Our steps forward will be measured and guided by expert recommendations and local health data," said Scott S. Brabrand, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools. FAIRFAX, Va. Fairfax County Public Schools will make mask-wearing optional on school property starting Tuesday. These changes are evidence that we are entering a new phase of the pandemic, Brabrand wrote. Your news.Sign up for the Capitol Breach email newsletter, delivering the latest breaking news and a roundup of the investigation into the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021. Students Download a freeAdobe Readerplug-in to view the policies, regulations, and notices. As we work through this change, we will honor our value of a caring culture.. News4s Justin Finch reports. "Universal masking is a critical factor in ensuring all students can return to our buildings, especially when social distancing is not possible and not all our students are eligible yet for vaccinations.". On Thursday, the 12-member school board voted to authorize the countys legal counsel to file an amicus brief in the pending federal case challenging Executive Order No. The guidance is reflective of current public health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and Fairfax County Health Department. The Fairfax County Health Department is responsible for contact tracing. Getting children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting really sick if they do get COVID-19, and keeps them in school and activities. Reverts to original layout including graphics and images. We think this will likely put a burden on the system because more educators will be forced to apply for ADA accommodations, take leave, or depart the field of education entirely. Moderate transmission constitutes 10 to 50 cases per 100,000 people. People who are fully vaccinated can choose to go maskless indoors when no students are present, or when they are in FCPS offices that are not inside schools. Maintaining the layered prevention strategies is our only way out of this pandemic that has now taken more than 1,400 lives just in Fairfax County.. If the House passes the bill, Gov. Glenn Youngkin to stop his executive order making masks in schools optional, questioning the orders constitutionality. Web accessibility ensures access to the web for everyone, regardless of disability. Chevy Chase, MD 20815. The Health Department continues to work closely with our partners in the schools to prevent the spread of the illness and disinformation about COVID-19. FAIRFAX, Va. Fairfax County Public Schools will make mask-wearing optional on school property starting Tuesday. Her 5-year-old son is entering kindergarten with a compromised immune system. This page explains how FCPS gathers information on our web site and with whom and under what conditions we share this information. MPD: 26-year-old man arrested for engaging in unwanted sexual contact with a woman in NW DC, Man under arrest for engaging in unwanted sexual contact with a woman in Northwest DC, police say, 7 injured on flight to Germany that had emergency landing at Dulles, Snowy and cold or dry and warm? Download the WUSA9 app to get breaking news, weather and important stories at your fingertips. Another school district in the Washington, D.C., area will require face masks in schools this fall. Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here. WTOP.com | Alexa | Google Home | WTOP App | 103.5 FM, In a message to the school community last Friday, Sign up for WTOPs coronavirus email newsletter, Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Latest COVID-19 vaccination numbers in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Mother of unarmed man shot, killed by police near Tysons mall demands video, records, 1 killed in Fairfax Co. crash, police say. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. In the event of a regional surge, FCPS says it may need to adjust its layered prevention strategies to safely provide in-person instruction. Schools follow established guidelines to offer books in their libraries that meet the needs of students and reflect a global society. January 28, 2022 3:26 PM. Gorgeous 5 bedroom/3.5 bath home located on a cul-de-sac. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Starting March 14, a test-to-stay program will also be available at every county school in the case of an outbreak. Policies under review by the School Board are listed inBoardDocs under the library tab. Masks will be worn at all times by both staff and students indoors and on school buses, but are not required when eating or when outside during recess, PE, or other activities, FCPS said to families. FCPS says student screening testing will be available during moderate, substantial and high community transmission to the greatest extent possible, in alignment with CDC guidance. Fairfax County Public Schools announced its plans to safely scale back layered prevention measures, Thursday, as Virginias House of Delegates readies to Cases continue to be identified in our schools and we expect contact tracing to be done in all sites. WTOP.com | Alexa | Google Home | WTOP App | 103.5 FM. Because our plan is based on scientific data, we believe this plan gives us a roadmap to move forward safely. the school system said. FCPS said if theres an outbreak, some students and staff may be