[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Mask Policy Update for City Facilities; Health Directors Urge Masks in Schools; Long COVID Coverage

­­For Immediate Release: July 30, 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.

Mask Policy Update for City Facilities

Effective July 30, the City of Alexandra now requires that all visitors and employees wear masks in City facilities, whether or not they are vaccinated. This update follows new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that residents in communities with substantial or high COVID-19 community transmission wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. Alexandria is currently within the threshold of 50 to 99 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days and is in a state of substantial transmission. Alexandria’s current rate is 62.73 per 100,000 residents. Loudoun, Arlington and Prince William counties are also considered communities of substantial transmission. View the complete mitigation updates for City facilities.

Northern Virginia Health Directors Urge Universal Masking in Schools 

On July 21, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Virginia Department of Education (DOE) published updated recommendations for COVID‐19 prevention in Virginia’s pre‐kindergarten through 12th grade schools. These recommendations stress a layered approach to COVID-19 prevention including physical distancing, wearing masks, vaccination, and staying home when ill. On July 23, all five of the Northern Virginia Health Directors sent a letter to public and private school superintendents reaffirming the VDH and DOE recommendations and urging universal masking for middle and high schools for certain situations, such as elevated community transmission of COVID-19 and the inability to adequately monitor and enforce masking based on vaccination status. New CDC recommendations for universal masking in communities with substantial or high transmission, and universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to all schools, support the Health Directors’ recommendation. Ultimately, each school system will make the decision about whether to implement this recommendation.

Long COVID Coverage

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released new guidance on “long COVID,” which is defined as persistent and/or recurring symptoms of a COVID-19 infection. The guidance indicates when and how long COVID is an applicable disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Under these federal laws, people who are significantly impaired by long COVID are protected from discrimination. The new guidance also provides resources for additional information and best practices. 

Alexandria COVID-19 Data At-a-Glance

The Alexandria COVID-19 Dashboard below shows the daily change in the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths and 7-day average, as well as the cumulative totals. The chart focuses on the past 90 days and provides context for the CDC transmission levels. An interactive version is available at alexandriava.gov/114883. The Alexandria COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard below includes total doses administered across all facilities, the percentage of residents ages 12 and older who have received at least one dose, the number partially and fully vaccinated, and progress toward Alexandria’s and the state’s vaccination goals. Vaccination charts are available at alexandriava.gov/120654. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, are available through links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus. 

At least one dose: Total number of people who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including those who received one dose of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine. This metric includes all people who have received only one dose and those who received at least one dose.

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’s Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine).

Partially Vaccinated: Total number of people who have received the first dose of a two-dose vaccine course but have not yet received the second dose. 

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.