For Immediate Release: December 14, 2020
The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) strongly urge residents to stay home as much as possible during the current surge of COVID-19 cases in our community. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are increasing in Alexandria. Take immediate and ongoing action to control the spread by wearing a mask over both your nose and mouth, staying home unless it’s necessary to go out, and washing your hands frequently. Without these critical steps, additional lives may be at risk.
Effective today, new statewide mitigation mandates include a stay-home order between midnight and 5 a.m., with some exceptions. Under Executive Order 72, everyone ages 5 and older must now wear masks at all times in indoor settings that are shared with others, and all outdoor settings where 6 feet of physical distance cannot be maintained, similar to the existing Alexandria mask ordinance. The limit on social gatherings is reduced from 25 to 10 people, whether indoors or outside. Restaurants are still limited to serving alcohol until 10 p.m. and food only until midnight, with no bar seating. Customer groups are now limited to no more than 10, and must remain seated so that members of different groups are at least 6 feet apart. Masks must be worn by customers when not actively eating or drinking, and all restaurant employees, including cooks and kitchen staff. To better understand the importance of following these mitigation measures issued to slow the surge in COVID-19 cases, watch a video of an ICU nurse who works in a Virginia COVID-19 unit.
Governor Northam announced today that the first allotment of a vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older is now arriving in Virginia. This vaccine is administered as a series of two doses, three weeks apart. As previously reported, the initial limited supply of vaccine will be prioritized for health care workers that may encounter people sick with COVID-19. More details about the availability of vaccines for health care providers in Alexandria will be known within the next week or two. Prioritization of groups, and additional vaccine information, is available at the City's Prepare for Vaccines web page. Vaccines from other manufacturers are expected to be reviewed by regulators in the coming weeks and months.
Tens of thousands of people were enrolled in an ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled international study to gather data about safety and effectiveness. The most commonly reported side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which typically last a day or two, were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, and fever. The vaccine cannot cause COVID-19 infection, and these side effects are not an indication of illness. On December 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for the vaccine, and on December 13, after an evidence-based review of all available data, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued an interim recommendation for use. Learn more about the vaccine development and authorization process.
Residents are strongly urged to learn about COVID-19 vaccines at a statewide virtual town hall organized by the Virginia Department of Health, on Wednesday, December 16, 7-8:30 p.m.. A panel of community and medical leaders, including Virginia State Health Commissioner Dr. Norm Oliver, will answer questions about the vaccine that will begin distribution in Virginia over the coming days. The town hall will be streamed live across several news broadcasting channels. Questions to be answered during the town hall can be emailed to news@wric.com or posted on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #VaccinateVirginia.
The Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA) is hosting a virtual event, Wednesday, December 16, 6-7 p.m., to share tools for coping with stress and change during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the holidays. SAPCA representatives and the City’s Director of the Center for Children and Families will share resources and provide updates on work over the past year and future goals, including efforts made to continue the work of substance abuse prevention in a virtual environment. The event is free and registration is required.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 while cases are surging in the region, AHD continues to recommend a 14-day quarantine period after a possible exposure to the virus. This guidance is consistent with neighboring jurisdictions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance for quarantine, and the shorter quarantine period options present risks of spreading infection unknowingly. Particularly while cases and hospitalizations are high, AHD continues to strongly recommend that people who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 stay home and away from others for 14 days, while watching for fever, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of someone for 15 minutes or more cumulatively over a 24 hour period.
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 15 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. Learn who to call and what to say from AHD's “ What to Do If You Get Sick” guidance, which is available in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Farsi or this brief video. 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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