[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Restaurants and Food Service Businesses Encouraged to Register for Federal Grant Program; Memorial Recognizes Residents Lost to COVID-19

­­For Immediate Release: April 28, 2021

Help end the pandemic by wearing a mask over both your nose and mouth, washing your hands frequently, and scheduling a vaccination appointment. 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.

Restaurants and Food Service Businesses Encouraged to Register for Federal Grant Program

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that registration for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) will begin Friday, April 30 at 9 a.m., and will begin accepting applications on Monday, May 3, at noon. For the first 21 days that the program is open, the SBA will prioritize funding applications from businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. All eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as the portal opens. Following the 21 days, all eligible applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis. Online applications will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted. 

The program provides funding to help restaurants and other eligible food service businesses keep their doors open. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023. Learn more about RRF and how to apply. The Alexandria Small Business Development Center is available to answer questions and assist Alexandria businesses as they apply for these funds.

Memorial Recognizes Residents Lost to COVID-19

Alexandria residents can recognize, honor, and mourn family members, friends, and neighbors who have died as a result of COVID-19 at a temporary memorial in Rivergate Park, at the base of Madison Street on Alexandria’s waterfront. The memorial is titled “Alexandria Remembrance: With love, we remember our friends and neighbors lost to COVID-19” and will remain on display until June 21.

Each white flag on display recognizes an Alexandria resident who died of COVID-19. As of April 22, 133 Alexandria residents have died of COVID-19. Flags will be added and signage at the site will be updated if additional residents succumb to the virus. Family members are invited to write a message or the name of the loved one they have lost on a flag. To inscribe a flag or receive more information, please email parkplanninggroup@alexandriava.gov.

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.