During his press conference yesterday, Gov. Ralph Northam outlined the plans for Phase Three of easing COVID-19 restrictions in Virginia.

While Northam said that the statewide numbers “are trending in a positive direction,” the date to enter Phase Three has not been determined yet. The earliest date under consideration is next Friday, June 26, he said.

“People need and they deserve to be able to plan, so I want Virginians to see what Phase Three will generally look like,” Northam said. Northern Virginia entered Phase Two last Friday, June 12.

Here’s what Phase Three may look like, according to Northam:

• fitness centers/gyms may open at 75% capacity
• pools may open at 75% capacity with physical distancing
• childcare services may open
• social gatherings may include up to 250 people

The cap on the capacity for non-essential retail, restaurants and beverage services will be lifted, but physical distancing will still be required.

Meanwhile, entertainment venues like zoos, museums and other outdoor venues may open at 50% capacity with a maximum of 1,000 people.

Just like in Phase Two, the safer at home and teleworking recommendations will still be in place, Northam said, adding that face coverings will still be required in indoor public spaces.

“Studies increasingly show how effective face coverings can be to reduce the spread of this virus, but we all need to wear them and wear them properly,” Northam said. “This is easy to do.”

Personal grooming services and recreational sports will still need to follow physical distancing and overnight summer camps must remain closed.

“We are going to be cautious and careful and watch the data for a little while longer before we move forward,” Northam said, noting that other states have seen surges after easing COVID-19 restrictions “prematurely.”

Image via Facebook, image via Governor of Virginia

Instead of his usual press briefings in Richmond, Gov. Ralph Northam headed to Fairfax County to address the coronavirus pandemic’s racial disparities in Virginia.

Surrounded by state and local elected officials, Northam held a bilingual press briefing at the Fairfax County Government Center today (Thursday) to talk about the disproportionate impacts of the virus on Black and Hispanic communities.

Northam said that 45% of the COVID-19 cases and 35% of the resulting hospitalizations affect the Hispanic and Latino communities, even though they account for approximately 10% of Virginia’s population.

The concern is not new. For the last several months, Fairfax County’s Hispanic population has been hit hard by COVID-19. Local officials working to address the growing racial disparity say the county needs more testing and increased outreach to vulnerable communities.

“Everyone, everyone in Virginia deserves to have access to testing and access to care,” Northam said.

Jeff McKay, the chairman of Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors, highlighted that the county has seen more than 69,000 PCR testing encounters so far — the highest in Virginia.

The county is now shifting to community testing sites and is continuing to hire contact tracers, who “reflect the demographics of the populations they are serving,” McKay said.

McKay also pointed to other county resources, like a list of COVID-19 testing sites and the multi-lingual call center (703-222-0880) to connect residents to housing, food, financial assistance and more.

“Our board feels strongly that the disproportionality of this pandemic affects all of our residents in this county,” McKay said.

During the press conference, Northam applauded recent news: Prince William County ending its program between local police and ICE and the Supreme Court’s decision to extend DACA protections.

“I hope that this will help set a new tone of trust and support with our Latino communities,” Northam said about Prince William County’s decision.

Phase Three 

Northam also addressed the current and future plans for rolling back more COVID-19 restrictions.

While Virginia’s COVID-19 data are “trending in a positive direction,” the state will not enter Phase Three this week, he said. He did, though, unveil what that phase will look like.

Phase Three includes:

• safer at home recommendation
• encourage teleworking
• face coverings required in indoor public spaces
• social gatherings may include up to 250 people
• cap on non-essential retail lifted

“Just because there are more places to go does not mean you need to go there,” Northam said. “The virus has not gone anywhere. We are adapting our lives around it, but it has not changed.”

Northam said that health officials need more time to evaluate the COVID-19 data. Next Friday, June 26, is the earliest date under consideration for Virginia to enter Phase Three, he said.

“We want to make sure that we are inclusive,” Northam said in response to why he chose to hold his press briefing in Northern Virginia instead of Richmond, adding that he met with local leaders before the press briefing.

Image via Facebook

Government offices in Fairfax County and the City of Falls Church will be closed tomorrow (Friday) due to Juneteenth.

The move comes after Gov. Ralph Northam declared Juneteenth a state holiday earlier this week.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Texas, the last of the former Confederate states, finally heard the Civil War ended and that the Emancipation Proclamation had made slaves free nearly two years earlier. It is formally considered the official commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.

Although the state has marked Juneteenth via proclamation, the date has not been previously declared a state holiday.

“Fairfax County is moving forward and our holidays must reflect that. I am committed to our values that include a diverse, inclusive and equitable society,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay. “I asked that the County Executive commemorate Juneteenth because that commitment requires listening to diverse voices and acknowledging the shared history of all Americans.”

All government offices will be closed. But employees who staff essential around-the-clock county operations will work as scheduled, including public safety and trash collection.

Here’s more from Northam’s statement:

“Since 1619, when representative democracy and enslaved African people arrived in Virginia within a month of each other, we have said one thing, but done another. It’s time we elevate Juneteenth not just as a celebration by and for some Virginians, but one acknowledged and commemorated by all of us. It mattered then because it marked the end of slavery in this country, and it matters now because it says to Black communities, this is not just your history–this is everyone’s shared history, and we will celebrate it together. This is a step toward the Commonwealth we want to be as we go forward.”

Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill also encouraged residents to reflect on this day and take actions to “promote the unity we embrace here in Fairfax County.”

City of Falls Church Government to Observe Juneteenth Holiday on Friday, June 19, in keeping with the @GovernorVA declaration designating Juneteenth as a state holiday. City government offices will be closed.

— City of Falls Church (@FallsChurchGov) June 18, 2020

Plans to Make Juneteenth a State Holiday — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday he will propose legislation to make Juneteenth, a celebration observed on June 19 commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, be recognized as a paid state holiday.” [Vienna Patch]

Transportation Webinars Start Today — The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, the Coalition for Smarter Growth and Mason’s Department of Parking and Transportation teamed up on a series of webinars on active transportation. The series kicks off today at noon. [George Mason University]

No Phase Three Yet — “Virginia won’t enter Phase Three of its reopening plan this week, Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday. Speaking during his twice-weekly news conference in Richmond, Northam said that although the state’s health metrics are trending in the right direction, he’s not ready to lift restrictions further that were designed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.” [Inside NoVa]

As Northern Virginia localities prepare for the second reopening phase on Friday, here’s what people can expect.

Northern Virginia and the City of Richmond delayed entering phase two when the rest of Virginia started the phase last Friday (June 5). Gov. Ralph Northam said that trends of COVID-19 data indicate that Northern Virginia is ready for the next phase.

Here’s a snapshot of the phase two guidelines:

• “safer at home” guidance, telework encouraged
• face coverings required in indoor public places
• social gathering maximum raised from 10 to 50
• restaurants can have indoor dining at 50% occupancy
• fitness centers can open indoor spaces at 30% occupancy
• indoor and outdoor swimming pools can open
• still closed: overnight summer camps, indoor entertainment venues, amusement parks, fairs and carnivals

Museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and outdoor concerts, sports and performing arts venues may open with some restrictions as long as they don’t have shared equipment.

“All businesses should still adhere to physical distancing guidelines, frequently clean and sanitize high contact surfaces, and continue enhanced workplace safety measures,” the plan says.

Meanwhile, phase two continues current guidelines for religious services, non-essential retail and personal grooming services, according to the plan.

School Schedule

Northam also unveiled yesterday his phased plan to reopen K-12 schools.

“I know that parents are very interested in our plans for how to safely return children to our classrooms,” Northam said.

Previously, Northam closed schools on March 23 for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. “I believe these closures have helped mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

Northam said that the plan will let schools “slowly” offer in-person classes for the summer and 2020-2021 school year.

“We’ll start with small groups, and we will allow each school division the flexibility that it needs to respond to the needs of its own locality,” Northam said, adding that the plan provides schools with options instead of serving as a mandate.

In every phase, the schools must follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including daily health screenings of students and staff, remote learning and working options for high-risk students and staff, required face coverings for staff — and encourage used for students — when social distancing isn’t an option.

More about the plan from Northam’s website:

The K-12 phased reopening plan was developed by the Office of the Secretary of Education, Virginia Department of Health, and the Virginia Department of Education and is informed by guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

All PreK-12 schools in Virginia will be required to deliver new instruction to students for the 2020-2021 academic year, regardless of the operational status of school buildings. The PreK-12 guidance is aligned with the phases outlined in the Forward Virginia blueprint and provides opportunities for school divisions to begin offering in-person instruction to specific student groups…

Local school divisions will have discretion on how to operationalize within each phase and may choose to offer more limited in-person options than the phase permits, if local public health conditions necessitate. Entry into each phase is dependent on public health gating criteria, corresponding with the Forward Virginia plan. School divisions will have flexibility to implement plans based on the needs of their localities, within the parameters of the Commonwealth’s guidance.

The opportunities for in-person instruction in each phase are as follows:

• Phase One: special education programs and child care for working families
• Phase Two: Phase One plus preschool through third-grade students, English learners, and summer camps in school buildings
• Phase Three: all students may receive in-person instruction as can be accommodated with strict social distancing measures in place, which may require alternative schedules that blend in-person and remote learning for students
• Beyond Phase Three: divisions will resume “new-normal” operations under future guidance

Beginning with Phase Two, local divisions and private schools must submit plans to the Virginia Department of Education that include policies and procedures for implementing Virginia Department of Health and CDC mitigation strategies.

State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA has issued an Order of Public Health Emergency that requires all Virginia PreK-12 public and private schools to develop plans that demonstrate adherence to public health guidance. Public schools must also outline plans to offer new instruction to all students regardless of operational status.

Graph via Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam

Gov. Ralph Northam announced this afternoon at a press conference that Northern Virginia localities can move into phase two starting Friday (June 12).

Northam said that the COVID-19 metrics for Northern Virginia continue to improve.

“Our hospitalizations for COVID are trending downward, particularly in the last week,” Northam said, adding that hospitals are under capacity.

The rest of Virginia entered phase two last Friday (June 5).

