Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

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

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

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

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

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

Planning Commission endorses expanding substance abuse treatments at Seven Corners mental hospital

Dominion Hospital The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved a zoning special exception Oct. 27 to allow Dominion Hospital in Seven Corners to treat patients whose only medical condition is substance abuse.  Under current development conditions, the facility can only treat people for drug and alcohol dependency if they also have a psychiatric diagnosis.