The Fairfax County Health Department is investigating a possible measles exposure in the area.

Health officials believe an individual with the disease may have exposed residents earlier this month, they announced today (Monday).

Three possible dates are being investigated:

• Grand Centreville Plaza on Feb. 1 between 11:45 a.m. and 3 p.m., and on Feb. 3 between 2:15 and 5 p.m.
• Inova Fairfax Hospital’s pediatric and adult emergency departments on Feb. 3 between 5;30 and 9 p.m.

Measles is highly contagious and is spread through coughing, sneezing and contact with droplets in the area. Symptoms first manifest in the first stage with a high degree fever, runny nose, watery red eyes and a cough.

The second stage begins when a rash is visible on the face and spreads over the entire body.

Based on the date of exposure, health officials believe that residents could develop symptoms as late as Feb. 24.

Here’s more from the health department on what to do if you believe you may have been exposed:

If you have received two doses of a measles containing vaccine (either the measles, mumps, and rubella [MMR] vaccine or a measles only vaccine which is available in other countries) you are protected and do not need to take any action.

If you have received only one dose of a measles containing vaccine, you are very likely to be protected and your risk of being infected with measles from any of these exposures is very low. However, to achieve complete immunity, contact your health care provider about getting a second vaccine dose.

If you have never received a measles containing vaccine nor had a documented case of measles, you may be at risk of getting measles from this exposure. Contact your local health department or health care provider for advice on possible intervention to decrease your risk of becoming infected or other precautions you need to take. If you notice the symptoms of measles, stay home and away from others, and immediately call your primary health care provider or health department to discuss further care. Call ahead before going to the office or the emergency room and tell them that you were exposed to measles.

The Virginia Department of Health offers information about the illness online. Residents with questions can call the county at 703-688-3471.

Photo via Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

A report recommending that Fairfax County rename its portions of Route 29 and Route 50 will go before county leaders tomorrow (Tuesday), even as concerns about the financial impact linger.

Compiled by the 26-person Confederate Names Task Force, the report details the process used to determine that Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway should get new names and recommends five possible replacements for each road:

Recommended Top Five Alternative Names for Lee Highway (Route 29)

Cardinal Highway, 13 votes
Route/Highway 29, 12 votes
Langston Boulevard/Highway, 6 votes
Lincoln-Douglass Highway, 6 votes
Fairfax Boulevard/Highway, 5 votes

Recommended Top Five Alternative Names for Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway (Route 50)

Little River Turnpike, 16 votes
Unity Highway, 12 votes
Route 50, 6 votes
Fairfax Boulevard, 4 votes
Blue & Gray Highway, 3 votes

Appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last July, the task force voted 20-6 on Nov. 30 in favor of changing the name of Lee Highway and 19-6 for Lee-Jackson Memorial.

Task force chair Evelyn Spain will present the final report to the board during its regular meeting tomorrow, which will begin at 9:30 a.m.

“The Board set up this important committee to review the names of two major arterials and now we are eager to hear their report,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay told FFXnow in a statement. “Any decision to change street names is one our Board will take seriously as we consider the report as well as other community input before any decisions are made. I am proud that this Board has a strong record of focusing on racial inequities and advancing our community together.”

The two highways are among 150 landmarks in the county identified as bearing names tied to the Confederacy, according to an inventory that the Fairfax County History Commission presented to local leaders in December 2020.

The commission found that the Virginia General Assembly established Lee Highway in 1922 as a statewide route serving as a national memorial for Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

That same year, the state House and Senate Roads Committee also agreed to rename a section of Little River Turnpike after Lee and fellow Confederate Gen. Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson.

The task force recommended that both highways get new names to “accommodate the equity initiatives and growing diversity in Fairfax County,” the report says. It also acknowledges that the changes “will likely be major impositions upon the residences, businesses, and communities” in those corridors.

The group suggests that the Board of Supervisors consider providing financial assistance to those affected, if it ultimately approves the name changes.

The final report features several letters from the task force members who opposed or abstained from voting on the name changes. Objections include:

• A public survey found 23,500 respondents want to keep the names as they are and 16,265 in support of changes
• The cost to make the change, which could total $1 million to $4 million, according to county staff
• Even though the institution of slavery was evil, the name switch “erases history”

“We believe the $1M to $4M required to rename these two roads would be more effectively spent pursuing a community engagement project (e.g. an African-American Heritage Trail, a museum, and/or new historic markers),” the dissenters said, noting that Prince William County is adding to its African American History Trail. “We encourage Fairfax County to pursue similar projects.”

To coincide with Black History Month, the county launched a project last week focused on local Black and African American experiences, including support for students to identify options for new historical markers.

Angela Woolsey contributed to this report.

Fairfax County Public Schools will continue requiring face masks after notching a victory in its lawsuit against Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order prohibiting school mask mandates.

Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo granted a temporary injunction today (Friday) to Fairfax County and the six other school boards suing Youngkin, allowing them to enforce their mask requirements until a permanent ruling is made.

“This temporary order takes immediate action to protect the health and wellbeing of all students and staff and reaffirms the constitutional right of Virginia’s local school boards to enact policy at the local level,” FCPS said in a statement.

The school boards argued in a hearing on Wednesday (Feb. 2) that Youngkin’s optional mask order violates Virginia’s Constitution as well as Senate Bill 1303, which required schools to provide in-person learning while following federal COVID-19 health guidelines “to the maximum extent practicable.”

