In his weekly virtual town hall, Mayor Justin Wilson said signs are good that Alexandria could be pulling out of the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our percent of positive tests have been going down for an extended period of time,” Wilson said on Thursday night. “Our new hospitalizations are either going down or level at the moment. There’s still a number of days to go, but we’re heading into a situation where we could be ready to go for phase 1.”
Wilson also noted that Inova Alexandria Hospital has 50 COVID-19 patients, meaning the hospital is fine as far as capacity is concerned.
Alexandria and the rest of Northern Virginia had reopening delayed because the region was still a coronavirus hotspot. While there’s no official word on the matter from Gov. Northam, Wilson said Phase 1 for Northern Virginia will likely be similar to the rest of the state’s reopening guidelines.
As the city looks towards the first stage of reopening, Wilson said questions are already looming about what happens next.
“One of the questions that will now be something we work through is what do we do after Phase 1?” Wilson said. “Is there an effort to resynchronize with the rest of the state for Phase 2 or do we stay behind for the rest of the transition.”
Two testing sites are planned to open Monday, at Landmark Mall and Corra Kelly, with 3,000 tests being distributed for free. Wilson said this will be the first widespread testing for asymptomatic cases and Wilson said it should help give an idea of the spread in the community.
Wilson advised those going to get tested to wear marks and bring sunscreen because a line is likely.
Wilson also acknowledged that there had been a coronavirus outbreak at all nine of the city’s long-term care facilities.
“The city has experienced 11 total outbreaks,” Wilson said. “That’s multiple cases in one location. All nine of our long-term care facilities are deemed to have had an outbreak. Some of those are with only one or two cases, some with many more.”
Wilson said of the then-1627 cases (that’s gone up to 1,657 today), only 125 cases came from outbreaks, and 103 of those were from healthcare workers.
“Most cases are community transmission,” Wilson said. “I think that’s an important distinction and demonstrates why stay at home orders are so important.”
Staff photo by James Cullum
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Monarch Montessori School located in the heart of Del Ray is enrolling children 6 weeks to 6 years of age for our half day and full day program.
Our hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday-Friday. Monarch Montessori School is open year round, with intermittent breaks.
Children engage in self-directed, self-initiated activities under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher. Classroom sizes range from 8-12 students. Our robust curriculum includes botany, sensorial activities, the social graces, culture, math, science, practical life, geography, music appreciation and language arts.
You’ll get half off of the registration fee when you register and begin care with us before April 30, 2023.
Press Release:
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The HIPAA Seal of Compliance is issued to organizations that have implemented an effective HIPAA compliance program through the use of The Guard, Compliancy Group’s proprietary compliance tracking solution.
Clients and patients are becoming more aware of the requirements of HIPAA compliance and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like EDBS Dental Billing Solutions choose the HIPAA Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.
Del Ray Dog Fest & Yappy Hour
The 1st Annual Del Ray Dog Fest is a fun outdoor event that will include dog-centered activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors and food on Sunday, April 2 from 11am- 3pm at the George Washington Middle School parking lot.
