Tag: Covid
An early win for school boards in mask mandate suit
A judge with the Arlington County Circuit Court has granted a temporary restraining order Feb. 4 against Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s ban on mask mandates. The ruling by Judge Louise DiMatteo involves a lawsuit filed by seven school boards, including Fairfax County, Alexandria, Arlington County, Falls Church, Hampton Roads, Prince William County, and Richmond. Related … Continued
Metrobus to resume regular service
Metrobus will return to regular weekday service on Feb. 7, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced. Metrobus has been operating on a modified Saturday schedule, offering approximately 75 percent of normal weekday service, since Jan. 10 due to Covid-related staffing shortages. The Covid Omicron surge has affected about 10 percent of Metro’s workforce since … Continued
Schools try Test to Stay program
Seven Fairfax County schools, including Glasgow Middle School and Bailey’s Elementary School, began implementing the Test to Stay pilot program Jan. 31, Test to Stay (TTS) allows students who are close contacts to people who tested positive for Covid at school to stay in the classroom, rather than quarantine at home – if they take … Continued
Brabrand defends mask mandate
Speaking at a virtual town hall Jan. 24, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand said he hopes FCPS will get to the point where masks are optional, but “now is not the time.” FCPS is working with health officials to develop a “roadmap” laying out the health metrics for determining when masks are no … Continued
School boards sue governor over masks
The Fairfax County School Board joined with six other school boards in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 2. That document gives parents the right to disregard the state’s universal mask mandate. The other plaintiffs include the school boards of Alexandria City, Arlington County, City of Richmond, Falls Church City, … Continued
Statewide conflict brews over masks
When students go back to class this week, some parents will be telling their kids to disregard Fairfax County Public Schools’ requirement that masks be worn indoors. Parents opposed to masks feel empowered by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Jan. 15 executive order giving parents the authority to defy the statewide school mask mandate. A group of … Continued
FCPS defies Youngkin’s mask policy
Fairfax County Public Schools is continuing to require students and staff to wear masks in school in defiance of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order ending universal mask mandates. Executive Order 2, issued by Youngkin Jan. 15, states “The parents of any child enrolled in an elementary or secondary school or a school-based early childcare and … Continued
Covid testing site opens in Fairfax
The Virginia Department of Health is opening a community Covid testing center at the Fairfax County Government Center on Saturday, Jan. 15. The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are free and are available by appointment only. The testing center will be in a large tent in parking lot B at the southwest corner of the … Continued
Fairfax County awards $16 million to 1,000+ businesses
Fairfax County has awarded more than $16 million to 1,016 businesses adversely affected by the Covid pandemic. The Pivot program, administered by the Department of Economic Initiatives, targets businesses in the most hard-hit sectors of the county’s economy, including hotels, food service, retail, personal services, and arts and cultural institutions. The grants are aimed at … Continued
Covid tests available at library
A limited supply of free Covid-19 rapid antigen test kits will be available Wednesday, Jan. 12, at four Fairfax County libraries, including George Mason Regional Library in Annandale. The library opens at 8 a.m. Only 300 tests will be available at each branch. The last time the libraries offered Covid test kits, they were snapped … Continued
New quarantine guidance for students
Fairfax County Public Schools has issued new Covid guidance on quarantine and isolation. The new rules take effect Monday, Jan. 10. FCPS has adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that reduces isolation and quarantine to five days. FCPS also adopted the CDC’s recommendation for a five-day period of isolation for staff. FCPS … Continued
Covid cases rising again in Fairfax County
A temporary vaccine clinic at a school. [WJLA] The omicron variant hasn’t been officially reported in Fairfax County, but it’s likely here and spreading. The Fairfax Health District is currently experiencing a 5.4 percent COVID-19 positivity rate. That is expected to increase as people spend more time indoors and as the more-transmissible omicron variant takes … Continued
Free Covid test kits will be available at libraries
Fairfax County public libraries will distribute free Covid-19 rapid antigen at-home test kits beginning Friday, Dec. 3. BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Card test kits will be available at 21 libraries, including George Mason Regional Library in Annandale and Thomas Jefferson Library in Falls Church.
School news roundup: escape room, vaccine clinics, and more
Students solve a problem in Jackson Middle School’s Escape Room. [FCPS] The following news items about schools in the Annandale/Mason District area are from Fairfax County Public Schools and individual schools. COVID vaccine clinics – Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Fairfax Health District and Fairfax County Public Schools will offer the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children … Continued
FCPS launches Covid vaccine program for kids at the first school to pioneer the polio vaccine
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and First Lady Jill Biden visit the Fairfax County school where the first kids got the polio vaccine in 1954. [Donnie Biggs/FCPS] Fairfax County Public Schools kicked off the national rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 Nov. 8, when First Lady Jill Biden visited the school … Continued