Fairfax County Declares State Of Local Emergency Over Coronavirus

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted on a declaration of a local state of emergency at its Tuesday meeting in response to the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. County Executive Bryan Hill signed the declaration and the Board voted to approve it.

"This declaration streamlines and expedites Fairfax County Government’s access to emergency disaster funding and it allows the county to use its authority to procure goods to address the emergency," Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay, said in a release.

Here is the full text of the resolution:

Whereas as the result of the potential spread of COVID-19, a communicable disease of public health threat, the Governor of Virginia declared a state of emergency on March 12, 2020, and directed local governments to render appropriate assistance to prepare for this event, to alleviate any conditions resulting from this situation, and to implement recovery and mitigation operations and activities so as to return impacted areas to pre-event conditions as much as possible; and whereas on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared a national emergency beginning March 1, 2020, due to the outbreak of COVID-19; and whereas cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Fairfax Health District and the potential impact of the spread of COVID-19 is of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant coordinated local government action to prevent or alleviate the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused by the existence of this communicable disease of public health threat; and whereas due to the potential spread of COVID-19, the potential for substantial injury or harm to the population necessitates the proclamation of the existence of a local emergency; and whereas the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Services and Disaster Law of 2000, as amended and set forth in Chapter 3.2 of Title 44 of the Code of Virginia, authorizes the director of Emergency Management to declare the existence of a local emergency with the consent of the governing body, now therefore be it resolved that the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County consents to the declaration of local emergency by the director Emergency Management effective March 17, 2020.

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