Waterview Cluster: Hunter Mill District News, February 3, 2021

Feb. 3, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you enjoyed our first significant snowfall in two years! Gwenn on my staff took this photo of Lake Newport, one of the many picturesque areas in our snow-covered district. Also a reminder for the next snow – the county has a handy Snow Guide, which has links to many helpful resources.

Vaccine Update

Yesterday, the county's Health Department presented an update on vaccine distribution to the Board of Supervisors during the Health and Human Services Committee meeting. You can watch the meeting here and review the presentation here.

Among the highlights of the update:

The nation is facing limited vaccine supplies, which means limited supply for Fairfax Heath District residents through at least March.
Vaccination will be targeted while supply is limited following guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health.
As of right now, all of Virginia is receiving about 105,000 doses a week, of which 13,600 doses are sent to the Fairfax Health District.
Of those 13,600 doses, the Health Department is generally following state guidelines at this time and allocating about 50 percent for older adults and 50 percent for front line essential workers.
Administration of 2nd doses is also occurring at scheduled intervals (Pfizer – 3 weeks; Moderna – 4 weeks)
When supply is sufficient, vaccine will be administered by private providers, pharmacies, occupational health clinics, etc. (similar to flu vaccinations).
Vaccination numbers as of Feb. 1:
Fairfax County Health Department: 45,238 doses
Inova: approximately 75,000 doses
Skilled nursing and assisted living facilities: 6,069 doses
Others: 16,368 doses
As of Feb. 1, more than 186,000 residents have pre-registered for the vaccine in the Fairfax Health District.

Additional Updates:

The county's online COVID-19 vaccine registration form will be offline for scheduled maintenance and updates from Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. to Thursday, Feb. 4, at 7 a.m. This will not affect anyone who already has a scheduled appointment or anyone who is currently on the waitlist to get an appointment.
The Fairfax County Health Department has partnered with Trusted Doctors this week to help vaccinate people on the county's waitlist. Trusted Doctors is a local health care practice that will provide first-dose vaccinations to about 800 people who were at the top of our registration queue. These individuals received an email link to make a vaccination appointment through Trusted Doctors, and the vaccine is being provided by the Health Department. The health care practice is performing vaccination over the weekend by appointment only.
Thinking about a Super Bowl party? Dr. Anthony Fauci (and our Health Department) says to “just lay low and cool it.”

IT Support for Older Adults

A pandemic-related challenge that I heard last month from fellow online churchgoers is that some of our older adults need help with IT basics – how to use Zoom from different devices/browsers, how to online shop, or even to find online information about vaccines. I wanted to make you aware of the county's IT On-Call Program provided by the Fairfax County Area Agency on Aging. The program provides free, virtual IT assistance to residents age 60+ and adults 18+ with a disability.

The IT On-Call program can help you

Navigate Zoom, Skype, and WhatsApp applications
Shop online.
Join/use social media platforms, play music or games.
Use video call capabilities on an iPhone or Android smartphone.
Stream entertainment.
Access Fairfax County Library's digital programs and activities.

If you or someone you know can use this service, contact Volunteer Solutions for help by email or call 703-324-5406 (TTY 711).

Stay safe everyone!

Respectfully,

Walter

Today's COVID-19 Updates (Feb. 3)

If you have questions about COVID-19, you can contact the Fairfax County Health Department:

Call 703-267-3511 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends)
Email ffxcovid@fairfaxcounty.gov (monitored 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays)

Vaccine Updates

Testing

Data Dashboards and Charts

Current Number of Cases in the Fairfax Health District

Daily reported case information for the Fairfax Health District: here and scroll down to get to ZIP Code data.
Daily reported case information throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia: here and ZIP Code data look for Data Download bar.

COVID-19 Case Information Chart (as of publication on Feb. 3)

Chart data resources:

Donate Food and Coats (and hats/gloves!)

This Saturday, Feb. 6

I look forward to seeing you this Saturday, Feb. 6 at the North County Governmental Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston for a double opportunity to help your neighbors in need. Stuff the Bus (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and the Cornerstones Coat Closet (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) will be in the parking lot to take your donations.

If you or someone you know needs a coat, they can pick one up at the Coat Closet.

Food insecurity continues to be a big concern in our community. To help our vulnerable families, Stuff the Bus will have buses parked both at my office in Reston (as noted above) and also at Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave. East, Vienna. Both locations are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Coat Closet will be open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to new or clean coats in good condition, there is also a need for new warm gloves and hats for all ages. Cornerstones cannot accept other clothing items or used gloves and hats.

Learn More About Climate Change

and How to Provide Input

Fairfax County is in the midst of developing its first-ever Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan, or CECAP. Climate change occurs when greenhouse gases build up in our atmosphere and trap heat that might otherwise escape, causing shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns over time.

The petroleum-powered cars and trucks on our roads are one of the top two sources of greenhouse gases in the county.

