Falls Church Coronavirus: City Hall Closing To Public

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Falls Church City Hall will close to the public on Thursday, April 2 and Falls Church City Public Schools will have an earlier last day in response to the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. City government will continue to operate, with most services accessible online and individual appointments available. The Fairfax County Health Department, which covers the city, reported 288 COVID-19 cases and five deaths as of Wednesday, April 1.

The health district's number covers Fairfax County, Falls Church City and Fairfax City. The health department is no longer reporting which cases happened in the City of Falls Church. The city will release information when the health department identifies a concern about public exposure.

The health district's reported COVID-19 cases equate to 24.4 cases per 100,000 people. Here's the breakdown of cases by age in the health district:

• Ages 0-17: 5 cases, or 1.8 per 100,000
• Ages 18-49: 144 cases, or 27.9 per 100,000
• Ages: 50-64: 79 cases, or 33.5 per 100,000
• Ages 65 and over: 60 cases, or 40.2 per 100,000

Falls Church Mayor David Tarter and 20 other regional officials released a joint statement urging residents to stay home except for essential tasks. Gov. Ralph Northam ordered residents to stay at home except for essential tasks. Exceptions to the order include obtaining food and other essential services, obtaining medical care, traveling to and from work, taking care of other individuals or animals, visiting a relative, traveling to and from an educational institution, volunteering with a group providing charitable or social services, and exercising outdoors with social distancing. The "stay at home" order is effective until June 10, unless rescinded or changed by another order.

K-12 schools are closed through the remainder of the academic year under Northam's March 23 order. On Tuesday, the Falls Church School Board changed the last day of school to June 4 for students and June 5 for teachers and staff. Updates on Falls Church City Public Schools' distance learning are provided on the school district's website.

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Restaurants, breweries, distilleries, wineries and farmers markets are allowed to remain open with only takeout and delivery under the March 23 order from Northam. The Falls Church Farmers Market is operating on Saturdays through pre-orders. Essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and banks are allowed to operate normally. The city has an updated list of restaurant and grocery store hours as well as farmers market pre-order options.

Older adults and individuals with chronic health conditions can find help with grocery shopping and other tasks through the Falls Church Area COVID-19 Aid and Falls Church Community help during covid-19 Facebook groups.

In addition to the planned closing of City Hall to the public on April 2, the City of Falls Church reported other closures and cancellations. The Falls Church Community Center and Mary Riley Styles Public Library are closed. City trash and recycling customers can continue setting out trash, recycling, and compost for Wednesday collections, but curbside bulk item pickup is suspended.

The city's 14 parks are open, except for the Larry Graves Park shared with Fairfax County. Playgrounds are closed, while city fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and the skate park are closed to groups of 10 or more people. The W&OD Trail is open, but visitors should check for updates from Nova Parks. Park visitors are asked to maintain six feet from others.

The governor's "stay at home" order means special events will be canceled at least until June 10, including the Memorial Day Parade and Festival. City staff are working on possible virtual events.

Residents can find information on City of Falls Church operations here. Public health information is available from the Fairfax County Health Department.

SEE ALSO:

• Fairfax Health District Reports 3 More Coronavirus Deaths
• Virginia 'Stay-At-Home' Order Issued, Coronavirus Cases Top 1K