For Immediate Release: October 27, 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. To stop the spread of COVID-19, everyone ages 10 and older must wear a mask over their nose and mouth in indoor public places and when at least 6 feet of physical distance cannot be maintained between those of different households in outdoor public places. Learn more about the state order and City ordinance requiring masks, including exceptions. 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 and AHD are seeking community partners to participate in a new hand hygiene and COVID-19 infection prevention initiative. Community partners can host or adopt City-owned hand sanitizer stations in Alexandria for public use. Hosts can place a hand sanitizer station at their business, organization, or facility site. Adopters oversee a hand sanitizing station located on nearby public property (e.g. park, street corner, transit facility). Hosts and adopters are both responsible for funding refills, replacing hand sanitizer fluid as needed, and periodically inspecting the condition of the station. In return, hand sanitizer stations will display the logo of the hosting or adopting organization to show their commitment to helping Alexandria remain healthy and open for business. This program will replace the existing community hand sanitizer stations piloted by the City as part of the initial pandemic response. To participate, interested businesses and organizations should complete an interest form.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued strong recommendations for the use of masks for all passengers and employees of public transportation. Due to the nature of public transportation, it is often not possible to maintain 6 feet of physical distance. Passengers on public transportation are generally considered to be in close contact with each other for the purpose of identifying risk for exposure to COVID-19. Therefore, covering the nose and mouth with a mask is critical to helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. Masks should be worn for all domestic and international travel at all times at stations, airports and seaports and inside aircraft, trains, buses, boats and hired cars. Transportation operators are advised to require passengers to wear masks other than in limited circumstances. Travelers are reminded to maintain physical distance whenever possible; wash hands frequently; avoid touching or disinfecting high-touch surfaces when possible; and carry supplies such as extra masks and hand sanitizer containing more than 60% ethyl alcohol.
Studies are showing that once local governments adopt mandates to enforce wearing face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the number of positive cases in their communities decreases. This is especially true in jurisdictions where a scientific foundation, fair enforcement, and free or affordable masks were part of the mask initiative. Masks reduce transmission of COVID-19 from the wearer and may further protect the wearer from severity of the illness. The 15 states where mask mandates were enacted between April 8 and May 15 experienced slower growth of positive case rates than states without mask mandates. It is estimated that by May 22, between 240,000 and 450,000 cases were avoided in those states. Even in states that saw increases in cases after relaxing other mitigation measures, significant reductions in case rates followed new mask mandates.
Studies around the world have also shown an association between mask mandates and better outcomes from illness, with a reduction in fatalities. In countries where wearing masks is a cultural norm, and where mandates were recommended by the national government within 30 days of the first case in that country, there were significantly fewer fatalities.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Alexandria is now 4,248, including 74 fatalities. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, is available through links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus.
AHD estimates that approximately 1 in 13 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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