In fiscal year 2020, county residents owned and operated 933,452 vehicles. In a single year, that many vehicles consume more than 10.6 million barrels of oil. It would take 76 million trees ten years to sequester the carbon produced by these vehicles. It would be impractical to plant 76 million trees in Fairfax County (see the Tree Action Plan for more info on tree goals), but we can take action otherwise. Addressing our greenhouse gas emissions now is a wise investment in our future – this problem will not go away on its own and we will end up paying for it one way or another.

CECAP is unique in that it is being developed by the community, for the community, with input from dozens of our organizational, business, and civic leaders, as well as individual residents. CECAP will outline greenhouse gas reduction goals for the community and will include recommended strategies and actions community members can take to help achieve the goals.

I encourage you to learn more about climate action in Fairfax County. Later this month, online surveys will be available, and the county will host public meetings to gather community input on climate change mitigation strategies and actions. Look for more information in upcoming Hunter Mill District newsletters.

Climate Action in Fairfax County: Be a Part of the Solution

Transportation and Land Use

Reston Comprehensive Plan Study Task Force Meeting on Feb. 8, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

To learn more about the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study and the task force, visit the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study webpage. The next scheduled meeting is Monday, Feb. 8, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. (please note the change from the usual 7 to 9 p.m. time slot) Details and the agenda will be found here. The meeting will be hosted on the Webex platform. Use this link to attend and participate in the meeting. You will be prompted to register with your email address and ZIP code before logging into meeting. If you prefer to listen to the meeting on your phone, you may call 1-844-621-3956 and use access code: 179 933 2960. This is also the number to use if accessing TTY 711. (Please note each meeting has a unique link and call-in information.) You will also be able to watch a live stream of the meeting on YouTube Live, which is also where you can watch the Jan. 25 meeting.

Wiehle Avenue Crossing Study Group Virtual Meeting, Feb. 18, 7:00 p.m.

Wiehle Pedestrian Crossing Study Group virtual meeting is Thursday, Feb. 18, 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting is hosted on the Webex platform – use this link to attend and participate in the meeting. You will be prompted to register with your email address and ZIP code before logging into meeting. If you prefer to only listen to the meeting, you may call 1-844-621-3956 and use Access Code: 173 512 0630. This is also the number to use if accessing TTY 711.To submit feedback, questions or comments, email WiehleCrossingStudyGroup@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Public Safety Update

Help Lines for Teen Dating Violence and Domestic Violence Support

Please pass along these numbers if you know someone who needs help:

Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hour Hotline 703-360-7273
Domestic Violence Action Center 703-246-4573
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Main Office 703-324-5730
If the threat is immediate, call 911.

Mark Your Calendar for Tuesday, Feb. 16

My office is hosting a Town Hall with the Reston District Police Station commanders on Tuesday, Feb. 16. More details forthcoming in next week's newsletter and on my social media.

Reminder: Reston District Station Town Hall Feb. 4 to Introduce Data Dashboard

The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is hosting a series of virtual town halls to present new interactive GIS-based data dashboard. It is a tool designed from community input and rooted in the principles of transparency and fair and impartial policing. Key data points include arrests, citations and warnings. FCPD training and policies related to the data sets will be discussed. The Reston District Station town hall is Thursday, Feb. 4. at 5 p.m. You can join the Zoom meeting here.

Vienna Update:

Construction Underway for New Police Station

The Town of Vienna held a ground-breaking last week for the start of construction on the new police station. This new building will provide the opportunity for the Town to place all their police functions in one building with upgraded technology and security. The building is also being designed to accommodate the Town’s emergency planning needs and will include additional community space for the Town’s residents. As the Town's representative on the Board of Supervisors, last year I cosponsored a Board Matter with Chairman Jeff McKay to waive all county building and inspection fees, which is saving the Town more than $400,000.

3 Things to Know Today

Time to Plan and Register for Summer Camps

The Fairfax County Park Authority summer camp registration is open! The My Summer Camp Planner, an easy-to-use spreadsheet that streamlines family summer camp planning is available to assist families. The Park Authority offers more than 1,000 summer day camp options for children ages 3 to 17 at locations including RECenters, nature centers, historic sites, lakefront parks, golf courses and schools. With fewer camps and fewer spaces available this summer, getting registered early is encouraged. Learn more.

Friends of Reston Regional Library Providing 1,800 Free Books to Students

Reston Now reports that Friends of Reston Regional Library is providing about 1,800 free books to local students. The Book Bites project is giving new books to children at four Reston public schools during meal and school supply pick-up. Read more.

Halcyon Business Incubator Recruiting Start-Up Businesses

Halcyon, a Georgetown-based business incubator, is offering start-up or new entrepreneurial businesses based in the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia) a chance to join its new Opportunity Intensive incubator program. Fairfax County is a strong supporter of this project as a means to grow and expand its start-up entrepreneurial business base and encourages all eligible county businesses to apply. Applications are open through Feb. 11. Learn more.

Stay Informed and In Touch