November 2nd — Weekly COVID-19 Update

“You’ve got to vote, vote, vote, vote. That’s it, that’s the way we move forward.” — Michelle Obama

This week, Governor Northam took several new steps to provide relief to Virginia communities, and I wanted to make sure you had the latest updates:

Tomorrow, November 3rd, is Election Day.

Governor Northam and the Virginia General Assembly have worked diligently to ensure public safety while protecting your right to vote. You may cast your vote on Tuesday, November 3rd until 7:00pm. Virginia law requires all voters to provide an acceptable form of identification at the polls. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 3rd, or may be returned to your polling place’s drop box by 7:00 pm.

The Virginia Voter Protection Hotline has been open since early voting began and will operate through Election Day. This hotline allows individuals to ask questions about voting and/or report any problems they experience personally or observe on Election Day that could affect voting negatively, including structural issues like electrical outages or possible voter harassment. To call, please dial 844–4VA-VOTE (844–482–8683).

Health

• Currently, 183,418 cases have been reported in Virginia.
• COVIDWISE is an exposure notification app that will alert users if they have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.
• Health officials are stressing the importance of community health as Virginians head into the flu season. The CDC warns that with more than 200,000 COVID-19 related deaths already in the United States, another respiratory illness could increase the chances of residents catching both diseases at once. Getting a flu shot will allow healthcare professionals to better manage the COVID-19 pandemic, save thousands of lives, and preserve health care resources.

Housing Security

• Virginia’s Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP) provides short-term financial assistance on behalf of households in the form of rent and mortgage payments. To conduct a self-assessment for eligibility, please visit dhcd.virginia.gov/eligibility or call 211 VIRGINIA by dialing 2–1–1 from your phone.
• http://StayHomeVirginia.com contains tools, information, and resources for renters, homeowners, landlords, and people experiencing homelessness.

Employment & the Economy

• The Rebuild VA Grant Program received an additional 30 million dollars, recently expanded its eligibility criteria, and increased the amount of grant money businesses receive. Businesses with less than $10 million in gross revenue or fewer than 250 employees will be eligible under the new criteria, and the maximum grant award will increase from $10,000 to $100,000.
• Governor Northam announced that Virginia is allocating $30 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars to help Virginians whose employment has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis pursue workforce training in a high-demand field.
• The new Re-Employing Virginians (REV) initiative will provide scholarships to eligible individuals to enroll in a workforce or community college program in five essential industries, including health care, information technology, skilled trades, public safety, and early childhood education.
• The Small Business Majority and the Virginia Interfaith Center invite small business owners to join a free webinar on Thursday, November 5th at 3:00pm to learn more about paid sick days in Virginia. To register, please click here.
• FINIMPACT: https://www.finimpact.com/covid-19-coronavirus-smbs/.
• Annuity.org: https://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/covid-19-financial-guide/

Public Assistance Programs

• Today, Governor Northam announced that the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has been awarded more than $3.5 million in competitive federal funding to help vulnerable youth in Virginia.
• The STOP School Violence grant will fund a 36-month Virginia C.A.R.E.S. project to build Caring, Awareness, Recognition, Engagement, and Support in schools. The initiative works to increase mental health awareness and enhance the safety and well-being of educational settings by helping to create positive school climates, awareness of resources, recognition of at-risk behaviors, and engagement with the community.

Prince William County — General Updates

• The Office of Housing & Community Development has implemented the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) to provide emergency housing assistance payments for eligible households who have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19. To qualify, applicants must be able to support documentable income reduction, through reduced hours, job loss, sickness or being the sole provider for another household member, which was directly related to “loss of income” for the household due to COVID-19, on or after March 1, 2020.

Prince William County — Health

• Currently, 14,660 cases have been reported in Prince William County.
• The Legal Services of Northern Virginia received a grant through the Potomac Health Foundation to help individuals in Prince William County (PWC) with issues surrounding Medicaid and the Marketplace, including help with application assistance, analyzing eligibility, or representing individuals in Medicaid appeals. Please contact Susan Nolan at 703–647–4748 or susan@enroll-virginia.com.

