For Immediate Release: September 8, 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 over both their nose and mouth at all times in most indoor public settings. Use the Virginia Department of Health’s COVIDWISE app to be quickly and anonymously notified of likely exposure to the virus. Your neighbors and loved ones are counting on you.
The City’s COVID-19 Emergency Rent Relief Program, which launched in May, provides assistance to Alexandria renters experiencing housing insecurity due to income loss related to COVID-19. The program was designed to reduce the amount of rent households owe while the economy is in recovery. A dashboard tracking the program’s progress is now available to provide transparency to Alexandria residents regarding the use of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds.
The City has compiled resources to help Alexandrians cope with the fatigue and anxiety they are experiencing due to COVID-19, which can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Since it is helpful to try to keep children’s daily routines as stable as possible, the start of the new school year may add to feelings of stress and anxiety. Taking care of yourself, your friends and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can make the entire community stronger. A video offers guidance for how to cope; flyers for coping with fear and anxiety and coping resources for parents are all available in English, Amharic, Arabic and Spanish, and can be downloaded for reuse from the COVID-19 Catalog of Resources.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Alexandria is now 3,527, including 62 fatalities. COVID-19 is spread by people whether or not they have symptoms, and AHD estimates that nearly 9% 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 over both the nose and mouth, 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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