraries: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays
- Community libraries: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays
- Access Services branch located at the Fairfax County Government Center will maintain its usual hours from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
Libraries will remain open for regular hours Tuesdays through Saturdays.
All libraries will remain open for their regularly scheduled hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Regional library locations: Tuesday-Wednesday 10AM-9PM and Thursday-Saturday 10AM- 6PM.
Community library locations: Tuesday 10AM- 9PM and Wednesday-Saturday 10AM- 6PM.— Dalia Palchik (@SupvPalchik) January 10, 2022
“The current surge in COVID-19 cases and a high number of vacancies necessitated this change in hours,” FCPL spokesperson Erin Julius confirmed to FFXnow.
Fairfax County is currently averaging 2,168 cases per day, more than at any other point in the pandemic. That’s three times the peak case rate seen last winter, when the library system was still limited to online and curbside pickup services.
Updated at 4:05 p.m. —Â Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed again tomorrow (Friday) due to tonight’s anticipated snowfall, using its last allotted traditional snow day.
Fairfax County Public Schools reiterated its commitment to in-person instruction today (Thursday), even as it acknowledges that surging COVID-19 cases will likely result in staffing shortages.
In a message sent to families and staff, Superintendent Scott Brabrand shared a plan for managing the anticipated strain on teachers and other staff and minimizing potential disruptions once classes resume after winter break, which has now been extended by four days due to the snowy weather.
“These weeks ahead will challenge us all and we need to work together,” Brabrand said in a video. “We must expect that things will change often and we must be flexible. Most importantly, we must be understanding, patient, and come from a common expectation that this is not business as usual.”
With classroom supervision as a priority, FCPS plans to fill teacher vacancies with substitutes, other faculty or staff members, and volunteers with teaching experience from its central office and management staff.
However, if no one is available to cover for an absent teacher, schools could have one teacher lead two classes or combine multiple classes under a supervisor for asynchronous learning, where students work on assignments independently.
If as many as 11 to 25% of classrooms at a particular school have no dedicated teacher, the entire school would shift to asynchronous instruction, with students getting the option to access lessons in person or from home.
FCPS notes that it may not always be possible to continue providing a livestreaming option that was introduced in the fall for students who are required to pause, quarantine, or isolate due to a COVID-19 exposure or positive test.
Staffing shortages are expected to affect other school operations as well, particularly transportation. An unusually high deficit in bus drivers resulted in delays of up to an hour when the 2021-2022 academic year started in September.
“Expect that there will be delays in bus routes with more double-backs that may mean students will arrive after the bell,” FCPS says. “Schools will adjust instruction to ensure that no child is missing important classroom time.”
FCPS advises parents to drive their children to school or have them walk or bicycle if possible. The school system now has an app that tracks bus delays.
FCPS says meal services have not been affected so far, but if there are increased staff absences, it could switch to bagged lunches, rather than the usual cafeteria menus.
FFXnow asked FCPS for the number of teacher and other staff vacancies it currently has, but did not receive a response by press time.
“We will reassess, adapt, and adjust if needed,” Brabrand said. “I have faith that our FCPS family can and will get through this together.”
Health protocols implemented last year, including mask requirements, will remain in place, but FCPS is not requiring COVID-19 testing or vaccinations for students, though the latter is strongly recommended for those who are eligible.
While FCPS reported relatively low COVID-19 infection rates last month, cases among students, staff, and visitors jumped from 631 in November to 1,312 in December. There have been 25 new cases reported this month, as of Jan. 5, including 13 staff infections and 11 among students.
Fairfax County as a whole is currently averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day.
Earlier this week, the fast-spreading omicron variant and still-limited availability of testing had some parents and teachers urging FCPS to postpone reopening and provide an option for students to learn virtually.
(Updated at 5:25 p.m.) Up to 5 more inches of snow could come to Fairfax County and nearby areas.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory, warning that an additional 2 to 4 inches of snow is forecast to come between 9 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) and 5 a.m. Friday (Jan. 7). It said drivers should expect slippery road conditions.
A winter weather advisory means that hazardous weather is “occurring, imminent or likely.”
The chaotic weather comes after over more than a half foot of snow fell across the county on Monday (Jan. 3), causing crashes and shutting down services, roads and power.
