[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Essential Worker Vaccine Pre-registration; Guidance about Masks in Winter

­­For Immediate Release: February 2, 2021

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.

Essential Worker Vaccine Pre-Registration

Individuals in the Phase 1b frontline essential worker categories should pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine waitlist by filling out this form. Those who have already completed the form should not fill it out again. Duplicates require additional staff time to clean and sort, and will not result in faster vaccination. AHD is simultaneously vaccinating those who are ages 65 and older and Phase 1b frontline essential workers.

Guidance about Masks in Winter

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides additional guidance on wearing masks, especially during the winter. Masks are most effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19, and are easier to breathe through, when they are dry. The CDC advises everyone to carry spare masks and replace the one being worn if it becomes wet due to rain, snow, or breath. To prevent contamination of other belongings, place wet cloth masks in a plastic bag until you get home and can add it to laundry. Wash hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before putting on a mask. Masks should be worn under scarves, ski masks and balaclavas and should fit snugly at the sides of the face, as well as over the nose and mouth. If a mask needs to continually be adjusted while being worn, it does not fit properly and should be replaced. Remove masks safely from the straps, folding the front corners toward each other. Do not touch the front of the mask, which is where the virus is most likely to collect, and wash hands immediately after removal. The City offers Tips for Wearing Masks in English, Spanish, Amharic and Arabic.   

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 20 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.