Fairfax County Public Schools will keep feeding students during spring break next week.
During spring break (April 6-10), FCPS plans to offering grab and go meals at school sites, along with curbside service, according to a press release.
The hours will be from 10 a.m.- 1p p.m. Families can also get meals from the current pop-up sites and bus route drop-offs.
Meals are free for kids and $2 for adults. Families must bring their kids when requesting meals.
FCPS wants families to maintain six feet apart from each other to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus and to practice good hygiene before, during and after the food pick-up.
Photo via FCPS
Superintendent Scott Brabrand said during a Facebook Live event today (Friday) that possible Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) budget changes will be shared next week.
Brabrand said that the economic uncertainty sparked by COVID-19 has had a widespread impact on budgets, including Fairfax County.
Currently, Fairfax County staff are revising the proposed budget, which was developed before the coronavirus pandemic hit the area, to address expected revenue losses and help small businesses. The new budget proposal is expected to be ready by next week.
Brabrand said that a new economic forecast is expected from Gov. Ralph Northam later next week.
The Fairfax County School Board will host a virtual meeting next Thursday (April 9) at 10 a.m., Brabrand said. At that meeting, he said he plans to share his initial thoughts on how the budget may need to be adjusted.
Brabrand said that FCPS is dedicated to providing quality education during the “tight budget times that have now confronted us,” adding that FCPS has weathered challenging financial times before.
Image via Fairfax County Public Schools/Facebook
The head of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is joining mayors and county officials around the U.S. in a call for the federal government to ramp up production and distribution of medical supplies.
Addressed to President Donald Trump, the letter demands that the federal government establish a “medical equipment czar” and task force that would work with the Defense Logistics Agency to handle the distribution of medical supplies while the pandemic lasts.
Jeff McKay, the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, tweeted earlier today that he had signed the letter.
At the time this article published, just over 100 local elected officials from around the U.S. had signed the letter.
The letter notes that many hospitals and health care workers are facing obstacles to replenish their dwindling medical supplies to treat COVID-19 patients.
To help minimize medial supply shortages, the task force would forecast the geographic and temporal spread of COVID-19 and maintain an inventory of medical equipment, along with other roles, according to the letter.
Staying at home with your pet? Just adopted a furry friend to keep you company while you’re self-isolating? Send us photos!
We’re looking for your photos of what it’s like to live or work in Tysons, Vienna, McLean, Falls Church or Merrifield with your animal companion(s) during the coronavirus.
Whether you snap pictures on a professional camera or your smartphone, we are always interested in sharing your photos (with credit to you!).
The best way to send photos is to email us at [email protected] or tag/direct message us on our social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).
Photo by vlad shu on Unsplash
The number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb in Fairfax County.
As of today (Friday), there are now 372 cases in the Fairfax Health District — a jump from 328 cases yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The Fairfax Health District includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county. Five people have died due to the novel coronavirus in the county.
Arlington has the second-most confirmed cases in the Virginia with 135 cases.
Statewide, there are 2,012 confirmed cases and 46 deaths, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Last Friday, there were 604 cases and 14 deaths due to the respiratory illness in Virginia.
The number of cases has steadily increased in the state over the last few weeks — likely due to expanded testing capacity and community spread of the virus in Northern Virginia.
On Wednesday, Northam said that Virginia will likely see “a surge in the number of people who test positive between late April and late May.”
Fairfax County now has a webpage for geo-spatial resources for COVID-19. The webpage includes information on community resources like food, healthcare and lodging, along with information on the county’s demographics.
According to the “COVID-19 Impact Planning Report,” the county’s at-risk population for the virus includes nearly 160,000 people who are age 65 or older, roughly 16,000 households without vehicles and 62,000 households with a person who has a disability.
Image via Fairfax County
Editor’s note: Tysons Reporter will temporarily have “Morning Notes” every weekday instead of twice a week to accommodate more news.
