Neighborhood Health just got a $20,000 boost to improve its telemedicine capabilities from Medicaid health plan company Anthem’s HealthKeepers Plus. The donation will allow the nonprofit to buy laptops and tech accessories.

Neighborhood Health, which has provided free COVID-19 tests and other medical services for more than 40,000 patients throughout Alexandria during the pandemic, mostly provides care for low income residents.

“The additional equipment allows our teams to further reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for both our staff and our patients by offering more virtual visits from home instead of the office,” said Eduardo Mantilla-Torres, Outreach & Enrollment Manager for Neighborhood Health. “This will help lower the number of staff needed on-site and the number of people in the office in general, allowing for a safer distribution of services.”

With telemedicine being the new normal, Anthem’s Thomas Rayner, director of marketing and member engagement, said that the company is “happy to support efforts that provide better healthcare access for Virginia’s low-income residents.”

Photo via Anthem

Alexandria’s COVID-19 deaths are now at 101, and the number of cases has reached 9,121.

That’s five more deaths and 311 cases since this time last week, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The fatal victims were in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

“This grim milestone is an important reminder that COVID-19 is still active in Alexandria and that every resident has a role in stopping the spread, particularly to safeguard those at highest risk of severe illness and death,” according to the Alexandria Health Department. “While the arrival of vaccines offers hope that a return to normalcy is within reach, it may still be many months until the majority of Alexandrians are fully protected.”

Across Virginia, there have been 6,081 deaths and there are or have been 478,619 cases of the virus. There have also been 5.1 million PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and the state’s seven-day positivity rate is 12.6%.

According to Mayor Justin Wilson, the numbers are similar to what the city was experiencing over the summer.

We continue to watch the percent positivity of COVID-19 tests.

Alexandria's 7-day average positivity is 10.2%.

While lower than recent peaks, this matches our highs from early June.

Only 5 Virginia districts are lower.

Masks+distancing–Don't let up now! pic.twitter.com/Eri1tSRooB

— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) January 24, 2021

Read More

Five more Alexandria residents have died from COVID-19, and the death toll from the virus now stands at 96. The city has reached 8,810 cases, an increase of 654 cases since this time last week.

On the vaccine front, there have been more than 300,000 doses of the vaccine distributed across Virginia, and 36,826 people have been fully vaccinated, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

The vaccine is now available to seniors older than 65, anyone ages 16-64 with preexisting conditions and health care workers. Pre-register to receive a vaccine in Alexandria here. Need a test? Find where tests are administered here.

There have also been 469 total hospitalizations in Alexandria since the onset of the pandemic, and the city’s seven-day moving average is 84.1.

Across Virginia, there have been 5,798 deaths and there are or have been 451,076 cases of the virus. There have also been 4.6 million PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and the state’s seven-day positivity rate is 16.7%.

Demographics

There are or have been 4,578 women (with 41 deaths*) and 4,183 men (with 49 deaths*) in Alexandria with the virus. The only age groups that have not experienced a death are children and teenagers.

• 80+    — 39 deaths*, 227 cases
• 70-79 — 23 deaths*, 296 cases
• 60-69 — 10 deaths*, 655 cases
• 50-59 — 14 deaths*, 1,028 cases
• 40-49 — Two deaths*, 1,502 cases
• 30-39 — Two deaths*, 2,040 cases
• 20-29 — One death*, 1,776 cases
• 10-19  — Zero deaths*, 634 cases
• 0-9     — Zero deaths*, 622 cases

*Updated demographic information, including deaths, was not available on the VDH COVID-19 website.

Latino residents have the most infections with 3,189 reported cases, white residents with 2,157 cases, and Black residents with 1,768 cases. There are 381 cases with Asian or Pacific Islander residents, 251 cases classified as “other” and nine native American cases.

Cases By ZIP Code

Some of the areas share jurisdictions between Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax Counties:

• 22301 — 433 cases, 9,239 people tested (Estimated population 15,171)
• 22302 — 981 cases, 15,997 people tested (Estimated population 20,238)
• 22304 — 2,916 cases, 29,858 people tested (Estimated population 54,003)
• 22305 — 1,369 cases, 10,986 people tested (Estimated population 16,095)
• 22311 — 1,461 cases, 12,366 people tested (Estimated population 16,898)
• 22312 — 2,091 cases, 16,447 people tested (Estimated population 6,901)
• 22314 — 1,220 cases, 22,337 people tested (Estimated population 47,826)

Photo via CDC/Unsplash

Three more Alexandria residents have died from COVID-19, and the death toll from the virus now stands at 91. The city has reached 8,156 cases, an increase of 618 cases since this time last week.

The victims were two men and a woman, and one was in their 80s, another in their 70s and another in their 60s.

On the vaccine front, 1,032 vaccines have been administered to health care workers and seniors in nursing homes in Alexandria. There have been more than 200,000 doses of the vaccine distributed across Virginia, and a total of 189,283 first doses have been administered and 15,130 people have been fully vaccinated, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

There have also been 456 total hospitalizations in Alexandria since the onset of the pandemic, and the city’s seven-day moving average is 85.7.

Across Virginia, there have been 5,393 deaths and there are or have been 408,386 cases of the virus. There have also been 4.6 million PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and the state’s seven-day positivity rate is 16.7%.

Demographics

There are or have been 4,246 women (with 41 deaths) and 3,886 men (with 49 deaths) in Alexandria with the virus. The only age groups that have not experienced a death are children and teenagers.

