Board of Supervisors - Mason District

Fairfax County, Virginia

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8:30AM-5PM M-F

703-256-7717
TTY 711

mason@fairfaxcounty.gov

Mason District Governmental Center
6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003

Penelope A. "Penny" Gross,
Board of Supervisor

Department Resources

COVID-19

Fairfax County, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the federal government have adjusted services in response to COVID-19. Updates, resources, and guidance at the local, state, and federal levels of government are available below:

Fairfax County Government - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/covid19/
- Fairfax County Health Department - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus
- Fairfax County Emergency Blog - https://fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com/
Commonwealth of Virginia - https://www.virginia.gov/
- VA Governor Ralph S. Northam - https://www.governor.virginia.gov/
- Virginia Department of Health - http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/
Federal Government - https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - https://www.cdc.gov/ and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/
- Prepare and Protect Yourself - https://www.coronavirus.gov/

Please continue to refer to trusted sources of information, such as the Fairfax County COVID-19 webpage, the Fairfax County Emergency Blog, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for regular updates.

Local resources

Fairfax County Declares Local State of Emergency

On March 17, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors declared a local state of emergency in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. This action follows Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s declaration of a state of emergency on March 12, and a national emergency declaration by President Donald Trump on March 13, 2020.

The local emergency declaration is primarily a financial mechanism that provides greater flexibility and authority for the county in purchasing hard to find resources and supplies. It also increases the authorities granted to the county to protect the health and safety of the community and provide emergency assistance in such a rapidly evolving incident.

Fairfax County Operating Status

Because of the coronavirus, some county facilities have status changes. Status updates for schools, courts, public meetings, libraries, parks, transportation services, trash collection and more is available at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/status.

Stay Informed

Call the Fairfax County Health Department Call Center at 703-267-3511 with Coronavirus questions; open 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Text FFXCOVID to 888777 to receive updates from Fairfax County about COVID-19.
E-mail questions or concerns to ffxcovid@fairfaxcounty.gov. This e-mail account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. through 8 p.m.
Visit a web portal for coronavirus that serves as a one-stop online resource for information. (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/covid19/)
Learn more about COVID-19 on the Health Department Coronavirus (COVID-19) Webpage or FAQ page. (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus)
Follow the Fairfax County Government Facebook Page and Health Department Facebook Page.
Follow @fairfaxcounty and @fairfaxhealth on Twitter.

Child Care Services

Governor Northam announced that the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) (https://www.dss.virginia.gov/geninfo/corona.cgi) will be releasing guidance to child care programs to help them to meet the provision of the Governor’s directive to only have 10 people gathered in any one place. The guidance will discuss limiting the number of children and staff per classroom to 10, feeding children in individual classes; staggering recess and outdoor play to one class at a time; and providing tips for programming to keep children six feet apart. In addition, families are also asked to stay home with their children if they are not essential personnel in order ensure child care programs have the capacity to serve essential personnel. When the VDSS guidance is available, the Office for Children (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/office-for-children/) will assist the state in distributing the information to child care programs in Fairfax County; and the Fairfax County blog will be updated to include this new information.

Community Centers/Neighborhood Centers/Resource Centers and Teen Centers

Effective immediately, NCS Community Centers/Neighborhood Centers/Resource Centers (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-community-services/community-center) and Teen Centers (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-community-services/teen-centers) are closed to participants.

Community Food Distribution

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) continues to provide grab and go meals at no cost for students at 38 locations throughout Fairfax County. Breakfast is served from 8 to 10:30 a.m.; lunch, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are coordinating with community partners to ensure the locations and timing of food centers and pantries are being communicated with FCPS families. All students enrolled in FCPS schools and other County children receive one meal at no-cost; and, may have additional meals at no-cost upon request. Adults may purchase breakfast and lunch meals at a cost of $2.00. An updated list of locations is available at www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update-food-resources.

Additionally, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) has partnered with FCPS to provide “pop-up” grab and go breakfast and lunch meals in five (5) targeted community locations. The locations (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-community-services/facilities-map) are:

• Audubon Apartments, 10-10:30 a.m., 7955 Audubon Ave., Alexandria

• Bailey’s Community Center, 10-10:30 a.m., 5920 Summers Ln., Falls Church

• Gum Springs Community Center, 11-11:30 a.m., 8100 Fordson Rd., Alexandria

• James Lee Community Center, 12-12:30 p.m., 2855 Annandale Rd, Falls Church

• Willston Multi-Cultural Center, 11-11:30 a.m., 6131 Willston Dr., Falls Church

Fairfax County and FCPS have worked together to develop a searchable map that includes community food distribution sites, including FCPS grab and go locations, community meal distribution sites, food pantries, and other related services. It is available at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/maps/food-resources.

