(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.”
Alexandria is famous for celebrating the holiday season, and there are still a couple of in-person and virtual performances to help get into the spirit of things.
Tickets are still available for the Little Theatre of Alexandria‘s in-person rendition of A Christmas Carol, which runs until Dec. 19. The theatre has limited capacity to 46 guests, and seating is spaced out so that only up to groups of three people from the same group can watch the show together.
Alexandria now has 6,260 cases of COVID-19, an increase of 470 cases since this time last week.
The death toll from the virus remains at 82. There have also been 396 total hospitalizations since the onset of the pandemic in Alexandria, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Where to Get the COVID Vaccine in Alexandria — “In early 2021, when more vaccine doses are available, people who are in essential and critical industries (including first responders) will receive vaccinations — some through their workplace, and others through doctors offices and local hospitals.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Christmas Restaurant Round-Up — “Below we’ve rounded up some options for meals around Alexandria. Some will offer special holiday menus, while others will be open for their usual dine-in and takeout menus.” [Patch]
Big things are in the works in the city. The proposed police review panel is coming back to the City Council in January, but discussions still rage in the community over what authority it should have. New plans are also moving forward for Potomac Yard, while the question of whether or not the Virginia Tech initials will be added to the name remains up in the air.
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“My money for food!” shouted a vocal group of tenants facing eviction at the Southern Towers apartment complex in the West End on Thursday.
Resident Sami Bourma was one of them. He’s back to working part-time as a cook, but is $11,000 in the hole with his rent. His wife is expecting to give birth to their third child any day now, and he hasn’t fully paid for his $1,515-a-month one bedroom apartment since March. He got a couple months of it covered through city resources, but now has to go back to court in January to seek a third extension from eviction.
A leading Alexandria nonprofit that has given away more than 1 million pounds of food since the pandemic began is ready for the winter.
ALIVE! Executive Director Jennifer Ayers says that her organization is now giving out upward of 180,000 pounds of food every month. Before COVID-19, ALIVE! was giving out about 30,000 pounds of food every month.
Alexandria could have the COVID-19 vaccine this month, but the first doses won’t be available to the general public until next spring.
Nearly a half million healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents across Virginia at risk of being infected will get the first doses from the Virginia Department of Health, and it is not yet known when the rest of the public will get the vaccine.
Waterfront Shipping Container Bar Starts to Take Shape — “On Monday morning, the shipping containers were moved from the barge to the pier for a portion of the restaurant.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Drop Boxes Announced for Medication Disposal — “Unwanted medication can be dropped off at one of these 3 locations. Do not flush unwanted medications down the toilet or drain.” [Twitter]
Experts Predict Alexandria Economic Recovery by 2022 — “The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have dominated the economy here in Alexandria, but the region may not see a full recovery until 2022.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Alexandria Refreshes Bid for Fiber Network — “The City of Alexandria last week issued an invitation to bid (ITB) for the construction of a City-owned fiber network to support broadband services among the City’s public institutions.” [Broadband Communities]
As of late November, a little under half of ACPS’ staff said they are unwilling to return to work.
Stephen Wilkins, chief of staff for ACPS, said at a School Board meeting last Thursday that 45% of ACPS staff reported an inability to return in a survey sent out in late November. The highest reason — 43% of those who said they would not return — said it was due to fear and anxiety, while 29% said it was because of underlying medical conditions.
