Supervisors end the Covid emergency plan

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed at its Feb. 7 meeting to end the Covid-19 emergency declaration on March 1.

That declaration, in place since March 2020, activated the county’s emergency operations plan and authorized aid to mitigate the effects of Covid.

During the pandemic, the county approved emergency rules to allow restaurants and exercise facilities to operate outdoors in parking lots. These businesses will be able to keep their outside operations until March 1, 2024. After that date, businesses will need additional county approvals. 

The emergency declaration gave the county “greater flexibility and authority to purchase supplies, find resources, move to virtual operations and meetings, support the business community, and protect the health and safety of our community,” said County Executive Bryan Hill.

The county’s operational response and approach to Covid will not change. The Health Department will continue to share Covid updates and resources on its webpage and social media channels.

Vaccination clinics managed by Fairfax County ended operations in December. Vaccines continue to be widely available throughout the community and at the Health Department’s district offices by appointment.

As of Feb. 8, the seven-day average number of daily new Covid cases in the Fairfax Health District is 118. The total number of Covid deaths is 1,775.