In her opinion, DiMatteo makes clear that the temporary injunction was granted based not on the benefits of universal versus optional masking, but on whether Youngkin had the authority to issue his executive order.

“The single issue before the Court is whether the Governor, via his emergency powers, can override the decision of local school boards delegated to them under SB 1303,” the judge wrote. “On this pivotal point, the Court concludes that the Governor cannot.”

As local school and health officials stated in a virtual town hall earlier this week, FCPS reiterated in a message to families that requiring mask-wearing inside schools remains necessary to limit Covid’s spread so students can keep learning in person:

Dear FCPS Staff and Families,

Just a short time ago, a judge in Arlington Circuit Court agreed to a temporary injunction requested by FCPS and six other Northern Virginia school districts, that takes immediate action to protect the health of our community and also reaffirms the constitutional right in the Commonwealth of Virginia of school boards to make policy decisions for their districts.

A final hearing will be held at a future date. In the meantime, Fairfax County Public Schools will continue our mask requirement for all students, staff, and visitors, a regulation that is overwhelmingly supported by our staff and families. Read our statement on today’s decision.

Universal mask wearing has been a critical safety measure throughout the pandemic, especially during this most recent surge. We are committed to providing all students safe and in-person instruction. We believe that in order to do so, masks and our other layered prevention strategies must remain in place for now. As a reminder, all students are required to wear a face covering while indoors on school property or during FCPS-provided transportation, unless they have an exemption.

We are working with health experts to determine a safe and effective plan to scale back when it is appropriate to do so. FCPS will continue, as it has since this pandemic began, to prioritize the health and safety of all students and staff.

Some of you will be relieved by today’s decision and others will be frustrated. We understand. We ask everyone to treat each other with kindness, respect school procedures, and work together to safely move forward.

Fairfax County Public Schools

A date for the court hearing on a possible permanent injunction has not been set yet.

The steady rain that has fallen over Fairfax County throughout the past two days could result in flooding, forecasts indicate.

Citing “excessive rain,” the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the county that’s expected to remain in place until 6:45 p.m. today (Friday).

“Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring,” the alert says. “Low-water crossings may be inundated with water and may not be passable.”

Some flooding has already been reported, with Prosperity Avenue currently closed near Mantua, Fairfax County confirmed.

[2/4 at 3:16 PM] A Flood Warning is in effect until 6:45 PM this evening. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain has fallen and additional amounts up to 0.25 are possible. Prosperity Avenue is closed near Mantua due to flooding. Remember, Turn around, don’t drown! #VaWx #FloodSafety pic.twitter.com/reacd5KnDv

— Ready Fairfax (@ReadyFairfax) February 4, 2022

Here are more details from the warning, which went out at 2:52 p.m.:

– At 246 PM EST, radar indicated heavy rain had occurred in the warned area. Broadcast media reported that flooding is already occurring. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen.

– Prosperity Avenue is closed near Mantua due to flooding, and other typical flood prone areas may also flood shortly.

Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.25 inches are possible in the warned area.

– Some locations that will experience flooding include…
Reston… Annandale… Springfield… Vienna… Mantua… Burke… Oakton… Tysons Corner… Wolf Trap… Great Falls… Merrifield… West Springfield… Dunn Loring… North Springfield… Ravensworth… Belleview…

Flood Warning for parts of Fairfax County until 6:45PM. Broadcast media confirmed that flooding is already occurring. Typical flood prone areas may also flood shortly. Turn Around, Don’t Drown. #vawx pic.twitter.com/LoMP5gLi1X

— Washingtonian Weather Geeks (@WashingtonianWx) February 4, 2022

Fairfax County plans to hire a neutral observer this year who will help handle activities involving county government workers’ unions.

Although unions can move ahead with elections now, groups appear content to wait for the labor relations administrator to be in place.

“The labor relations administrator will be the neutral person, so they don’t work for us. They don’t work for any of the employee groups,” Fairfax County Human Resources Director Cathy Spage told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday (Feb. 1) at a Personnel and Reorganization Committee meeting. “They’re going to be like a judge.”

The person will be tasked with establishing and publishing union vote procedures and overseeing secret ballot elections, among other duties. Fairfax County government plans to use a contractor for the position and will accept proposals from Wednesday (Feb. 9) through March 9.

The Board of Supervisors could approve the new position on May 24, allowing the administrator to start this summer for a four-year term.

The county approved a historic ordinance in October allowing public-sector unions to negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions on the behalf of county government employees.

The move was made possible by a 2020 General Assembly law that overruled a 1977 state Supreme Court decision barring public workers from collective bargaining.

According to the ordinance, if a union seeks to hold an election before the labor relations administrator is in place, the county would secure services from an impartial agency provider, such as the American Arbitration Association or another group.

As of Tuesday (Feb. 1), no union filings have begun. Units representing police, fire and general county government employees will be allowed to collectively bargain.

“Right now we are not ready to do elections,” Spage said. “We haven’t received any petitions to do elections.”

Following an election, a union acting as the exclusive bargaining agent must start contract negotiations on or before July 1 and conclude by Oct. 15 in order for an agreement to be in place for the next fiscal year.

That means the first collectively bargained agreement for Fairfax County government workers could take effect on July 1, 2023.