[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Questions; AHD Releases COVID-19 Handbook for Schools

­­For Immediate Release: September 7, 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.

Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Questions

The COVID-19 vaccine can be administered without regard to timing of other immunizations, such as flu shots, and they can even be given on the same day. Many pharmacies in Alexandria, such as those in grocery stores, carry both COVID-19 and flu vaccines. The flu and COVID-19 share some symptoms and it is possible to have both at the same time. Protect yourself and the people around you by getting vaccinated against both illnesses.

AHD Releases COVID-19 Handbook for Schools

The Alexandria Health Department (AHD) has updated its Interim COVID-19 “Handbook for Alexandria K-12 School Administrators,” which was first developed in 2020. AHD’s guidance for the 2021-2022 school year is a compilation of the feedback and technical assistance that has been provided to schools throughout the spring and summer in anticipation of a return to in-person classes. The handbook draws heavily on existing resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). This resource is intended to serve as a quick reference guide for K-12 school administrators to use as they refine safety policies and practices. The document covers topics including how to report COVID-19 cases to AHD and notify families of an exposure at school, questions to consider when developing COVID-19 policies, what to do when a COVID-19 case is identified at your school, recommended prevention measures schools should implement, and guidance on making extracurricular activities and mealtimes as safe as possible.   

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.