Per the alert:
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THURSDAY TO 5 AM
EST FRIDAY…* WHAT…Snow. Total snow accumulations 2 to 4 inches. Isolated high amounts of around 5 inches are possible.
* WHERE…The District of Columbia, portions of northern and central Maryland, and northern Virginia.
* WHEN…From 9 PM Thursday to 5 AM EST Friday.
* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday morning commute.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The heaviest snow is expected between 10 PM and 2 AM when snowfall rates of 1 inch per hour are possible.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Slow down and use caution while traveling.
When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.
Fairfax County Public Schools announced just after 5 p.m. that classes will be canceled again. Students were scheduled to return from winter break on Monday, but it has now been extended four extra days.
“Across Fairfax County, we continue to receive reports of roadways, sidewalks and pathways that remain unsafe for our students, and so we are closing schools out of an abundance of caution, and the concern for safety of our students,” FCPS said on social media.
Unlike with previous cancellations, the school system says its COVID-19 testing sites will all be open for students and staff experiencing symptoms. Plans to resume meal kit distributions are also move forward.
Across Fairfax County, we continue to receive reports of roadways, sidewalks and pathways that remain unsafe for our students, and so we are closing schools out of an abundance of caution, and the concern for safety of our students.
— Fairfax Schools (@fcpsnews) January 5, 2022
Fairfax County Public Schools won’t hold classes for a third consecutive day this week, citing inclement weather in an announcement released just before 5 p.m.
The region could see freezing rain between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday), according to the National Weather Service, following Monday’s snowstorm that pummeled the region with over half a foot of snow in areas.
The NWS has issued a “Potential Winter Commuting Hazard” for Fairfax County, warning that there is a 30-50% chance of light freezing rain after 4 a.m. “that could turn into a glaze of ice on area roads.”
“Plan ahead by staying off the roads if possible,” the county said in a blog post. “If you do need to travel, allow for additional time and be extra cautious and alert while driving.”
FCPS said in a Facebook post that meal distribution will return at regular locations on Thursday (Jan. 6), and school offices will open later in the day tomorrow (Wednesday).
The school system tentatively expects to open its COVID-19 testing sites to staff and students who are experiencing symptoms, though a final decision won’t be made until tomorrow morning. Pre-registration is required, and only PCR tests will be available.
Testing is not required for students to be able to return to schools, whenever they reopen.
FCPS’ announcement comes after Monday’s snowstorm caused tens of thousands of Fairfax County homes to lose power and hundreds of crashes. As of this evening (Tuesday), Dominion’s power outage map showed over 7,000 customers in the county with electric issues.
The storm disrupted travel, but Fairfax Connector buses were slated to resume tomorrow (Wednesday). County officials asked commuters to use its BusTracker system in case any detours were still in effect.
Freezing rain expected near/just east of I-95 corridor early Wednesday. Winter Weather Advisories are in effect. pic.twitter.com/s7XnZzrFJ5
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 4, 2022
2022 is off to a sobering start, as COVID-19 cases continue to soar in Fairfax County.
The county is now averaging 2,132 cases per day for the past week, according to Virginia Department of Health data. That dwarfs last winter’s surge, which peaked at a seven-day average of 697 cases on Jan. 17.
The weekly average had never entered four digits until this past Christmas, when the county hit 1,008 cases. Now, the county is seeing more than twice as many infections a day, reporting a new single-day record for the pandemic of 3,111 cases on New Year’s Eve (Friday).
With another 1,416 cases coming in today (Monday), the Fairfax Health District — which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church — has recorded a total of 125,708 COVID-19 cases.
There has been a slight uptick in hospitalizations as well, with the county averaging 5.57 a day for the past week after seeing fewer than two per day as recently as Dec. 18. Still, the hospitalization rate remains below last winter, which averaged nearly 17 cases a day at the surge’s height, and its all-time high of 33 a day on May 3, 2020.
Overall, the Fairfax Health District has seen 4,300 residents hospitalized and 1,260 people die due to the novel coronavirus.
VDH still lists the delta variant as the dominant strain in Virginia, but the time lag required for genomic sequencing and reporting suggests the omicron variant is more widespread than currently apparent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that, as of the week that ended Dec. 25, the newer, highly transmissible variant comprised 58.6% of all cases in the U.S.
