(Updated 12:30 p.m.) While COVID-19 is on the rise in Alexandria, Dr. Rina Bansal, President of Inova Alexandria Hospital, said hospitalizations for the virus are higher but remaining stable.
“It’s busy,” Bansal said. “We’re managing admissions and discharges. The key is to make sure patients who don’t need to be in the hospital can be discharged quickly. We’re open and here to care about the community.”
Two more Alexandria residents have died from COVID-19, and the total case count in the city since the pandemic started in March is now at 4,444. That’s an increase of 81 cases since Monday.
A woman and a man in their 80s are the latest victims of the virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
In a year dominated by the coronavirus, Inova Alexandria Hospital was named the overall business of the year in the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce’s annual Best In Business Awards.
The chamber’s annual event, now in its 27th year, was held virtually over the course of eight hours on Friday, Oct. 1. Nominees for the awards rotated into the United Way building in Old Town to receive their awards, which were live streamed on Facebook.
Details have emerged regarding a shootout in the West End on Sept. 13.
At around 5 p.m., Alexandria Police received several calls reporting 10-15 gunshots fired in the 3100 block of S. 28th Street near Ft. Ward Park. Callers told police that a man in a black Mercedes Benz was shooting a gun while driving from S. 28th Street onto N. Hampton Drive, according to a search warrant affidavit.
The Alexandria City Council on Saturday passed an ordinance requiring everyone in the city to wear a face mask in public.
The measure passed 5-2, and a $100 civil penalty for not wearing a mask was removed from the ordinance before passage after it was universally agreed at the meeting by council and city staff that it will not be enforceable. The city manager must now designate city staff to hand out masks and citations to lawbreakers.
Sarah Rose, a nurse at Inova Alexandria Hospital, has been named one of six top nurses in the region by the Washington Post and the American Nurses Association.
Rose was one of 18 finalists in contention to be named for the first-ever Nightingale Award in their 2020 Star Nurses Awards.
Arlandria Champion Kevin Beekman Passes Away — “It is with great sorrow that we announce that Kevin Beekman, an Arlandria hero and force behind the Four Mile Run Conservancy and Farmer’s Market, lost his battle with amyloidosis on August 24. Kevin was part of the fabric of Arlandria.” [Zebra]
Beyer Says Republican National Convention is Corrupt — “The White House is not the property of Donald Trump or the Republican Party, it belongs to the American people. These actions cheapen the office and degrade the nation. This convention, like the person at its core, is fundamentally corrupt.” [Twitter]
Alexandrian Killed in D.C. Shooting — “Metropolitan Police identified Montrell Lucas, 18, of Alexandria, as one of two victims who were killed Tuesday night. Police responded to the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue Northeast around 8:46 p.m. for a report of a shooting and found three victims.” [Patch]
D.C. Company Sends Out Incomplete Ballot Applications — “Judith, a city of Alexandria resident, received the letter, which includes a partially completed application for a mail-in voting ballot and a pre-addressed and prepaid envelope to send the application to her registrar’s office. But her ballot application would have gone to the wrong address.” [NBC4]
Alexandria’s death toll from the coronavirus hit 60 yesterday, and Inova Alexandria Hospital staff are concerned about a resurgence.
Hospital staff are experiencing burnout, and they are currently treating 16 COVID patients in the hospital and nine symptomatic persons, Inova Alexandria Hospital President Dr. Rina Bansal told ALXnow.
Despite the pandemic, Inova Blood Donor Services says participation in blood drives has remained high in the region. Inova expects that need to go up soon as more people begin to leave their homes.
On Thursday, July 30, the Inova Blood Donor Services’ Bloodmobile will be set up at Inova Alexandria Hospital’s paid visitor’s lot from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. to keep up the services’ fresh supply of blood.
Alexandria wants community input on the latest plans regarding the proposed Oakville Triangle redevelopment, and another Zoom meeting is planned early next month.
Inova Alexandria Hospital plans to accommodate development at National Landing and Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus by expanding it services with a new HealthPlex in the city’s Oakville Triangle neighborhood.
