[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Old Town Blood Drive; Emergency Food Distributions

­­For Immediate Release: July 13, 2021

Help end the pandemic by wearing a mask over both your nose and mouth, washing your hands frequently, and getting vaccinated. 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.

Old Town Blood Drive

On July 26, Inova Blood Donor Services will be hosting an Old Town Blood Drive at Market Square, 301 King St. As a thank you, donors will receive an exclusive Olympic themed t-shirt. The need for blood is constant and blood banks are anticipating an increase in the need for blood due to the resumption of elective surgeries.

Inova Donor Centers and blood drives take extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of donors, volunteers and staff. Blood donation amenities are professionally cleaned and disinfected regularly. All staff receive temperature checks twice daily, are required to wear masks at all times within clinic areas, and precautions are in place to ensure physical distance is maintained. Every donor receives additional screening for COVID-19. Anyone who has received a COVID-19 vaccine may donate immediately, as long as they are not experiencing any symptoms. Donors are required to wear a mask and may only give blood if they are feeling healthy and well on the day of their donation. Schedule an appointment online or by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES. 

Emergency Food Distributions

ALIVE! Truck-to-Trunk will distribute emergency groceries for Alexandria residents on Saturdays, July 17 and 31, 8:30-10:30 a.m. Walk-up only service is now available at the outdoor basketball court at William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Ave.). Walk-up and drive-through service is available at Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Ave.). Drive-through only service is available in parking lot B-1 of the Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria Campus (3320 Bisdorf Drive via Dawes Ave.). If the college closes for any reason, such as inclement weather, the food distribution will be canceled. Please follow current CDC guidance and stay home if you feel sick. Additional food assistance resources are available for Alexandria residents. 

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. Vaccination charts include total doses administered across all facilities, the percentage of residents ages 12 and older who have been partially and fully vaccinated, and weekly doses administered. Vaccination charts are available with definitions and data source information at alexandriava.gov/120654. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, are available through links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus. 

The vaccination chart uses the most recent vaccination data in the Virginia Department of Health's Virginia Immunization Information System database. Health care providers have up to 72 hours after vaccine administration to input information into the database. The chart may not reflect all administered vaccinations as of the report date. Doses administered by federal agencies or outside of Virginia are not reported to VIIS; and are not included in the dashboard. Therefore, the total number of residents vaccinated is likely an underestimate.The City of Alexandria has chosen to use “partially vaccinated” and “fully vaccinated” rather than “at least one dose” to avoid the double counting of residents who received the J&J vaccine. 

Partially Vaccinated: Total number or percent of people who received the first dose of a two-dose vaccine course (i.e. the first dose of the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine).

Fully Vaccinated: Total number or percent of people who have completed the recommended series of a given vaccine product (i.e. two doses of the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine or one dose of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine).

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.