At the same press conference, Northam also released a plan to reopen public schools for the 2020-2021 school year. Changes will include social distancing measures and adaptations to perform health checks, according to Northam.

Students will not be required to wear face coverings, according to the Virginia superintendent, but they will be encouraged for older students.

Image via Governor of Virginia/Facebook

School Schedule — “Gov. Ralph Northam is expected on Tuesday to address school reopening, something he had initially planned to do last week. The announcement will give more guidance to school districts and colleges across the state that have been moving forward with their own plans to return.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Protest Photos — “A series of demonstrations took place in and around the City of Falls Church over the weekend to protest the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Evictions Paused — “Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday a temporary statewide moratorium on all eviction proceedings in Virginia.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Statue Staying? — “A Virginia judge has issued an 10-day injunction that prevents Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration from removing an iconic but controversial statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond.” [USA Today]

Baseball Blues — “Two of the three local Little Leagues in the Sun Gazette’s coverage areas canceled their 2020 spring seasons in recent days, with McLean Little League still hoping to play some type of regular season for baseball and girls softball teams in June and July.” [Inside NoVa]

Puppy Sale Fraud in Vienna — “A woman who does not live in Virginia told Vienna police on May 23 at 5:34 p.m. that she had made an online payment to purchase a puppy and was told to go to a residence in the 400 block of MacArthur Avenue, N.E., to pick up the dog.” [Inside NoVa]

Northam Outlines Phase 2 — “Most of Virginia will enter a second phase of reopening from the prolonged coronavirus shutdown on Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam said… Both Northern Virginia and the city of Richmond, which were hit harder by the novel coronavirus and began reopening last week, will remain under the more stringent Phase 1 portion of the state’s plan to return to normalcy.” [Washington Post]

Pledge to End Racial Inequalities — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam pledged Tuesday to do more to end racial inequities in the state as he reacted to the death of George Floyd and increasing protests in Northern Virginia and other regions of the state.” [Inside NoVa]

County Aiming to Get 400 New Contact Tracers — “GattiHR, a leading HR consulting firm, has been retained by the Institute for Public Health Innovation – one of the region’s leading health organizations that develops multi-sector partnerships and innovative solutions to improve the public’s health and well-being across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia- to recruit 400 COVID-19 Contact Tracers in Fairfax County, VA.” [GattiHR]

Tysons DMV Has Reopened — Starting today, the location at 1968 Gallows Road will be open by appointment only from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. [Patch]

More Outdoor Areas Open at Public Schools — “In accordance with Fairfax County’s Phase 1 reopening guidelines, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is reopening additional outdoor areas on school grounds to the community, effective Friday, May 29. Reopening on May 29 will be athletic fields (for walking and recreational use from 8 a.m. to sundown) and gardens.” [FCPS]

Art Aid — “ARTSFAIRFAX [Thursday] announced $100,000 in available funding through the newly created Emergency Relief and Recovery Grant Program. Funding will provide critical support to Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church arts organizations and Fairfax County individual artists most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The online grant application… closes on June 29, 2020.” [Patch]

Public Hearing on Controversial Zoning Code Tonight — “The Vienna Town Council plans to hold a public hearing on Monday about what to do about the contentious Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) zone.” [Tysons Reporter]

Phase 2 May Start Soon — “Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday that more of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions could be lifted as soon as June 5… Northern Virginia leaders said earlier this week they’d be interested in moving to Phase Two at the same time as the rest of the state.” [Inside NoVa]

Booze Delivery? — “At some point in the near future, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is hoping to execute the first home liquor delivery in its 86-year history.” [Inside NoVa]

Fairfax County announced today (Wednesday) that it will start rolling back some COVID-19 restrictions on Friday (May 29).

The announcement follows Gov. Ralph Northam saying yesterday (Tuesday) that Northern Virginia localities are ready to join the rest of the state with the first reopening phase.

“The Forward Virginia plan provides guidelines that all businesses must follow in the first phase but eases previous restrictions on restaurants, fitness facilities, barbers and beauty salons, other retail businesses and houses of worship,” according to the county.

Here’s what will happen in Fairfax County starts reopening on Friday:

• movie theaters, concert halls, bowling alleys, indoor entertainment will stay closed
• social gatherings of more than 10 people will still be prohibited
• “safer at home” recommendation will still be in place
• restaurants may reopen at 50% of indoor capacity with tables spaced 6 feet apart
• restaurants’ bars will remain closed
• restaurants must use disposable menus and require servers to wear face coverings
• gyms, recreation centers, sports centers and pools may open outside
• indoor pools and spas and outdoor basketball and racquetball courts will stay closed
• salons and barbers can open at 50% capacity and require appointments
• retailers may reopen at 50% capacity and employees must wear face coverings
• houses or worship may hold services at 50% capacity, face coverings encouraged

A joint letter sent Monday from officials in Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, said that their health directors’ assessment of the pandemic supports the partial reopening.

“[The public health directors] have noted the regional attainment of four of the critical metrics and assessed the need for continued focus on expanding our contact tracing capacity and developing sustainable supplies of PPE,” the letter said.