Grim Outlook for Restaurants — “The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington estimates that 25%-30% of its roughly 1,200 members won’t be able to weather the storm and will have to shut down once all is said and done.” [Washington Business Journal]
Falls Church Businesses Making Masks — “Terry Lederer, who co-owns Lederer’s Sound Service with husband Chuck, has co-organized a volunteer group that has already sewn over 250 masks in the past eight days. That effort is matched by Amy Bitici of the bridal shop Zoya’s Atelier, who has kept four of her employees on the payroll sewing masks in an operation that began this past Monday.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Vienna Town Council OKs New Ordinance — “The ordinance mandates that any electronic meetings shall be open to the public via electronic participation. In addition, public comments on matters requiring a public hearing may be made in writing or electronically. The ordinance also provides for postponement of non-emergency or non-essential public hearings and action items.” [Town of Vienna]
COVID-19 Court Changes — “While the Fairfax County Courthouse remains open to the public, the Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court have changed their bond and arraignment schedule until further notice.” [Fairfax County]
Pet Care During Pandemic — “Eight D.C., Maryland and Virginia animal welfare organizations — including Fairfax County’s Animal Shelter — are uniting to urge the community to have a plan in place for your beloved companion animals in the wake of COVID-19.” [Fairfax County]
Local Eatery Talks COVID-19 Changes — “For as long as he has to, Clarity chef-owner Jon Krinn is dumping the luxury approach at his essential small plates restaurant in Northern Virginia. A kitchen that used to turn out $88 tasting menus full… is now focused on supporting local purveyors.” [Eater DC]
https://twitter.com/FCPSSupt/status/1245683683836690434?s=20
Photo courtesy Ed Schudel
(Updated 7 p.m.) Gov. Ralph Northam has been hosting live-streamed briefings during recent weeks to provide updates on the coronavirus. But today (Thursday), he answered questions on Twitter.
Using #AskGovNortham, people tweeted concerns about personal protective equipment (PPE), claiming unemployment benefits and if Virginians will need documentation for destinations when traveling.
Tysons Reporter has compiled some of the information from the governor’s thread:
I know Virginians are hurting right now. Here's what we are doing:
✅ Suspending eviction proceedings until April 26th
✅ Developing a program to defer mortgage payments for mortgages backed by @VHDA
✅ Halting evictions for 60 days for people with housing choice vouchers https://t.co/FNst9uemlK
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
On Monday, Northam issued a stay-at-home order for Virginia today as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state continues to climb.
The order, which went into effect immediately and will last until June 10, lets people leave their homes for essential services — including medical care, food, supplies, work and more — and social-distanced outdoor activities that do not involve gatherings larger than 10 people.
Our Commonwealth is large and geographically diverse, which means the virus may peak at different times in different places. We are developing a Virginia-specific model that will tell us more, but for now, we want all Virginians to be prepared for this to last months, not weeks. https://t.co/71Gyk14CJP
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
In mid-March, local public health officials said they found evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in Northern Virginia.
As of Thursday, there are 1,706 confirmed cases and 41 deaths statewide, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns in the county, reported 328 COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Five people have died from the novel coronavirus in Fairfax County.
On Wednesday, Northam said that Virginia will likely see “a surge in the number of people who test positive between late April and late May.”
▪️ We've directed hospitals to stop performing elective surgeries to conserve PPE
▪️ We've received our third shipment from the national stockpile
▪️ And we'll continue looking at any and all leads. Businesses who want to donate PPE should email [email protected]. https://t.co/ld8csR6ME0— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
Absolutely. @VDOE_News has already requested any PPE not needed by our school staff be donated, and many have provided us with extra masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. We're so grateful to our schools for pitching in to protect our healthcare workers and those in need. https://t.co/F2SUzoOiqI
— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) April 2, 2020
Image via Ralph Northam/Twitter
An employee at the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) has tested positive for COVID-19.
The CSB-Merrifield facility employee works in the youth court services and lives outside of Fairfax County, Lisa Flowers, CSB’s spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.