asked to wear masks during mask-optional community transmission levels to protect the public health.. The school district is urging parents to have a talk with their child about their family's preference on mask-wearing on school property ahead of Tuesday. Fairfax County Public Schools is one of several school districts including Loudoun and Arlington Counties to maintain the mask mandate after the governor signed his order. We all seek a moment when we can go to creating mask-optional conditions. The superintendent of Virginias largest school system said in a message to families Friday that parents and guardians can choose for their children to go maskless in schools and on buses beginning March 1. All adults, including staff and visitors, are still required to wear masks, Brabrand said. The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers said the guidance is clear that masking should remain in place. WTOP.com | Alexa | Google Home | WTOP App | 103.5 FM, plans to comply with a recently passed state law enabling parents to decide if their kids wear masks, previously announced plans to make masks optional once, county was listed as experiencing substantial community transmission, seven Virginia school systems that sued Gov. To read the full statement from Fairfax Schools. D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Gov. Clinic services are not offered at this location. Masks will also be enforced on school buses in accordance with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public transportation federal COVID-19 guidance. Glenn Youngkin. The comments were made Thursday by Fairfax County board member Abrar Omeish, 28, in reference to the Day of Remembrance for the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. Brabrands announcement makes the school system the latest to announce plans to comply with a recently passed state law enabling parents to decide if their kids wear masks to school. Fairfax County Public Schools will require masks for everyone inside schools whenever students are present, regardless of vaccination status, information posted on the school districts website said Wednesday. If you test positive for COVID-19, isolate and inform your contacts to stop the spread. COVID-19 call center hours are MondayFriday, 9am5pm. The Fairfax County Web site is being translated through "machine translation" powered by Google Translate. Scott Gelman | sgelman@wtop.com. FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. Fairfax County Public Schools will require masks to be worn at all times by students and staff indoors and on school buses to The school district will regularly review their requirements, they said. We believe strongly in a caring culture, respecting and understanding each other and how we can grow and thrive together in our school community, Brabrand said. In a letter, the group encouraged people to send letters to principals stating, forced masking is wrong. They asked people to be courteous and respectful to school staff. He's the author of "A Walking Tour of the Georgetown Set" and "I Got a Song: A History of the Newport Folk Festival.". We anticipate that the CDC may update public health guidance early next week. Glenn Youngkins The school system said community transmission levels dropped into the substantial category and they hope it could reach moderate community transmission as early as next week. Please wear a mask. The following public health prevention measurescan helplimit the spread of the virus in our community. @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/2BjSPYbs4g. RELATED: Virginia Senate passes bill to make masks optional in schools. Learn more about the process for obtaining information under the VFOIA. If we want to ensure in-person education continues uninterrupted and that we keep everyone safe, current mitigation strategies are the best hope of maintaining these goals.. Fairfax will begin its roll back strategy after the surrounding community reaches moderate transmission for seven consecutive days, according to FCPAs Chevy Chase, MD 20815. According to the school system, FCPS will implement our roll back strategy when the Fairfax Community reaches moderate transmission and remains there for seven consecutive days,. Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story. VisitRecent Changesfor policies that have been updated in the last 45 days. January 26, 2022. The news comes as the CDC reversed course on mask wearing, now recommending that people in certain areas should wear masks indoors even if they have been vaccinated against the virus. Spotsylvania County: The school board voted 6-1 on Monday night to strongly urge students in all grades to wear masks this fall. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Masks are still required for adults on school property, including staff and teachers, Brabrand said. See this Health Department guidance on isolation and how to identify and inform your close contacts. Click below: On March 1, state legislation goes into effect that allows parents/guardians to elect for their children to not wear a mask in schools. We will share updates as we receive them, Brabrand said. 703-267-3511 TTY 711 health@fairfaxcounty.gov 10777 Main Street Fairfax, VA 22030 Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you. 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