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Alexandria’s COVID-19 emergency declaration expires this Thursday

There have been no new deaths related to COVID-19, and cases continue to rise. In the meantime, Alexandria’s two-and-a-half-year-long state of emergency will expire on June 30.

The declaration was made by Council in March 2020 — at the onset of the pandemic — and has been extended five times.

Earlier this month, Mayor Justin Wilson told ALXnow that there is no need to continue the authority that the state of emergency enables.

“(T)he need for an emergency declaration to address the impacts of the pandemic will be past us,” Wilson said.

As of Friday, June 24, there were 36,486 cases reported in Alexandria — an increase of 352 cases since Monday, June 20. Updated numbers have not been released by the Virginia Department of Health.

The number of deaths remains at 191, and the seven day positivity rate for Covid tests is 17.4%.

The seven-day average of new cases is 74.7, up from 70.9 on June 20, and down from 119.4 a month ago.

There have been 1,981 cases reported so far in Alexandria in June, and the city currently has a Medium community level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

January saw the most new cases, with 12,822 reported, followed by 2,900 cases in May, June’s figures, 1,488 cases in April, 1,227 cases in February and 593 cases in March.

The Alexandria Health Department’s last update was last week, to announce the availability of vaccine shots for kids ages five and younger.

Vaccine Update

  • There are 21,970 unvaccinated Alexandria residents
  • About 78% of residents (119,808 people) are fully vaccinated
  • 86% (131,910 people) of residents got at least one dose
  • 65,759 residents got booster shots

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.