The county continues to provide meals to current Senior Center and Adult Day Health Care participants. Meals are being delivered to each participant that indicates a need. Additional meals will be packaged in sets of five meals for five days so residents will receive one delivery per week with five meals. Additionally, older adult county housing facilities are also receiving meals through this coordinated effort. FASTRAN continues to support the Department of Family Services’ Meals on Wheels routes when volunteers are unavailable. This effort started last week and will continue through program closure.

Coordinated Services Planning (Basic Needs Support)

(https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-community-services/basic-needs-assistance)

Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) is assisting residents facing difficulties affected by job losses. Residents needing food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, healthcare and other needs, call 703-222-0880, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, for assistance with accessing government and community-based resources. Assistance is available in multiple languages.

Department of Family Services

(https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/financial-and-medical)

The Department of Family Services (DFS) is providing “Assistance from a Distance” for financial and medical needs. Visit the DFS website for information about how to apply for food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, child care assistance, financial assistance, energy (heating and cooling) assistance, free or low-cost medical care, and temporary assistance for needy families (TANF). Additional resources also are available at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/assistance-from-a-distance.

Fairfax County Public Schools

(https://www.fcps.edu/alerts)

All FCPS school buildings are closed until further notice. Food distribution at FCPS sites will continue as scheduled. FCPS students and other county children under age 18 can receive one meal at no-cost and may have additional meals at no-cost upon request. Adults may purchase breakfast and lunch meals at a cost of $2.00. For additional FCPS food distribution locations, log on to https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update-food-resources.

Food Pantries

Residents who want to contribute also are encouraged to consider making monetary contributions and grocery gift cards donations to our community-based organization partners. You can visit the Human Services Resource Guide (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hsrg/), an online, searchable guide to available human services resources in Fairfax County.

Inova Respiratory Illness Clinic

Inova Urgent Care (UCC) locations at Dulles South, North Arlington and Tysons will staff Respiratory Illness Clinics to evaluate all patients with respiratory illness symptoms. The three clinics will also be able to collect COVID-19 vehicle-side samples that have been ordered by physicians. Additional information is available at https://fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com/2020/03/25/three-inova-respiratory-illness-clinics-open-today/.

Income Tax Preparation and Citizen Tax Relief and Exemptions

AARP Tax-Aide services (https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/) and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Tax Preparation program have suspended all service. (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/employment-and-training/volunteer-income-tax-assistance)

Libraries

(https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library)

All FCPL locations are closed until further notice, and there is no curbside pickup of holds or other materials at this time. Patrons are asked to keep their library materials and return them at a later date. No fines will be assessed and all due dates have been extended. No donated materials will be accepted. WiFi will continue during the library’s normal operating hours and can be accessed in the parking lots.

The library offers free access to eBooks and eAudiobooks, which are digital books that you can read or listen to on a computer or a portable device https://research.fairfaxcounty.gov/ebooks.

Parks

(https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/coronavirus)

All Fairfax County Park Authority parks are closed until further notice. This includes community/neighborhood playgrounds, skate parks, athletic fields, off-leash dog areas, golf courses, picnic areas, and restrooms. Park trails are open for individual use only, no groups. Park visitors are asked to adhere to all closure notices and current social distancing recommendations.

All Park Authority indoor facilities remain closed, including RECenters, nature centers, visitor centers, golf courses, historic sites, portions of Frying Pan Farm Park, and permitted use of athletic fields and picnic shelters. All Park Authority programs and events are cancelled until further notice.

Public Works - Keeping Clean During Covid-19

Keeping yourself and your children clean and virus free is extremely important during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fairfax County says no matter where you live – condo, house or apartment – you can avoid a disgusting sewer backup into your home by not flushing wipes down the toilet. Additional information about how to prevent backups and overflows is available at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/news/keeping-clean-during-covid-19.

Rental Assistance - Contact Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) for Basic Needs Assistance

Contact Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) for Basic Needs Assistance

https://fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com/2020/03/17/contact-coordinated-services-planning-csp-for-basic-needs-assistance/

School Age Child Care

(https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/office-for-children/sacc/)

SACC is closed until further notice. (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/office-for-children/alert-sacc-operating-status-sacc-centers-will-be-closed-until-further-notice) Log on to the website for updated information.

Schools - FCPS Distance Learning Plan

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is enacting its Distance Learning Plan (DLP) to ensure students and families have ongoing, high-quality academic, social-emotional, and wellness supports. Find more information at https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update-academics-distance.

