[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; CDC Updates Guidance for K-12 Schools; Request for Vaccine Supply Increase

­­For Immediate Release: March 22, 2021

The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) strongly urge residents to stay home as much as possible, wear a mask over both your nose and mouth, and wash your hands frequently. Pre-register to receive the vaccine and you’ll be notified once appointments are available. AHD estimates that approximately 1 in 20 Alexandrians who have tested positive for COVID-19 have required hospitalization, so without these critical steps, additional lives may be at risk. 

CDC Updates Guidance for K-12 Schools

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its operational guidance for K-12 schools on March 19, 2021. AHD has reviewed the revised guidance and is in discussions with Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and private educators.

According to the CDC’s revised guidance: 

• In elementary schools, students should be at least 3 feet apart.
• In middle schools and high schools, students should be at least 3 feet apart in areas of low, moderate, or substantial community transmission as defined by CDC. 
• In areas of high community transmission as defined by the CDC, middle and high school students should be 6 feet apart if cohorting is not possible.
  

Some school districts in the United States are unable to bring all students who wish to return to hybrid or in-person learning because there is not enough classroom space if the desks need to be 6 feet apart; these changes allow more students to return to school in-person. 

Six feet of distance should be maintained in the following settings: 

• Between adults, and between adults and students. Several studies have found that transmission between staff is more common than transmission between students and staff, and among students, in schools. 
• When masks cannot be worn, such as when eating.
• During activities when increased exhalation occurs, including singing, shouting, playing instruments, sports and exercise. Conduct these activities outdoors or in large, well-ventilated space, to minimize risk of transmission.
• In common areas such as school lobbies, gyms and auditoriums.
  

Although the CDC’s revised guidance states that students should be spaced at least 3 feet apart in some settings, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and AHD’s definition of a close contact includes individuals who are within 6 feet of a COVID-19 case for 15 or more cumulative minutes over a 24-hour period. Persons who are determined to be a close contact will be asked to quarantine for 14 days. 

Evidence suggests that many K-12 schools that have strictly implemented a combination of prevention strategies, such as universal and correct use of masks, frequent hand hygiene, physical distancing, and encouraging students and staff to stay home when they have symptoms of COVID-19,  have been able to safely open for in-person instruction and remain open. ACPS is mitigating the risk of transmission in its in-person learning by implementing five key mitigation strategies (face masks, social distancing, hand hygiene, disinfecting, and collaboration with AHD).

Request for Vaccine Supply Increase

On March 19, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, which includes Alexandria and four neighboring Northern Virginia jurisdictions, requested significant increases of vaccine doses form the state and flexibility with their distribution. The increased doses are necessary to vaccinate currently eligible individuals on waiting lists and position the region to meet the Governor’s expectation to begin vaccinating individuals eligible in Phase 1C.

Alexandria COVID-19 Data At-a-Glance

The seven-day moving average chart below shows the number of COVID-19 cases and the daily and cumulative case and fatality counts, and provides detailed information about how preventive measures are impacting Alexandria's response to the pandemic. An interactive version is available at alexandriava.gov/114883. The vaccination chart includes total doses administered across all facilities and the percentage of residents ages 16 and older who have been partially and fully vaccinated, and is available at alexandriava.gov/120654. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, are available through links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus. 

Continue following measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 even after vaccination. Get tested if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. If you test positive, help loved ones and neighbors by informing your close contacts using “ What to Do If You Get Sick” guidance, which is available in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Farsi or this brief video.