[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Positive Test Result Guidance; Reduce Risk of COVID-19 During the Holidays

­­For Immediate Release: December 21, 2021

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

Positive Test Result Guidance

COVID-19 cases are spiking across Virginia. During the current surge, the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) may not be able to call and interview everyone who tests positive or is identified as a close contact. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 but have not received a call from AHD, follow the steps on the City’s Get Tested webpage to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Reduce Risk of COVID-19 During the Holidays

In the same way that gloves, a jacket, a scarf, a hat and boots help to stay warm in the winter, fighting the spread of COVID-19 also requires a layered approach. Alexandria is experiencing its highest levels of COVID-19 yet and every in-person gathering can lead to an outbreak of cases and increase in community spread. Take steps to reduce your risk:

• Get a booster if you are fully vaccinated.
• Get vaccinated if you are unvaccinated. 
• Take a rapid COVID-19 test the day of an in-person gathering.
• Get tested 3-5 days after travel, larger events or other crowded situations.
• Limit event participation to people who are fully vaccinated.
• Wear a mask that fits snugly over your nose and chin without gaps at the edges when you’re gathering with others, particularly when with people of mixed vaccination status. 
• Keep a sign-in sheet of gathering attendees so you can easily alert people if there was an exposure.
• Host your event outside or keep windows open during indoor gatherings.
• Keep portable hand sanitizer with you and offer it to others at gatherings.
  

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 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. 

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