Senior Centers and Adult Day Health Care Centers

All Fairfax County Senior Centers (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-community-services/senior-centers) and Adult Day Health Care Centers (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/adult-day-health-care) are closed to participants until further notice. Additionally, as of Monday, March 16, Fairfax County will provide meal delivery service to registered participants who wish to obtain them. County staff will be contacting participants and caregivers directly to make those arrangements.

Tax Relief Application Due Date Extended to June 1; Workshops Postponed

(https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/taxes/relief/tax-relief-due-date-extended)

The 2020 tax relief application due date for seniors and people with disabilities has been extended from April 1, 2020 to June 1, 2020, and the remaining tax relief workshops are postponed until further notice. All residents are urged to stay home and submit their annual applications by e-mail, mail, or fax. If you require assistance with completing the application or have any questions, please call 703-222-8234 (TTY 711).

Trash and Recycling

Effective Monday, March 30, 2020, the Solid Waste Management Program is changing collection requirements for trash and recycling haulers and changing service levels at the county’s two disposal sites. These changes will remain in effect until the public health emergency passes. Additional schedule and service changes may be announced if the situation worsens in our area at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/alert-message

Please be advised that no changes have been made to the County's weekly trash (grey cart) and recycling (blue cart) collection schedule. To ensure that all trash and recycling is collected, please make sure that all materials are at the curb/street line by 6 a.m. on your regular collection day. Trash and recycled material must be placed inside the cart. Trash or recycling placed outside the county-provided cart will not be collected. No privately-owned carts will be serviced.

As of Monday, March 30, 2020 until further notice, special pickups and yard waste collection have been suspended. Yard waste is still accepted at the I-66 transfer station and I-95 landfill complex.

Residential Drop-off Facilities at the I-66 Transfer Station and the I-95 Landfill Complex will be remain open to the general public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Administrative buildings are closed. Household hazardous waste and e-waste stations are closed at the I-95 landfill complex, but remain available at the I-66 transfer station. Donation Stations at both locations are closed.

Collection of glass dropped off at purple, glass-only containers is suspended. Containers will be removed from existing locations throughout Fairfax County. Residents can bring glass to containers at the I-66 transfer station and I-95 landfill complex, or glass can be placed in the trash.

Virginia Career Works

Virginia Career Works – Northern Centers (https://vcwnorthern.com/covid-19/) are CLOSED to the public. Jobseekers may call local centers or access a variety of Web-based and telephonic resources found at https://vcwnorthern.com/covid-19/. For additional information, call 703-827-3782 or send an e-mail to info@vcwnorthern.com.

Community Business Partnership (https://cbponline.org/)
The Community Business Partnership (CBP) is a non-profit organization working in collaboration with a number of local, regional. and national organizations to promote small business growth in Fairfax County.

All CBP in-person workshops and events are CANCELLED until further notice. Clients can visit www.ed2go.com/cbponline as a resource for continued business knowledge. For information about online or virtual counseling, log on to https://cbponline.org/classes-counseling/counseling/.

Volunteering

Residents, businesses and organizations who want to help fill community needs can make donations to local community-based organizations. An updated list of community-based resources for food assistance and donations is available online at https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update-support.

Residents who want to contribute are urged to consider making monetary contributions and grocery gift cards donations to our community-based organization partners. Log on to the Human Services Resource Guide (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hsrg/), an online, searchable guide to available human services resources in Fairfax County.

Additional information about volunteer opportunities is available at https://fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com/2020/03/17/donating-to-and-supporting-local-community-based-organizations/.

State resources

Health, safety, and employment measures by Governor Northam

Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19.

On March 30, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam issued a statewide Stay at Home order to protect the health and safety of Virginians and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. The executive order takes effect immediately and will remain in place until June 10, 2020, unless amended or rescinded by a further executive order.

The order directs all Virginians to stay home except in extremely limited circumstances. Individuals may leave their residence for allowable travel, including to seek medical attention, work, care for family or household members, obtain goods and services like groceries, prescriptions, and others as outlined in Executive Order Fifty-Three, and engage in outdoor activity with strict social distancing requirements

Measures Governor Northam has taken to assist all Virginians are available at https://www.governor.virginia.gov/.

Social Distancing

Virginians are strongly urged to avoid non-essential gatherings of more than 10 people, per federal guidelines. This does not include normal operations at essential services, such as manufacturers, distribution centers, airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, grocery stores, or pharmacies.

