For Immediate Release: June 16, 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.
As Northern Virginia’s first full week under Phase Two of the Forward Virginia reopening blueprint continues, the public is reminded to continue taking the Six Steps to Stop the Spread of COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers new guidance on how to resume daily activities as safely as possible. If you decide to engage in public activities or run errands, protect yourself by practicing everyday preventive actions. When going out, always carry a cloth face covering, tissues, and hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. For more information about the face covering requirement, read these frequently asked questions from the Virginia Department of Health.
As a reminder, if you have COVID-19, have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, it is important to stay home and away from other people. When you can leave home and be around others depends on different factors for different situations. AHD does not provide letters clearing people to return to work. Review “When You Can Be Around Others” (also in Spanish, Amharic and Arabic) for guidance.
If you have been in public settings and develop symptoms, particularly if you have been out in places where physical distance is difficult (such as crowded social gatherings or protests), call your primary care doctor and ask whether you should come for an exam or test. You can also call one of these healthcare facilities that provide COVID-19 screening and testing (Spanish | Amharic | Arabic ).
Members of the public wishing to report violations of Executive Order 63 (wearing face coverings inside public buildings) or Executive Order 65 (Phase Two easing of certain temporary restrictions) may use Virginia Department of Health’s new online reporting form. The agency, which has the authority to enforce violations, will review complaints and follow up as needed.
The City’s REVIVE! Opioid Overdose and Narcan Trainings are temporarily postponed due to physical distancing requirements, but the opioid overdose drug Narcan is still available, at no cost, at the Alexandria Health Department (4480 King St.). Persons wishing to obtain the drug must first call 703.746.4888 to make an appointment so staff can take appropriate safety precautions. If there is no answer, leave a message and you will receive a return call.
Some common reasons for having Narcan on hand include having a friend, family member, roommate, or other association who may be at risk of overdose; using substances that have the potential to result in overdose; or wanting to help a member of the public who is experiencing an overdose. During times of individual and collective stress, there is a potential for increased opioid use as a way to self-medicate. Opioids, used in tandem with alcohol or other “downers” (such as Valium, Xanax, Ativan, and sleep medications) are particularly dangerous, and Narcan can save lives while help is on the way. Visit the City’s Be Safe, Get Narcan page for more information.
David's Place, a day shelter connected to Carpenter's Shelter, reopened today, June 16. Due to CDC recommendations regarding social distancing, David’s Place rules and procedures have been modified. Staff will provide daily pick-ups at City Hall and the Braddock Road Metrorail Stations during two morning timeframes; for more information, visit the Homeless Services web page. Individuals seeking emergency shelter are encouraged to go to the Department of Community and Human Services (2525 Mount Vernon Ave.) to complete a screening on a walk-in basis. Phone screening appointments are also available as needed by contacting the call center at 703.746.5700. The temporary shelter at Charles Houston Recreation Center is now closed.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Alexandria is now 2,168, including 47 fatalities. Note that the Virginia Department of Health has reassigned one previously reported fatality to another jurisdiction. Detailed data is available through the links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus. Now that Northern Virginia is in Phase Two 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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