More from Flowers:
A letter was sent to CSB staff to alert them to the situation on March 21st. A CSB employee in youth court services tested positive for COVID-19 and an email was sent to CSB staff on March 23rd…
A hospital-grade mister that kills bacteria and viruses was used throughout the CSB areas of the Merrifield Center as part of the industrial cleaning process. As a part of our standard procedure any person who may have encountered the affected person was contacted and advised to quarantine for fourteen days.
Wipe-downs of high-touch areas, such as hallways and elevators, doors and doorknobs, are taking place regularly with EPA-approved disinfectants. Staff are reminded to wash their hands often throughout the day. Commonly accessed areas at CSB locations are also cleaned often throughout the day.
Communication from CSB leadership to staff, which Flowers sent to Tysons Reporter, said that the employee “did not work while they were symptomatic.”
Daryl Washington, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board’s executive director, and Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, the director of the county’s health department, wrote a joint letter to CSB staff on March 21.
On March 20, the health department identified that the CSB-Merrifield employee tested positive for the virus, the letter said, adding that the health department, CSB staff and county officials investigated the case.
More from the letter:
The staff person did not have contact with the CSB adult or youth walk-in assessment units or emergency services. In our investigation, we have identified a small number of staff and clients who were at risk of exposure to COVID-19 while the infected person was ill. The Health Department has contacted those individuals.
If you have not received a call from the Health Department, it means you have not been identified as being at risk of exposure and you do not need to take any actions at this time. As an additional precaution, please observe yourself until April 2, the time during which COVID-19 illness might occur if a person is infected as a result of this exposure.
Symptoms to look for include fever, cough or shortness of breath. If symptoms develop, please contact your health care provider and describe the situation.
For CSB-Merrifield staff who have been called by the Health Department, please stay at home and away from others while the investigation is ongoing and during the time when illness could occur. Until April 2, staff in this group should stay at home or in the yard, avoid contact with others, and not go out in public. At home, contact with other family members also should be limited. These measures will reduce the chance that infection might spread in the community. During the call, additional recommendations may be provided.
“The Fairfax County Health Department has confirmed there are no public health recommendations or actions needed in the workplace because the staff person remained at home when they became ill,” Washington said in an email to staff.
On March 27, Fairfax County buildings closed to the public, but the emergency services on the Merrifield Center’s lower level stayed open, according to the county’s website.
“During this time, CSB has transitioned mainly to telehealth services via Zoom for Healthcare, by phone or video,” according to Fairfax County. “If possible, before coming to the Merrifield Center, please call ahead to Emergency Services to see if you are able to be seen via telehealth services — phone or video.”
The coronavirus pandemic has put a damper on baseball season, but a Vienna family won’t let the virus strike its plans to launch a business selling baseball training equipment.
John Morabito, 53, and his two sons Nick, 27, and Dominic, 25, are the three founders behind Perfect Swings USA.
John, who grew up in McLean, told Tysons Reporter that he has been coaching baseball in McLean and Vienna since 1991. Nick and Dominic both grew up playing sports in Vienna, he added.
All three men have played at the collegiate level and have coached teams from little league to minor league players, according to the company’s website.
Now, they are looking to sell hitting tools — the Swing Path Trainer and the Tempo Trainer — to help players improve.
Turning Their Passion Into New Products
Nick told Tysons Reporter that his family came up with the idea for the tools about 10 years ago to help him and his brother get better at baseball.
“Before we ever became a business, bringing homemade Swing Path Trainers around got great feedback from baseball and softball coaches,” Nick said.
The family originally developed the trainers from PVC pipe and wood they got at Home Depot, he said.
“We had no aspirations of turning it into what it is today,” Nick said. But that changed after Dominic graduated and encouraged his family to turn their idea into the business.
“[Dominic] was either like, ‘I’m going to find a corporate job or let’s start this business,'” Nick said. “My dad was getting ready to retire… We took this on full time.”
