Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Fairfax County’s mass Covid testing site closes, as state pivots to mobile van

Published February 10, 2022 at 3:30PM

The COVID-19 testing site at the Fairfax County Government Center has closed less than a month after its launch.

The Virginia Department of Health shut down the Community Testing Center yesterday (Wednesday) as part of a statewide shift away from mass test sites in favor of a mobile “CTC+” initiative focused on communities with accessibility barriers.

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FCPS maintains support for mask mandate as tide turns in Virginia Senate

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 9, 2022 at 2:00PM | Updated February 25, 2022 at 11:45AM

A sign indicating that a face mask should be worn (via Waldemar Brandt/Unsplash)

Updated at 2:20 p.m. — Senate Bill 739 passed 21-17, with Fairfax County Sens. Janet Howell, Dick Saslaw, and Scott Surovell joining the opponents after supporting the amendment to allow parents to opt out of school mask requirements yesterday.

Earlier: Fairfax County Public Schools’ universal masking policy has encountered pushback from an unexpected source: its own state legislators.

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Fairfax County School Board moves to expand ban on firearms, citing rise in threats of violence

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 9, 2022 at 9:30AM

Sign for Fairfax County Public Schools outside the Gatehouse Administration Center (file photo)

Fairfax County Public Schools intends to prohibit guns from all properties that it owns or leases amid heightened concerns about the safety of students, staff, and elected officials.

The Fairfax County School Board agreed unanimously at a work session yesterday (Tuesday) to direct Superintendent Scott Brabrand and his staff to develop a draft policy for its governance committee to consider at its March 1 meeting.

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Family files lawsuit challenging FCPS Covid quarantine requirements

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 8, 2022 at 2:00PM | Updated February 25, 2022 at 11:45AM

Kids looking outside while in COVID-19 quarantine (via Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash)

While the fight over masks has dominated headlines, Fairfax County Public Schools faces another potential courtroom battle over its quarantine policy for students exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

The parents of two Sunrise Valley Elementary School students have filed a lawsuit against FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand, School Board chair Stella Pekarsky, and Fairfax County Health Department Director Gloria Addo-Ayensu, calling the 10-day quarantine requirement unconstitutional.

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Fairfax County sees COVID-19 cases drop to pre-Christmas levels

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 7, 2022 at 3:30PM

The Tysons Community Vaccination Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County has now seen close to a month of plummeting COVID-19 case rates.

With 267 new cases reported today (Monday), the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, is averaging 448 cases per day for the past week, a steep decline from the seven-day average of 2,590 cases recorded when the omicron variant-fueled surge peaked on Jan. 13.

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FCPS can keep mask requirement for now, judge in lawsuit rules

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 4, 2022 at 5:30PM | Updated February 4, 2022 at 6:47PM

FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand wears a face mask (via FCPS)

Fairfax County Public Schools will continue requiring face masks after notching a victory in its lawsuit against Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order prohibiting school mask mandates.

Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo granted a temporary injunction today (Friday) to Fairfax County and the six other school boards suing Youngkin, allowing them to enforce their mask requirements until a permanent ruling is made.

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JUST IN: Flood Warning in effect for Fairfax County into Friday evening

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 4, 2022 at 3:20PM

Raindrops in puddles (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The steady rain that has fallen over Fairfax County throughout the past two days could result in flooding, forecasts indicate.

Citing “excessive rain,” the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the county that’s expected to remain in place until 6:45 p.m. today (Friday).

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JUST IN: Fairfax County will no longer investigate all COVID-19 cases

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 2, 2022 at 6:15PM

A worker conducts a COVID-19 test for sick visitor at Fairfax County Government Center site (courtesy Fairfax County Health Department)

The Fairfax County Health Department will stop investigating every COVID-19 case to identify close contacts who may have been exposed to the disease.

County staff will instead focus their contact-tracing efforts on outbreaks and cases in high-risk settings, such as long-term care and healthcare facilities, the department announced today (Wednesday).

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Political tensions add complication to FCPS superintendent search

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 1, 2022 at 2:00PM | Updated September 19, 2024 at 11:21AM

Fairfax County Public Schools

Wanted: a superintendent for the 10th largest school division in the U.S.

Desired traits include, but are not limited to, effective communication skills, experience interacting with diverse communities, a willingness to listen without being swayed by the loudest critics, and the ability to find creative solutions to existing problems while also planning for the future of education — one that is, hopefully, post-pandemic.

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Covid cases continue fall in Fairfax County, but more deaths reported

By Angela Woolsey

Published January 31, 2022 at 2:00PM

Virginia's COVID-19 Community Testing Site at the Fairfax County Government Center (courtesy Fairfax County Health Department)

The omicron wave continues to subside in Fairfax County, which is now seeing only a third as many COVID-19 cases as it was half a month ago.

The county is averaging 753 new cases a day for the past week, compared to 2,520 cases at the current surge’s height on Jan. 13. The caseload is still above last winter’s peak of 697 cases on Jan. 17, 2021, but at this rate, it could drop below that level within a week.