[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; ALIVE! Food Distribution; Updated CDC Mask Guidance

­­For Immediate Release: January 25, 2022

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

ALIVE! Food Distribution

ALIVE!’s January food distribution will take place on Saturday, January 29 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Drive-through locations include Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Ave.) and Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria Campus (lot B-1 via Dawes Ave.). Walk-up locations include Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Ave.) and William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Ave.). Bags of food (groceries, produce, chicken, eggs, bread) are distributed in the parking lot at each site. ALIVE! food distributions are for City of Alexandria residents. No ID required. View the February ALIVE! Food Distribution Calendar or visit www.alive-inc.org for more information. Learn more about additional food assistance resources.

Updated CDC Mask Guidance

The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department continue to urge Alexandria residents, businesses and visitors to “Wear It Well” by wearing a mask in public indoor spaces, whether vaccinated or not. This follows guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that everyone should wear masks in indoor public settings in communities of substantial or high transmission. Wearing a mask protects yourself, your family and your community from the current surge of the more contagious COVID-19 omicron variant. 

In addition to wearing a mask in indoor public places, “Wear It Well” by following recently updated mask guidance from the CDC: 

• Wear a mask with the best fit, protection and comfort for you.
• Choose a mask that has two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric.
• The mask should completely cover your nose, mouth and chin.
• A well-fitting mask fits snugly against the sides of your face and doesn't have gaps.

To help spread the word about wearing masks in public, ‘Masks Recommended’ signs and flyers are available to all organizations, businesses and residences to download and print. 

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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