For Immediate Release: November 13, 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. To stop the spread of COVID-19, the state order and City ordinance require everyone to wear a mask over their noses and mouths 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, with limited exceptions. Your neighbors and loved ones are counting on you.
Governor Ralph Northam has announced new statewide mitigation measures to slow the increase of positive COVID-19 cases in Virginia. Effective at midnight on Sunday night, November 15, the following limits will apply in accordance with amendments to Executive Orders Sixty-Three and Sixty-Seven:
All public and private in-person indoor and outdoor gatherings must be limited to 25, down from the current 250.
Everyone ages 5 and over will be required to wear masks in indoor public places, which is a decrease from the current age of 10.
All essential retail businesses, including grocery stores and pharmacies, must adhere to state guidelines for physical distancing, requiring face masks and enhanced sanitization. Violations will now be enforceable by the Virginia Department of Health as Class 1 misdemeanors. AHD and the City anticipate additional guidance in the coming days.
Onsite alcohol sales, consumption and possession after 10 p.m. in any restaurant, dining establishment, food court, brewery, microbrewery, distillery, winery, or tasting room will be prohibited, and all such establishments must close by midnight. Bar areas of restaurants remain closed.
A video explains the reasons for these changes. Any impacts to City programs or services will be announced separately. Alexandria residents are urged to continue to follow the Six Steps to Stop the Spread of COVID-19 and do their part to minimize the potential for spread of the virus.
The ALX Cares Grocery Gift Card program is available for individuals and families who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Alexandria residents may be eligible to receive grocery gift cards in amounts ranging from $100 to $400, through December or as long as funding lasts. A flyer to help promote the ALX Cares Grocery Gift Card program is now available in English, Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Farsi and Pashto. Priority will be given to residents who have not received federal assistance during the pandemic. Residents should apply online or call 703.746.FOOD (3663).
AHD and the City recently conducted a targeted COVID-19 testing event in partnership with Neighborhood Health, Alexandria's federally qualified health center. Approximately 180 residents were tested at Casa Chirilagua today, with assistance from AHD's Medical Reserve Corps volunteers. In addition to testing, each participant received 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.
The chart below, containing the seven-day moving average number of COVID-19 cases and the daily and cumulative case and fatality counts, provides detailed information about how preventive measures are impacting Alexandria's response to the pandemic. An interactive version is available at alexandriava.gov/114883. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, are available through links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus.
AHD estimates that approximately 1 in 13 Alexandrians who tested positive for COVID-19 have required hospitalization. An estimated 66% of Virginia adults who become infected never have symptoms. The best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 remain wearing a mask in public, maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from others, and frequently washing your hands or carrying and using hand sanitizer with at least 60% ethyl alcohol. Help your loved ones and neighbors by answering a call from AHD if identified as a close contact of someone who tests positive for COVID-19, and download the Virginia Department of Health’s COVIDWISE app to be quickly and anonymously notified of likely exposure to the virus.
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