In the last year, they’ve been working with an engineer and Boston-based Gamut Run Partners, LLC. Nick said that they have three patents for their products.
The family started to manufacture the products about a year ago, Nick said. Since then, they’ve showcased the trainers at conventions around the U.S. late last year and early 2020, according to the website.
The Swing Path Trainer ($349) helps the athlete to keep the bat in the hitting zone with the proper angle, while the Tempo Trainer (undecided price) helps the athlete’s tempo and rhythm during a swing, according to their product descriptions.
“It’s almost like a self coach for the kid or the trainer or the coach,” Nick said, adding that the products help improve players’ swing mechanics.
The products are geared towards little leaguers all the way through high school and college, Nick said, adding that “everybody” can use the products.
While they haven’t sold any of the products yet, Nick said that they have given four away — one to the UCLA softball team, another to a high school in California, a third to a man who runs a show in Texas and the fourth to “my little cousin.”
In the future, Nick said they are looking to release more products and features in the future once they finalize prototyping.
Challenges of Starting a Business During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Trying to start up the business has been challenging at times for the family.
Production, which involves some parts that come from China, was delayed earlier this year due to a shutdown for Chinese New Year and then slow down several weeks later to add extra precautions for workers due to the coronavirus, he said.
“We’re supposed to go into production tomorrow to start shipping May 1,” he said.
While they are aiming to start selling the products in May, that date could change. “It’s been hard to finalize and put on a date on anything,” he said.
The pandemic affected their plans to travel to conventions and tournaments around the U.S., he added.
As for marketing, Nick said that he’s trying to get the word out in magazines and publications, but has faced some challenges with collegiate baseball publications now that the season is over.
The biggest challenge, though? Nick said that making changes to the products within certain timeframes has been hard.
“We’ve run through six to seven different prototypes,” he said. “This is new for us.”
Despite their obstacles, Nick is staying optimistic.
“We’ll get through this,” he said, adding that coaches might have more time now to watch product demos than if they were traveling with their teams during the season.
Working as a Team
The whole family works together on the new business, Nick said, adding that most of the financial investments have come from him and his father.
“Dad kind of oversees everything,” he said. “He’s mentoring us along.”
While Nick focuses on the sales and marketing side, he said his brother takes care of the operations and engineering while his mom asks people for reviews and manages the product photo shoots.
“We’re a local family. We have a lot of great relationships with local little leagues,” Nick said. “We’re looking to give back.”
Photos courtesy Nick Morabito
In an effort to help local businesses weather economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, Visit Fairfax has a new mobile program to connect people to local businesses offering takeout.
Visit Fairfax unveiled the “Take Out Trail” mobile passport program today (Thursday). The free program, which can be used on phones or computers, has a menu of local businesses ranging from restaurants to local merchants.
“Our hope is that the mobile passport will help residents connect with the merchants they know and love and also inspire them to explore the other world-class restaurants, breweries and wineries our county has to offer,” Visit Fairfax’s president Barry Biggar said in the press release.
People can use “Take Out Trail” to find out when businesses are open, where they are located and what they are offering for take-out and delivery. The program has more than 50 merchants, according to the press release.
“In addition, many merchants are offering discounts and coupons, such as 20% off orders or 50% off of wine,” the press release said.
Some of the Tysons-area businesses on menu include Caboose Commons, 2941 Restaurant, Eddie V’s and Barrel and Bushel.
Visit Fairfax worked with digital agency Streetsense and Bandwango to build and launch the program “in a matter of days,” the press release said.
Biggar told Tysons Reporter yesterday that Visit Fairfax is working to support local businesses.
The organization has been promoting “Virginia Is for Restaurant Lovers Takeout Week,” coordinating with local hotels to give discounts to self-isolating first responders and offering virtual activities through the “Fairfax First” program.
Local businesses interested in participating in the program for free can find information online or call 435-477-7804.
“During these challenging economic times, it’s more important than ever that we come together as a community to support our local small businesses,” Biggar said in the press release.
Image via Visit Fairfax