Prince William County — The General Election

• PWC has four sample ballots, and the one you will be given depends on where you reside. Three are based on your Congressional District for the House of Representatives. The fourth is specific to the Town of Dumfries.

Prince William County — Education

• Pre-K through third-grade students who indicated an in-person preference (or did not select a preference) will be phased in under the 50/50 model as follows.
• Pre-K and kindergarten students return beginning November 10th
• First-grade students return beginning December 1st
• Second- and third-grade students return beginning January 12th
• Students will attend two alternating days per week based on their assigned house (T/Th or W/F). Mondays will remain virtual days for all students. Students who are attending in-person four days a week in the first quarter will continue to do so in the second quarter.
• Prince William County will continue to provide to-go meals throughout the first quarter at 56 feeding sites. These meals are free to all children 18 years old and under. Meals may be picked up by walking up to the sites, or by driving up, which is preferred. You can check for service sites here.

Prince William County — Employment

• To help those who have lost their jobs in the pandemic, Prince William County has partnered with Virginia Career Works to launch ELEVATE. This program provides no-cost employment assistance to members of the community, including training programs, job placement services, and more.

Prince William County — COVID-19 Testing

• Free COVID-19 Testing available for residents who live and work in Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park. Participants must provide their full name, telephone number, and a home or work address in Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park to obtain COVID testing and receive the results. To ensure you receive a test please arrive at the site as close as possible to the start time and ensure you are in line by the time posted below.
• Monday, November 2, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Metz Middle School, 9950 Wellington Rd., Manassas, VA 20110
• [Please be in line by 3:30 pm]
• Monday, November 2, 2020 | Start Time 5:30 PM — Splashdown Water Park, 7500 Ben Lomond Park Rd., Manassas, VA 20109
• [Please be in line by 7:00 pm]
• Tuesday, November 3, 2020 | Start Time 8:30 AM — James S. Long Regional Park, 4603 James Madison Hwy., Haymarket, VA 20169
• [Please be in line by 10:30 am]
• Tuesday, November 3, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Cloverdale Park, 15150 Cloverdale Rd. Dale City, VA 22193
• [Please be in line by 3:30 pm]
• Wednesday, November 4, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Dumfries-Triangle Rescue Squad Facility, 3800 Graham Park Rd. Triangle, VA 22172
• [Please be in line by 3:30 pm]
• Wednesday, November 4, 2020 | Start Time 5:30 PM — Metz Middle School, 9950 Wellington Rd., Manassas, VA 20110
• [Please be in line by 7:00 pm]
• Thursday, November 5, 2020 | Start Time 8:30 AM — Cloverdale Park, 15150 Cloverdale Rd. Dale City, VA 22193
• [Please be in line by 10:30 am]
• Thursday, November 5, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Woodbridge Senior Center, 13850 Church Hill Dr., Woodbridge, VA 22191
• [Please be in line by 3:30 pm]
• Friday, November 6, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Splashdown Water Park, 7500 Ben Lomond Park Rd., Manassas, VA 20109
• [Please be in line by 3:30 pm]
• Friday, November 6, 2020 | Start Time 5:30 PM — Woodbridge Senior Center, 13850 Church Hill Dr., Woodbridge, VA 22191
• [Please be in line by 7:00 pm]
• Saturday, November 7, 2020 | Start Time 8:30 AM — St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 18825 Fuller Heights Road, Triangle, VA 22172
• [Please be in line by 11:30 am]

COVID-19 Resources:

• Virginia Department of Health website
• Virginia Department of Social Services website
• “Forward Virginia” Guidelines page
• Prince William County COVID-19 page
• Stafford County COVID-19 page

If you need constituent services, please contact our office at DelJCarrollFoy@house.virginia.gov.

Please stay safe and healthy.

Thank you,

Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy