[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Toolkit for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Foster My Future; AHD Phone Service Disruption; Possible Measles Exposures

­­For Immediate Release: September 14, 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.

CDC Resources for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). To address them, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a COVID-19 toolkit with communication resources explaining in plain language how people with IDD and caregivers can protect themselves from the virus. The toolkit contains social stories, videos, posters, and interactive activities that focus on five topics: getting a COVID-19 vaccine; wearing a mask; social distancing; hand washing; and getting a COVID-19 mask. The kit also includes a tip sheet for caretakers that offers suggestions for things they can do to ease their loved one’s worries about the virus.

“Foster My Future” Initiative

People who were previously teens in foster care, and are age 18-27 (but not yet 27), may be eligible for financial support through the Consolidated Appropriations Act (2021), which provides significant financial and other support as a result of the pandemic to older youth who were in foster care or are about to age out of foster care. The deadline to apply is September 15, at 11:59 p.m. Visit FosterMyFuture.com to learn more about the program, or text/call 757.298.3586 and give your name and reason for communicating or email gwendolyn.castillo@dss.virginia.gov

AHD Phone Service Disruption

The Alexandria Health Department's phone lines, including the COVID-19 Hotline, will be down for system maintenance on Wednesday, September 15, from 3-6 p.m. Phones will be operational again on Thursday morning. 

VDH Investigating Possible Measles Exposures

Out of an abundance of caution, health districts in northern Virginia are informing people who were at various locations during specific time frames, that they may have been exposed to one of three people diagnosed with measles. Outside of these specific locations and times, it is currently believed the risk to the community is low. Measles is a highly contagious illness that is spread through coughing, sneezing, and contact with droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of an infected individual. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, childhood immunization rates have decreased as fewer people seek preventive or elective care to reduce trips outside the home. Please make sure children are up to date on their childhood vaccinations. Measles is easily preventable through a safe and effective MMR vaccine. Learn more about measles online.

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.