[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Congregate Living Strategic Action Framework

­­For Immediate Release: June 20, 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, you are required to wear a face covering when inside buildings. Please keep at least 6 feet of distance from others whenever possible. Your neighbors and loved ones are counting on you to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

AHD Publishes Congregate Living Strategic Action Framework

In the third of a series, AHD has published its Strategic Action Framework for Supporting Congregate Living Facilities. Congregate settings, such as detention centers and group homes, could spread illness quickly if left unchecked. This document is a summary of priority objectives and tactics to reduce cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Alexandria congregate facilities with vulnerable residents, including those with mental health needs and developmental disabilities. The Framework also highlights AHD's actions to date supporting these facilities, such as planning for point prevalence surveys, training on personal protective equipment usage, and conducting infection control assessments.

Priority tactics include:

1. Guidance and coaching on day-to-day infection prevention and control practices.

2. Resources and training to increase facilities’ self-efficacy in setting-specific infection prevention and response.

3. Case identification, contact tracing, and outbreak response.

4. Point prevalence surveys.

5. Phased-reopening guidance.

6. Communication with partners.

All of the AHD Strategic Action Frameworks are living documents that may change as public health learns more about COVID-19. They are primarily used as internal project management documents, but are being shared with the public to increase pandemic response transparency. Sensitive information about specific facilities has been redacted. 

19 New COVID-19 Cases and One New Fatality Added in Alexandria

The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Alexandria is now 2,217, including 49 fatalities. Detailed data is available through the links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus. 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. If you must go out, please remember to keep 6 feet of distance from others; wear a cloth face covering, especially when inside public spaces; wash hands frequently; and remember to always carry tissues and hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol with you.