Dear Smiles 4 Fairfax Patients,
As of March 25th, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam and Dr. Norm Oliver, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Health, issued an Order of Public Health Emergency No. 2. The following details were provided by the Virginia Dental Association:
“The order prohibits all inpatient and outpatient surgical hospitals, freestanding endoscopy centers, physician offices, dental offices, orthodontic offices and endodontic offices in the Commonwealth from providing procedures and surgeries that require PPE (personal protective equipment), which if delayed are not to be anticipated to cause harm to the patient or negatively affect the patient's health outcomes or leading to disability or death. The order is effective March 25th, 2020 and is in effect until April 24th, 2020. The order may be extended or renewed as the April 24th date approaches, depending on the COVID-19 status. Any patients you have elective procedures scheduled for during this time should be rescheduled. The recent recommendation by the VDA Board of Directors on practice closures due to COVID-19 was voluntary and did not carry the force of law. The order is mandatory. This order carries the effect of law. You must follow it.”
The health, well-being, and safety of our patients and staff is our top priority. We are committed to helping stop the spread of COVID-19. We have taken steps to continue providing only emergency service required to meet the needs of the community until April 24th, 2020. If you have a non-emergent dental appointment already scheduled during this time, our staff will be contacting you via phone and text message to help reschedule your appointment to a later date.
To protect everyone, we are closely following the guidance of local, national and global health authorities, including the CDC, in addressing current challenges. As circumstances continue to change, we will keep you informed via our website www.smiles4fairfax.com and Facebook page. Again, we appreciate your understanding during this difficult time as we all try to do our part to keep everyone safe. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to help you and your families with your dental care needs.
Sincerely,
Howard T Ngo, DDS, FAGD
Smiles 4 Fairfax Team
