The Alexandria Health Department is investigating three new positive cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the city announced in an update on Tuesday night.
There are now five confirmed cases in the city at this time. The first was identified on March 11 and the second on March 15.
According to the city, “One patient was tested in New York but provided a residence address in Alexandria; another recently traveled internationally; and another came in close contact with a confirmed case in Washington, D.C. Any patient who tests positive for COVID-19 is notified and asked to self-isolate.”
The city said investigators will find out who the individuals had close contact with, and will ask them to self-quarantine and to monitor their health.
The City Council will conduct an emergency meeting at City Hall on Wednesday to discuss the coronavirus response efforts. The meeting will take place at 8 p.m. in the City Council Chamber on the 2nd floor of City Hall (301 King St.), and will be preceded by a budget work session at 7 p.m.
Council declared a state of emergency, and Mayor Justin Wilson said that a number of actions would follow. On Tuesday, Wilson sent a number of COVID-19 response and recovery initiatives to the city manager’s office and wrote that “over $100 million of annual City revenue is at risk (Dining Tax, Transient Lodging Tax, Business License Tax and Sales Tax).”
City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates: New State Orders; Additional Cases; Food Safety; Metro and Parking; Curbside Collection; Recreation; City Council Meeting: https://t.co/bsZDDo2LSY pic.twitter.com/76BrP4qOt1
— AlexandriaVAGov (@AlexandriaVAGov) March 18, 2020
The city also made the following changes to parking regulations and curbside trash collection:
- Parking – Effective immediately, the City will suspend enforcement of parking restrictions for residential street sweeping and for the prohibition on vehicles parking on the street for more than 72 hours. All other posted parking restrictions, including residential permit time limits and parking meters, remain in effect. Residents may continue to apply for guest parking permits online. The City will also begin working in commercial corridors to establish temporary curbside loading and pickup to assist with an increase in pickup and delivery services.
- Trash and Recycling –  To protect the health and safety of collection teams, residents should make sure all trash and recycling placed curbside is either contained within a can or cart, or in a tied or sealed plastic bag. Loose trash set out curbside for collection will not be collected.
- Yard Waste – The City is suspending yard waste, bulk material, and metal curbside collection, effective immediately, for a period of at least two weeks. This change allows crews to continue to prioritize and safely collect residential refuse and recycling. Residents are encouraged to compost yard waste at home or wait to place it curbside until service returns to normal. Smaller amounts of yard waste may be collected with trash, but residents should expect larger volumes to be left uncollected.
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If you had a chance to enhance a child’s future with a time commitment of less than 2 hours a week, how would you respond? You have that opportunity right now to join over 200 Alexandrians as a reading tutor volunteer with the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC).
ATC tutors work with one child in kindergarten, first, or second grade in Alexandria public schools who need extra help with reading. Tutors meet with their Book Buddy 1-2 times each week for 30 minutes October-May at school, during school hours. Many struggling readers only receive one-on-one instruction through this program, and it makes all the difference. Last year, ATC served 195 children, of whom 82% ended the year reading on grade level and 96% made substantial reading gains. But the need is great, and we are still seeing learning lags from the pandemic.
This year, ATC plans to significantly increase the size of the program to reach over 250 students and to serve every elementary school in Alexandria. This is very exciting news, but we will only succeed if we can recruit more tutors. ATC trains you, matches you with a child, and provides ongoing lesson materials and support.
If you have been thinking about buying your first home or haven’t owned one in the last three years, THIS IS FOR YOU!
In the DMV area, it can be difficult to save the downpayment necessary for you to get into your own home. We have a solution. The Funder’s Summit!
We have assembled a summit with different municipalities to tell you how to access their funds for your home purchase.
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