Health officials warned last week that the current surge — the Commonwealth’s fifth of the pandemic — might not peak for several more weeks, making it “likely that its true impact on public health and the health care delivery system is yet to be fully felt.”
“The best defense against serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated,” State Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver said. “If you have not gotten vaccinated or boosted and are eligible, please do so now. Do it for yourself, your family, and your community, including the health care workers we depend on to be there when we truly need emergency care.”
Vaccinations appear to have leveled off in the Fairfax Health District, though facility closures during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays have likely played a role in the decline in administered doses.
The mass vaccination sites at the Fairfax County Government Center, South County Government Center, and Tysons Corner Center were closed today due to snow.
According to the Fairfax County Health Department, 933,257 district residents, or 78.9% of the population, have received at least one vaccine dose. That includes 88.6% of people aged 18 and older, 93.6% of 16 to 17-year-olds, 88.9% of people aged 12-15, and 43.2% of 5 to 11-year-olds.
About 70% of the district’s population is now fully vaccinated, amounting to 828,505 residents. That includes 79.5% of adults. 327,704 residents — about 28% of the population — have gotten a booster shot or third dose.
Local students will get another day of winter break, thanks to the snow that has inundated Fairfax County and the rest of the D.C. region.
Fairfax County Public Schools announced at 1:17 p.m. that classes have been canceled tomorrow (Tuesday), delaying the return of students for a second consecutive day. There will be no virtual or in-person learning, and all activities on school grounds have been canceled.
In the meantime, the snow has wreaked havoc on people’s travel plans and the county’s power grid.
Roads still not good. If you do not have to be on the roads – DON’T! #FCFRD #SafeFairfax #FFXSnow pic.twitter.com/5Csz0pc14q
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 3, 2022
Drivers faced delays, both by choice and by nature, where even some pickup trucks and emergency vehicles struggled as a snowstorm forced widespread shutdowns from schools to offices and roadways.
At least nine roads in the county were closed due to snow and ice or downed trees and wires, as of 1:50 p.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department. Major roads affected include Richmond Highway near Huntley Meadows Park and Prosperity Avenue in Mantua.
As of 12:30 p.m., the Virginia State Police had responded to 559 traffic crashes and 522 disabled vehicles across the state since midnight.
Snow is collecting too fast for these #VSP troopers on I-95 in #PrinceWilliam Co & I-495 in #Springfield to keep their vehicles clear! #VSP troopers are up to 559 traffic crashes & 522 disabled/stuck vehicles across #virginia since 12:01 AM (1/3/22). Pls delay travel. @VaDOTNOVA pic.twitter.com/1UoGDKHoBE
— VA State Police (@VSPPIO) January 3, 2022
Fairfax Connector bus service has been suspended since 11:45 a.m. with no updates on when it might resume.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported that firefighters and paramedics have spent all morning responding to reports of downed wires and trees, which have created potentially dangerous conditions while taking out power for around 40,000 Dominion Energy customers.
Downed power lines and trees can be reported to 9-1-1, Dominion Energy and NOVEC, or the Virginia Department of Transportation, depending on the severity of the situation and where the incident occurs.
Current situation on the Fairfax County Parkway outside of Springfield… I would say about 40% of cars are completely stuck in the right “lane” @VaDOTNOVA @WDVMTV pic.twitter.com/asmDw6YoAm
— Clara Goodwin (@ClaraGoodwinTV) January 3, 2022
I don’t know who to call but we need a little assistance over here on Oak Green Way @FairfaxCountyPD @ffxfirerescue pic.twitter.com/8v0WzKxHRz
— Tyler (@tylerfreund7) January 3, 2022
View from the officers seat of Engine 425, Reston, C-Shift. If you do not have to be on the roads – DON’T! #FCFRD #SafeFairfax #FFXSnow pic.twitter.com/sbnyrnNtwL
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 3, 2022
Just shy of 9 inches as the snow wraps up in Fairfax County. Measurement just north of Vienna, VA #vawx #snow #novawx #LWXSpotter @capitalweather @NWS_BaltWash pic.twitter.com/IwhPD1DjGd
— Mark Skaggs (@markskaggs10) January 3, 2022
The snow storm, transforming much of the region even before morning commutes, caught some people off guard after temperatures reached the low 60s yesterday (Sunday).
