September 21st — Weekly COVID-19 Update

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg

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:

Health

• Currently, 141,138 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.

Housing Security

• 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

• On September 21st, Governor Northam announced that Rebuild VA, the economic recovery fund launched in August, will ease its eligibility criteria, allowing more small businesses to apply. This money is designed to help businesses that were affected by COVID-19.
• The Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity will host several disparity study meetings to hear from business owners and interested parties. Your insights will help the Commonwealth improve its efforts to increase contracting for small businesses and minority- and women-owned business.
• September 28th, 2020 | 3:00 PM — 4:30 PM
• September 30th, 2020 | 5:30 PM — 7:00 PM
• 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 Virginia Department of Elections launched its “Free to Be Absentee” campaign, to educate voters about voting early and absentee to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
• Prince William County residents are encouraged to complete their 2020 census. Completing the Census ensures proper funding for state and local governments, and impacts the way the state makes decisions for residents. The Census can be completed online at my2020census.gov.
• 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 — Education

• School Food and Nutrition Services has been providing free breakfasts and lunches to students since schools closed on March 14th. A milestone one million meals served was reached recently, thanks to the dedication of our Food Services employees.
• 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

• 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.
• With support from the Small Business Project Management Program, the number of small businesses opening in Prince William County has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Prince William County — Events

• The Board of County Supervisors will meet tomorrow, September 22nd, at 2:00pm. The agenda may be found here.
• On Monday, September 28th at 7:00pm, Chair Anne Wheeler and Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin will provide the residents of Prince William County with a list of accomplishments since January 2020. To RSVP, please email WoodbridgeDistrict@pwcgov.org.

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, September 22, 2020 | Start Time 8:30 AM — James S. Long Regional Park, 4603 James Madison Highway, Haymarket, VA 20169
• [Please be in line by 10:30am]
• Tuesday, September 22, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Cloverdale Park, 15150 Cloverdale Road, Dale City, VA 22913
• [Please be in line by 3:30pm]
• Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM- Dumfries-Triangle Rescue Squad Facility 3800 Graham Park Road, Triangle, VA 22172
• [Please be in line by 3:30pm]
• Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | Start Time 5:30 PM — Metz Middle School, 9950 Wellington Road, Manassas, VA 20110
• [Please be in line by 7:00pm]
• Thursday, September 24, 2020 | Start Time 8:30 AM — Cloverdale Park, 15150 Cloverdale Road, Dale City, VA 22913
• [Please be in line by 10:30am]
• Thursday, September 24, 2020 | Start time 1:30 PM — Woodbridge Senior Center, 13850 Church Hill Dr., Woodbridge, VA 22191
• [Please be in line by 3:30pm]
• Friday, September 25, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Splashdown Waterpark, 7500 Ben Lomond Park Road, Manassas, VA 20109
• [Please be in line by 3:30pm]
• Friday, September 25, 2020 | Start Time 5:30 PM — Woodbridge Senior Center, 13850 Church Hill Road Woodbridge, VA 22191
• [Please be in line by 7:00pm]
• Saturday, September 26, 2020 | Start Time 8:30 AM — Todos Supermarket, 17987 Dumfries Shopping Plz., Dumfries, VA 22191
• [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