The pandemic changed how consumers shop, and with the development of Amazon HQ2, Alexandria is evolving from a government town to a tech town.
That’s according to a presentation to the Del Ray Business Association this week by Kevin Fenton, founder of The Walla Design Company.
Alexandria’s COVID uptick continues, as 90 new cases have been reported this month. The death of another city resident was also reported on July 13, and the number of deaths now stands at 141.
Some Alexandria businesses have returned to asking residents to wear masks indoors, like the 24 Express Food Store at 4007 Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria.
Alexandria’s public swimming pools are open, but residents will need to arrive early if they want a chance to cool off.
City pools close at 3:45 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday — as opposed to 7 p.m. in previous years — and on a recent hot weekend residents were kept out and asked to sign waitlists due to capacity issues.
The short-lived resurgence of drive-in movie screenings in Alexandria during the pandemic seems to be winding down as the organizers of the Alexandria Drive-In announced the event will be discontinuing after this Saturday’s screening of Shrek.
The closing marks the end of short-lived fad when movie theaters were unsafe due to COVID-19. The Alexandria Drive-In launched last August with Jurassic Park and within four days all six initially scheduled movies were sold-out.
Summer school is in full swing, and Alexandria City High School Principal Peter Balas says he and his staff will be ready to open to five days a week of in-person instruction when the 2021-2022 school year starts on August 24.
“We’ll be ready on August 24,” Balas told ALXnow. “I’m excited. Anything other than my kitchen table five days a week would be wonderful… I hope we start in August with no masks, no restrictions.”
Alexandria has seen a jump in its COVID-19 numbers this month, as the state health department says unvaccinated Virginians are making up 99.6% of new cases.
The Virginia Department of Health, on Friday, revealed the information in a new dashboard that launched Friday. Alexandria has suffered 11,921 reported cases, 140 deaths and 572 hospitalizations since the onset of the pandemic. The last death was reported on July 1, there were two deaths in June and four deaths in May.
Alexandria will spend millions on emergency financial support programs, stormwater repair, childcare and dozens of other projects as part of its first portion of American Rescue Plan Act funding.
“Now the really hard work begins,” Mayor Justin Wilson said after Council’s unanimous passage of a plan Tuesday night. “I think this is an opportunity to make some transformational investments.”
‘Ghost kitchen’ could be headed to Alexandria — “Commercial kitchens like the one proposed are also known as ghost kitchens and they allow restaurants and food entrepreneurs to prepare delivery orders. Ghost kitchens grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when many traditional restaurants were forced to close and the demand for take-out increased.” [Alexandria Living]
Face masks required at public and private schools until July 25 — “To address potential gaps in critical prevention measures at schools this summer, the State Health Commissioner, Dr. Norm Oliver, issued a Public Health Emergency Order effective July 1, requiring children and adults aged 5 and older to wear masks in public and private K-12 schools through July 25. The requirement applies to individuals regardless of vaccination status. The mask order also applies on school buses. Individuals are not required to wear masks when outside on school property, however the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) recommends that unvaccinated individuals aged two and older wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings.” [City of Alexandria]
It was a quick week in Alexandria. Here’s the rundown.
With summer in full swing, three Alexandria athletes have made it on the U.S. Olympic Team — sprinter Noah Lyles, high-jumper Tynita Butts-Townsend and boxer Troy Isley.
On paper, Alexandria has had a hard time closing the gap to the city’s goal of 80% of residents getting vaccinated or even the Virginia target of 70%.
Several explanations for the challenge have been put forward, but in a town hall this week Mayor Justin Wilson put forward another: the city has already hit that goal, but the way the calculations work don’t show it.
The Alexandria Health Department has launched a COVID-19 testing and vaccine clinic at the Teen Wellness Center in an effort to get more 12-to-19-year-olds vaccinated.
The pilot will help the department figure out how to incorporate it into the school system, acting AHD Director Dr. Anne Gaddy told City Council and School Board members in a meeting Monday night.
