For Immediate Release: September 24, 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 Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) established regulations that require all businesses to report an employee that tests positive for COVD-19 to their health department within 24 hours of receiving notification. This emergency temporary standard is intended to establish requirements for employers to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and supplements any existing DOLI laws or standards. AHD created a secure and confidential online portal to help simplify the reporting process for local businesses. Once the report is submitted, the business may be contacted by a member of the AHD contact tracing team. Learn more about the contact tracing process (Spanish, Amharic, Arabic).
The City reminds residents to avoid gatherings whenever possible, and that wearing face masks and maintaining 6 feet of physical distance can prevent the spread of COVID-19 when participating in events. An August wedding in Maine exceeded the legal limit for indoor gatherings and has been linked to more than 175 associated cases and at least seven deaths. None of the people who died attended the wedding. Six of the deaths were residents of a nearby long-term care facility, and the virus is believed to have been introduced by employees who attended the wedding or lived with an attendee. Associated cases have also been identified in multiple long-term care facilities and the county’s jail. The outbreak at the jail has been attributed to an employee who attended the wedding, resulting in at least 84 cases, including nearly half of the incarcerated population and employees, as well as 17 household contacts of employees. Until recently, Maine has had a relatively low number of positive cases of COVID-19 compared to other states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s video illustrates how quickly the virus can spread between attendees of gatherings.
Studies show that communities where English is not the first language have been significantly impacted by COVID-19. The City offers a catalog of multilingual resources, containing informational and educational signs, flyers and videos, that are available in Amharic, Arabic, Spanish and Farsi. This helps to ensure that all of Alexandria’s residents have access to information about how to stop the spread of COVID-19, what to do if they are sick, and the resources available when they need assistance. A “translate” button is also available at the top of the COVID-19 webpage, which can translate all the information provided into 11 languages. All multilingual signs and flyers are available for download and print, or reproduction can be requested.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Alexandria is now 3,761, including 69 fatalities. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, is available through links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus.
AHD estimates that approximately 1 in 12 infected Alexandrians have required hospitalization. An estimated 66% of Virginia adults who become infected never have symptoms, so everyone must 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. Be prepared to help your family and neighbors by answering a call from AHD if you are identified as a close contact of someone who tests positive for COVID-19.
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