For Immediate Release: December 15, 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.
Neighborhood Health recognizes that some billing errors have occurred for COVID-19 testing performed by Neighborhood Health at City-AHD sponsored community testing events. There should be no copays or self-pay charges for COVID-19 testing. If you have received a bill from Neighborhood Health for COVID-19 testing, please disregard it. You are not responsible for any charges. If you have any questions or concerns about having received bills from Neighborhood Health, please email billing@neighborhoodhealthva.org.
In addition to its phone, virtual and online services, the City’s Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) now offers a new text line to access DCHS-related services or needs. Programs such as emergency shelter and assistance with food, rent, utilities, prescriptions and other costs are especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. Text a request for “ Assistance from a Distance” services to 703.746.5599 and receive an immediate response in English of Spanish during the hours listed on the flyer, with other language options available. The listing of resources is also available in Spanish, Arabic and Amharic, and can be downloaded and printed. Share this resource with others, particularly those in communities where English proficiency is limited, and with vulnerable individuals who may not have access to traditional media.
Virginia’s COVIDWISE contact tracing app has joined the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ (APHL) National Key Server, to improve the effectiveness of COVID-19 exposure notifications by connecting with the District of Columbia and 15 other states. Especially with recent holiday travel, this network will help provide more accurate and timely notifications. COVIDWISE, developed in Virginia, was the first app of its kind in the country and more than one in 10 Virginians have downloaded it. COVIDWISE is more effective and accurate with more participants. The app alerts users if they have been in close contact with an individual who uses an app and anonymously reported their positive COVID-19 test result. Close contact is defined as 15 cumulative minutes of 6-foot proximity within any 24-hour period. COVIDWISE does not use any personal information or location data. Participants opt-in by downloading and using the free app. Recent updates to the app include an onboarding flow on how the app works; the ability to easily share the app with others; virtual updates from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH); current COVID-19 data and statistics; and the ability to include symptom onset date when submitting an anonymous report of a positive test result.
The safest way to celebrate the holidays while COVID-19 continues to surge is at home with members of the household. The City offers downloadable and shareable guidance for how to Celebrate the Holidays Safely and how to deal with disappointment, stress and anxiety. The CDC also offers winter holiday guidance on how to travel, shop, attend events, and host gatherings as safely as possible, all of which are strongly discouraged. Do not travel or participate in any activities if you feel sick, have COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. If travel is unavoidable, check the local case count, hospital bed status, and travel restrictions of the intended destination prior to departure. Carry extra supplies of masks and hand sanitizer, maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others outside your household, and limit stops if driving. Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Download the “ What To Do If You Get Sick” checklist if someone tests positive. Upon return, quarantine and watch for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days, including fever, shortness of breath, and chills, and get tested after 5-7 days, continuing to quarantine for the full 14 days even if test results are negative.
Current VDH guidance urges employers to extend teleworking when possible as positive COVID-19 case numbers continue to surge. Everyone within a workplace has a role to play in preventing the spread of COVID-19.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) comprehensive guide to Workplaces and Businesses provides the responsibilities of employers and employees, with guidance for essential services and specific industries, such as food service, transportation, and manufacturing. The City Support & Guidance for Businesses webpage contains materials from the Department of Labor and Industry and their online COVID-19 reporting form, and additional resources. The Catalog of Multilingual Resources has video and print materials to help with workplace COVID-19 guidance communication, that are available for download.
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. Help your loved ones and neighbors by calling your close contacts if you test positive for COVID-19. 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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