[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Celebrate the Holidays Safely; Guidance about Animals and COVID-19

­­For Immediate Release: March 30, 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. 

Celebrate the Holidays Safely

The City and AHD strongly urge residents to celebrate the holidays safely. Until everyone is vaccinated, family gatherings should minimize mixing of households and, when there is a mixing of households, should continue to use mitigation measures to reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) frequently updates guidance about how those who are fully vaccinated can protect those who aren’t. Fully vaccinated individuals can gather indoors with other vaccinated individuals or with unvaccinated members of one other household without masks, as long as no one is at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including persons over age 65 and those with certain underlying medical conditions. If gathering in homes, consider opening windows and doors to increase airflow; spacing seats out at the table to promote physical distancing; and not sharing food, plates, or utensils. To protect those who are not vaccinated, the CDC recommends continuing to wear a mask in public, and avoiding crowded places and large social gatherings, and travel. 

Changes to Executive Order 72 will take effect Thursday, April 1, which increases the limits of social gatherings to 50 individuals indoors, and 100 outdoors. Workplaces, educational settings, and religious services are not considered social gatherings. Religious services may continue to assemble with more than 50 individuals indoors, or 100 outdoors, provided that 6 feet of physical distancing is maintained at all times, including while seated; masks are worn at all times unless participating in a religious ritual; high-touch surfaces are disinfected frequently; and disposable items are used for any food or beverage that is distributed.   

Guidance about Animals and COVID-19

The CDC has provided updated information regarding animals and COVID-19. Several sanctuary and zoo animals, including big cats, non-human primates, and farm-raised minks, have tested positive for the coronavirus, most of which occurred after contact with people who had COVID-19. The CDC considers the risk of family pets becoming infected with COVID-19 low. However, a small number of pets have become infected, particularly dogs and cats, most of which were in close contact with people who were infected. The best way to prevent pets from getting sick with COVID-19 is to treat them as household family members and avoid close contact with individuals from outside the household. 

Pets who test positive for the virus should be isolated and treated at home. Most of the cases of pets testing positive have had mild symptoms and have fully recovered. The CDC’s Pets and Animals FAQ page provides further guidance. 

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.