[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; City Hall Walk-in Payment Service Changes; Vaccinating Long-Term Care Facility Residents; State Health Commissioner Message

­­For Immediate Release: December 17, 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.

City Hall Walk-in Payment Service Adjustments

For the safety of the public and City staff during the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Alexandria, service hours for walk-in payments at City Hall have been reduced. In-person services are now available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8 a.m.-noon. Contactless options include payment via an outside dropbox on the Royal Street side of City Hall; by credit card or eCheck at alexandriava.gov/Payments; by phone at 703.746.4800 weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m; and by mail for most payments. For more information about how to make payments and contact staff with questions, visit alexandriava.gov/Payments.

Importance of Vaccinating Long-Term Care Facility Residents

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that Long-Term Care Facility (LTCF) residents be among the first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Virginia Department of Health has prioritized residents and healthcare workers in LTCFs to receive the COVID-19 in the first phase of vaccinations. LTCF residents include adults who reside in facilities that provide a range of services, including medical and personal care, to persons who are unable to live independently. The combination of communal living and the prevalence of secondary health conditions make LTCF residents particularly susceptible to infection, severe illness, and death. LTCF residents are one of the most at-risk populations, accounting for approximately 39% of the COVID-related deaths in the U.S. In Virginia, there are both federal and state arrangements with national pharmacy chains to provide vaccinations to LTCF residents and healthcare workers in the first phase of vaccination. Alexandrians with loved ones living in a LTCF setting should check with the facility to learn about their vaccination plans. 

State Health Commissioner Message about Health Care Personnel

COVID-19 has presented numerous challenges to Alexandria, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the world. Throughout this pandemic, health care personnel and hospitals have worked nonstop to provide support to patients and families, and hospitals continue to be challenged to source supplies to protect staff from exposure to COVID-19. The Virginia Department of Health has published a video message from State Health Commissioner Dr. Norm Oliver, acknowledging the hard work of health care personnel. Dr. Oliver recognized the extraordinary circumstances of living through a pandemic and expressed gratitude to the more than 72,000 health care workers in Virginia for fighting the coronavirus, despite the great risk of getting sick and exposing their families to the virus. He honored frontline workers and health care personnel as the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Alexandria COVID-19 Data At-a-Glance

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.