October 5th — Weekly COVID-19 Update

“Keep fighting, it will be worth it.” -unknown

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:

Governor Northam announced that the Virginia Open Data Portal now includes more than a dozen new COVID-19 datasets from the Virginia Department of Health to allow Virginians greater interaction with state agency data.

Health

• Currently, 152,557 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.
• The Virginia Department of Health reminds us to enjoy Halloween safely. You can protect yourself and family from COVID-19 by avoiding people who live outside of your household, wearing a cloth face covering in public settings, practicing frequent hand washing, and staying six feet apart from one another.

Housing Security

• Governor Northam announced that Smithfield Foods has donated $100,000 to the Commonwealth of Virginia to support programs for homeless veterans and their families.
• The Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP), will provide $50 million in federal funding for households facing eviction or foreclosure due to COVID-19. RMRP will provide short-term financial assistance on behalf of households in the form of rent and mortgage payments. To identify the local RMRP administering organization for a household and to conduct a self-assessment for eligibility, 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

• FINIMPACT: https://www.finimpact.com/covid-19-coronavirus-smbs/.
• Annuity.org: https://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/covid-19-financial-guide/

Medicaid

• 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 — 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.
• In response to financial challenges during the pandemic, the Board of County Supervisors deferred the first half of the 2020 Real Estate Tax bill in July. The last date to pay, without penalty, is October 13, 2020. The extension applies to commercial and residential real property. Please call Real Estate Assessments at 703–792–6780 or send an email if you have questions.

Prince William County — Health

• Currently, 12,783 cases have been reported in Prince William County.
• Prince William County Health Officials provide guidance to celebrate a safe Halloween.

Prince William County — Education

• It is the goal of the Division to transition to a 50 percent capacity In-Person and Distance Learning Model for the second quarter, with the option for students to remain virtual, while maintaining flexibility throughout to adapt to public health guidance as needed. Please click here to view sample schedules.
• 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 & the Economy

• Prince William County is excited to announce that we have received the prestigious 25th Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® Award (AEP) for 2020 from the National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI). The AEP award is earned by public and non-profit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence.
• To help those who have lost their jobs in the pandemic, Prince William County has partnered with Virginia Career Works to launch ELEVATE. ELEVATE provides no-cost employment assistance to members of the community, including training programs, job placement services, and more.

Prince William County — Election & the Census

• Today, October 5th, is the last day to complete your census. Please click here for more information.
• 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 — Events

• The Prince William County Police Department will observe National Night Out on Tuesday, October 6th, this year, to coincide with October’s Crime Prevention Month, although COVID-19 restrictions will be in place for the safety of the community and police officers. County residents are encouraged to lock their doors, turn on outdoor lights and spend the evening outside with their families and neighbors — using appropriate social distancing, of course — as a symbol that community and law enforcement are essential to neighborhood quality of life.

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.
• Tuesday, October 6, 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, October 6, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Cloverdale Park, 15150 Cloverdale Rd. Dale City, VA 22193
• [Please be in line by 3:30pm]
• Wednesday, October 7, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Dumfries-Triangle Rescue Squad Facility, 3800 Graham Park Rd. Triangle, VA 22172
• [Please be in line by 3:30pm]
• Wednesday, October 7, 2020 | Start Time 5:30 PM — Metz Middle School, 9950 Wellington Rd., Manassas, VA 20110
• [Please be in line by 6:45pm]
• Thursday, October 8, 2020 | Start Time 8:30 AM — Cloverdale Park, 15150 Cloverdale Rd. Dale City, VA 22193
• [Please be in line by 10:30 am]
• Thursday, October 8, 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, October 9, 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, October 9, 2020 | Start Time 5:30 PM — Woodbridge Senior Center, 13850 Church Hill Dr., Woodbridge, VA 22191
• [Please be in line by 6:45pm]
• Saturday, October 10, 2020 | Start Time 8:30 AM —Development Services Building, 5 County Complex Court, Woodbridge, VA 22192
• [Please be in line by 11:30am]

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