For Immediate Release: June 7, 2020
The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) remind everyone that you are safest at home except for essential trips such as food purchases and medical care. If you must leave your home, wear a cloth face covering around others and keep at least 6 feet apart from others whenever possible. Your neighbors and loved ones are counting on you to stop the spread of COVID-19.
AHD’s pandemic response has continuously evolved as public health learns more about COVID-19. To build an Alexandria-specific approach, AHD has developed Public Health Justice Principles that, when combined with local data analysis, will inform a series of Strategic Action Frameworks. The Public Health Justice Principles prioritize science-based recommendations; focus resources on saving lives; and engage and empower Alexandrians most in need.
The first framework in the series is an analysis of the two community testing events on May 25 and next steps to continue and to increase the availability and accessibility of COVID-19 care and tests, particularly for the most vulnerable Alexandrians. Of the 2,953 attendees at both testing events, 236 (8%) tested positive for COVID-19. Only 69 positive cases (2% of all testing participants and 29% of those testing positive) were residents of Alexandria. The low percentage of Alexandrians testing positive indicates that residents who have symptoms and desire testing are successfully obtaining it through the many ongoing testing sites in Alexandria, including medical practices, urgent care centers, Inova Alexandria Hospital and Neighborhood Health.
Given the current availability of testing in Alexandria and the significant resource demands of large-scale community testing, AHD will focus resources on Alexandria's most vulnerable residents in long-term care facilities, congregate living, and crowded or low-income housing situations.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Alexandria is now 2,095, including 45 fatalities. Detailed data is available through the links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus. Now that Northern Virginia is in Phase One of the Forward Virginia blueprint, it is important to note that there is still community transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 and everyone is safest at home. This is especially true for persons at higher risk for severe illness, including those over the age of 65 and those with underlying medical conditions. Those who do go out are reminded to remain 6 feet apart from others; wear a cloth face covering when physical distancing cannot be maintained outdoors and at all times in indoor public spaces; and wash hands frequently.
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