Per a public health emergency order issued by Governor Northam and State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, restaurants, fitness centers, and theaters statewide are mandated to significantly reduce their capacity to 10 patrons, or close. Restaurants may continue carry-out and takeaway options.

Support for Affected Workers

Governor Northam announced the following actions to protect working Virginians impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak:

No waiting for unemployment benefits. Governor Northam has directed the Commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission to waive the one-week waiting period to ensure workers can receive benefits as soon as possible.

Enhanced eligibility for unemployment. Workers may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits if an employer needs to temporarily slow or cease operations due to COVID-19. If a worker has been issued a notice to self-quarantine by a medical or public health official and is not receiving paid sick or medical leave from their employer, they may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. In addition, a worker may be eligible for unemployment benefits if they must stay home to care for an ill family member and are not receiving paid family medical leave from their employer.

Fewer restrictions. For individuals receiving unemployment insurance, Governor Northam is directing the Virginia Employment Commission to give affected workers special consideration on deadlines, mandatory re-employment appointments, and work search requirements.

The Office of the Governor is providing a frequently asked questions guide for workers that have been temporarily laid off or discharged during this public health crisis.

Support for Affected Employers

Regional workforce teams will be activated to support employers who slow or cease operations. Employers who do slow or cease operations will not be penalized financially for an increase in workers requesting unemployment benefits.

The Governor is authorizing rapid response funding, through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, for employers eligible to remain open during this emergency. Funds may be used to clean facilities and support emergency needs.
Governor Northam is directing all employers to follow U.S. Department of Labor guidance on workplace safety.

Utilities

The State Corporation Commission (SCC) issued an order directing utilities it regulates, such as electric, natural gas, and water companies in Virginia, to suspend service disconnections for 60 days to provide immediate relief for any customer, residential and business, who may be financially impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

For a comprehensive list of actions taken by Governor Northam and news about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Virginia, visit https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus-updates/.

Virginia Department of Taxation

The May 1 filing deadline remains the same. The payment deadline individual and corporate income taxes extended to June 1, 2020. https://www.tax.virginia.gov/news/coronavirus-updates

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/

Virginia’s 75 DMV offices, as well as mobile units, are closed to the public until at least April 2, 2020. Online services remain available, and anyone needing to renew a license or vehicle registration is encouraged to do so online. For individuals who cannot renew online, or whose license or registration expires before May 15, the DMV will grant a 60-day extension. Governor Northam has directed the Virginia Department of State Police to suspend enforcement of Motor Vehicle Safety Inspections for 60 days.

Virginia Employment Commission

(http://www.vec.virginia.gov/unemployed)

If you have lost employment and seek to apply for Unemployment Compensation, please apply online at the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) website at http://www.vec.virginia.gov/unemployed or call the VEC Customer Contact Center by calling 1-866-832-2363, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Federal Resources

Discusses common issues employers and employees face when responding to influenza, pandemics, or other public health emergencies, and their effects on wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act and job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

How to Prepare and Protect Yourself

https://www.coronavirus.gov/

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

(https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus)

The federal income tax filing due date is extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. Taxpayers can also defer federal income tax payments due on April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed. This deferment applies to all taxpayers, including individuals, trusts and estates, corporations and other non-corporate tax filers as well as those who pay self-employment tax.

OSHA Guidance about Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

Passport Offices

(https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/passport-covid-19.html)

Effective March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Passport Services/Customer Service will only offer service for customers with a qualified life-or-death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours.

Some passport application acceptance facilities, which include libraries, clerks of court, and post offices may not be accepting U.S. passport applications at this time. If you need to apply in person for your U.S. passport, please contact the facility (https://iafdb.travel.state.gov/) directly to confirm whether they are accepting applications.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan Program

(https://www.sba.gov/)

On March 12, the SBA announced Disaster Assistance Loans for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19. SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance for a small business. These loans can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue.

Small Business Development Center (MASON SBDC)

(https://masonsbdc.org/)

Now that VIrginia is approved by the SBA, the Mason SBDC will provide businesses with information about how to prepare and understand what is needed for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

SCORE

(https://www.score.org/)

SCORE, a non-profit organization and resource partner funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration that assists small businesses develop, offers free confidential business counseling via phone, e-mail and a variety of video and chat services. They also offer free, live and recorded webinars as well as interactive courses on demand (https://www.score.org/content/take-workshop).

Social Security Administration (SSA)

(https://www.ssa.gov/coronavirus/)

The Social Security Administration suspended face-to-face service to the public in field offices and hearings offices nationwide until further notice. The SSA will provide limited, critical services via phone (1-800-772-1213), mail, and online at www.ssa.gov.