[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Holiday Safety Reminder; FDA Recalls COVID-19 Home Tests

­­For Immediate Release: November 16, 2021

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

Holiday Safety Reminder 

Northern Virginia public health leaders encourage residents to maintain their vigilance in preventing the spread of COVID-19 throughout the expected winter surge of cases. As the holidays approach and friends and extended families will be gathering and traveling, it is critical to maintain layered prevention activities:

• Get all eligible members of your family fully vaccinated, including booster shots, if appropriate.
• Wear a mask indoors when around those not in your household.
• Stay home when sick.
• Maintain 6 feet of physical distance from others as much as possible.
• Avoid crowded and indoor areas where distancing is not possible, or where you will be in close contact with those whose vaccination status is unknown.
• If you think you may have COVID-19 or may have been exposed, get tested and follow guidelines for isolation and quarantine.
• Wash your hands with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer if soap and water is not available. This will help prevent many diseases, including the seasonal flu. 
• If not fully vaccinated, stay away from others and get tested 3-5 days after returning home from travel.

Visit alexandriava.gov/Vaccines to find vaccine appointment availability or call the Alexandria COVID-19 Hotline at 703.746.4988 for assistance.

FDA Recalls COVID-19 Home Tests

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a Class I recall of approximately 2.2 million home COVID-19 tests made by Ellume due to "higher-than-acceptable false positive test results." Ellume is the first company to receive FDA approval for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. The at-home tests were recalled as the most serious type of recall and their use may cause serious adverse health consequences or death. This announcement is an expansion of last month's recall of 200,000 kits for the same issue. Learn more about the recall and how to identify impacted test kits.

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 Status dashboard below includes the percentage of residents ages 5 and older who are fully vaccinated, the number partially and fully vaccinated, and progress toward Alexandria’s and the state’s vaccination goals. Vaccination rates for ages 5-11 are not yet available through the Virginia Department of Health. The dashboard will be updated with these numbers once they are available. Vaccination charts are available at alexandriava.gov/120654. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, are available 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.