For Immediate Release: August 21, 2020
The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) remind everyone that you are safest at home. Older adults and persons with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk for severe disease and are advised to minimize potential exposures as much as possible. Please keep at least 6 feet of distance from others. Everyone is required to wear a mask in most indoor public settings. Download Virginia Department of Health's COVIDWISE app, which uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology to quickly and anonymously notify users who have likely been exposed, enabling you to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Your neighbors and loved ones are counting on you.
AHD and Neighborhood Health recently conducted a targeted COVID-19 testing event in partnership with the Alexandria Library, with support from the City. Neighborhood Health, Alexandria's federally qualified health center, tested more than 100 residents with assistance from AHD's Medical Reserve Corps volunteers at Burke Library. In addition to testing, each participant received two cloth face covers, hand sanitizer, and a packet of health and support service information. AHD will continue to identify future sites and coordinate targeted testing events. Neighborhood Health is a provider of primary care and COVID-19 testing for residents with or without insurance. Make an appointment online or call 703.535.5568.
Updates are now available for the Long-Term Care Facilities and Congregate Living Facilities Strategic Action Frameworks. AHD developed a series of Strategic Action Frameworks to address and record the City’s response to COVID-19. These living documents are adapted and modified based on the evolving understanding of COVID-19 and shifting resources. Updates to the Strategic Action Frameworks reflect when tactics have yielded results, tasks have been completed, new information has been introduced which informs future action, and there have been changes to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health.
Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), employees who work for private American companies with fewer than 500 employees have the right to paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. FFCRA generally requires employers covered under the Act to provide sick leave if an employee is required to self-quarantine or has symptoms of COVID-19; is caring for an individual in quarantine or a child whose school or daycare is closed; or is experiencing a similar situation due to COVID-19. For more information, see the FFCRA poster and list of FFCRA frequently asked questions from the U.S. Department of Labor. For FFCRA coverage concerns, call 866.487.9243.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Alexandria is now 3,203, including 61 fatalities. COVID-19 is spread by people whether or not they have symptoms, and AHD estimates that nearly 10% of infected Alexandrians have required hospitalization. Everyone must do their part to stop the spread: maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others, wear a mask, and carry and use hand sanitizer with at least 60% ethyl alcohol. With a recent increase in cases, you are more likely to encounter someone who is infected. Be prepared to answer a call from the Alexandria Health Department in case you are identified as a close contact. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, is available through links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus.
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