There has been another coronavirus-related death in Alexandria and the death toll now stands at 50, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The death of a man in his 70s was reported yesterday, and is the latest fatality since Saturday, June 20. There are now 2,271 cases of the virus in the city, an increase of 13 cases since yesterday. There have also been a steady uptick with 143 new reported cases since Alexandria entered into phase two on June 12.
When the pandemic hit in March, many mothers late into their pregnancies who were preparing to give birth in a hospital were left with difficult decisions.
For BirthCare & Women’s Health, a midwife service in Old Town, that meant a new wave of parents looking for alternatives.
City Releases Annual Homeless Data — “The 2020 Annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count revealed 207 persons experiencing homelessness (i.e., unsheltered and in temporary shelter made available by homeless services providers) in the City of Alexandria.” [City of Alexandria]
Alexandria Police Release 2019 Traffic Stop Data — “The vast majority of traffic stops — 80 percent — occur on weekdays, with Tuesday and Wednesday being the most common days.” [Alexandria Living]
Gov. Ralph Northam announced today that Virginia will move into Phase 3 next Wednesday, July 1, and for Alexandria that means looser restrictions on retail, restaurant and entertainment venues.
The move puts Alexandria and Northern Virginia back on the same timeline as the rest of the state, which Mayor Justin Wilson attributed to the efforts at social distancing and proper hygiene of local residents.
Carpenter’s Shelter reopened its David Place facility at Landmark Mall last week and moved back all of its residents from the temporary shelter at Charles Houston Recreation Center.
Meanwhile, a number of homeless residents and families are still being housed in hotel rooms in the city — a measure that was put in place to protect them from the coronavirus.
One thing is clear: Alexandria City Public Schools won’t be the same if they reopen this fall, according to School Board Chair Cindy Anderson.
On Friday, the board will receive information on the school system’s reopening planning after shutting down in-person learning completely in March. Since that time, everything has been online, including classes, parent/teacher conferences and school board meetings. The plan itself is still in development.
Get your cigar ready. After three months of being shut down, Two Nineteen Restaurant (219 King Street) is reopening its doors to the public at 4 p.m. today. The restaurant has undergone a renovation, too, thanks to receiving a Paycheck Protection Program loan back in April.
“It looks beautiful now,” Two Nineteen’s owner Patty Charoentra told ALXnow. “We’ve completely repainted the interior and repointed the brick. We also installed an air tap draft beer system, so your beer is going to be super cold.”
Samuel Tucker Elementary’s proud year-round school program is being cut back this year due to coronavirus, but School Board members offered reassurances to the community that the change is only temporary.
At a School Board meeting last Friday, school principal Rene Paschal said the questions about how coronavirus would impact the school’s calendar started in the parent community and conversations with school staff continued until the school administration was putting together a plan for what a temporary change away from the year-round program would look like.
(Updated 5 p.m.) Alexandria is recovering from the unemployment spike at the start of the pandemic, but that steadily slowed over the last month.
Data released from the Virginia Employment Commission shows that there were 409 claims from the week of June 13. Since the April 4 high of 2,578 claims, claims have steadily trended down, but initial declines of several-hundred claims per week has dwindled to a less than 50 claim difference between weeks.
There are now 2,236 cases of COVID-19, an increase of nine cases since yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The last fatality due to the virus was reported on Saturday and the death toll stands at 49.
The news comes as the city released Phase Three guidelines for reopening yesterday. Under the new rules, limits on social gathering will increase from 50 to 250 people; swimming pools will be allowed to open at 75% occupancy; gyms and fitness centers can open indoors at 75% capacity and recreation and entertainment venues can open at 50% capacity. Summer camps, however, will stay closed.
Alexandria Realtors Predict Strong Summer — “The first few months of 2020 were very strong in the local real estate market. Contracts slowed significantly in the second half of March and in April, said Dave Hawkins, COO of McEnearney Associates, before the rebound started in May. June should be even stronger for local real estate activity.” [Alexandria Living]
St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School and Goodwin House Embark on Senior Companion Program — “They talk like old friends, but they have never met in person; three months ago, they didn’t even know about each other.” [Washington Post]