• 80+    — 39 deaths, 208 cases
• 70-79 — 23 deaths, 275 cases
• 60-69 — 10 deaths, 613 cases
• 50-59 — 14 deaths, 969 cases
• 40-49 — Two deaths, 1,384 cases
• 30-39 — Two deaths, 1,897 cases
• 20-29 — One death, 1,651 cases
• 10-19  — Zero deaths, 571 cases
• 0-9     — Zero deaths, 563 cases

Latino residents have the most infections with 3,008 reported cases (with 17 deaths), white residents with 1,932 cases (47 deaths), and Black residents with 1,627 cases (22 deaths). There are 337 cases with Asian or Pacific Islander residents (one death), 227 cases classified as “other” (two deaths) and 10 native American cases (no deaths).

There have also been 71 outbreaks in the city (an increase of seven outbreaks since last week), including 19 at long term care facilities, 36 in congregate settings, six in child care settings, two at a college, one in a K-12 setting and two at a correctional facility. There have been 763 cases associated with the outbreaks. Health care workers also make up 476 of those positive COVID cases, according to VDH.

Testing Update

There have been 94,804 Polymer Chain Reaction (PCR) tests administered in the city; 6,209 antibody tests and 5,343 antigen tests.

However, the city recently warned of a risk of false negative results with testing company Curative, which has three PCR kiosks around the city.

“There is always a risk of false negative results with any PCR test, since the sensitivity is dependent on the concentration of virus in the sample and how well the sample was collected,” the Alexandria Health Department said in a recent release. “To ensure greater accuracy, the City specified in its contract with Curative that only nasal tests would be used, rather than Curative’s oral test.”

Alexandria’s seven-day positivity rate is now at 11.9%. Below are statistics for neighboring jurisdictions:

• Arlington County has 10,117 cases, 186 deaths and a 12.3% seven-day positivity rate
• Fairfax County has 50,379 cases, 723 deaths and a 14.4% seven-day positivity rate
• Loudoun County has 15,443 cases, 164 deaths and a 17.7% seven-day positivity rate

Need a test? Find where tests are administered here.

Cases By ZIP Code

Some of the areas share jurisdictions between Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax Counties:

• 22301 — 385 cases, 8,650 people tested (Estimated population 15,171)
• 22302 — 933 cases, 15,146 people tested (Estimated population 20,238)
• 22304 — 2,645 cases, 27,955 people tested (Estimated population 54,003)
• 22305 — 1,307 cases, 10,410 people tested (Estimated population 16,095)
• 22311 — 1,372 cases, 11,771 people tested (Estimated population 16,898)
• 22312 — 1,961 cases, 15,578 people tested (Estimated population 6,901)
• 22314 — 1,102 cases, 20,872 people tested (Estimated population 47,826)

Photo via CDC/Unsplash

Details Emerge in New Landmark Mall Plan — “Construction will happen over several years, likely starting with the demolition of the Landmark Mall building as early as 2022.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

Office of Historic Alexandria Debuts Parker-Gray Commemorative Website — “Today the Office of Historic Alexandria launched a website to honor the opening of Parker-Gray High School in 1920. The page provides a wealth of history, including information about alumni, staff, and faculty.” [Zebra]

Alexandria Health Department Vaccinates Healthcare Workers — “Between December 24 and January 4, AHD administered 1,032 doses of vaccine, over the course of three vaccination events.” [City of Alexandria]

Bishop Ireton Seeking New Principal — “Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia seeks candidates for the position of Principal, with an official start date of July 1, 2021” [National Board for Professional Teacher Standards]

Two more Alexandria residents have died from COVID-19, and the death toll from the virus now stands at 88. The city has reached 7,538 cases, an increase of 431 cases since this time last week.

The victims were a woman and a man, and one was in their 40s and the other in their 70s, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

On the vaccine front, 1,032 vaccines have been administered to health care workers and seniors in nursing homes in Alexandria. There have been more than 200,000 doses of the vaccine distributed across Virginia, and a total of 87,618 first doses have been administered, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

There have also been 442 total hospitalizations in Alexandria since the onset of the pandemic, and the city’s seven-day moving average is 59.9.

Across Virginia, there have been 4,861 deaths and there are or have been 336,175 cases of the virus. There have also been 4.4 million PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and the state’s seven-day positivity rate is 15.4%.

Demographics

There are or have been 3,941 women (with 40 deaths) and 3,575 men (with 47 deaths) in Alexandria with the virus. The only age groups that have not experienced a death are children and teenagers.

• 80+    — 38 deaths, 196 cases
• 70-79 — 21 deaths, 251 cases
• 60-69 — Nine deaths, 572 cases
• 50-59 — 14 deaths, 897 cases
• 40-49 — One death, 1,282 cases
• 30-39 — Two deaths, 1,737 cases
• 20-29 — One death, 1,523 cases
• 10-19  — Zero deaths, 533 cases
• 0-9     — Zero deaths, 523 cases

Latino residents have the most infections with 2,900 reported cases (with 15 deaths), white residents with 1,741 cases (46 deaths), and Black residents with 1,503 cases (21 deaths). There are 306 cases with Asian or Pacific Islander residents (one death), 205 cases classified as “other” (two deaths) and seven native American cases (no deaths).

There have also been 64 outbreaks in the city, including 19 at long term care facilities, 34 in congregate settings, six in child care settings, one at a college, one in a K-12 setting and two at a correctional facility. There have been 675 cases associated with the outbreaks. Health care workers also make up 459 positive COVID cases, according to VDH.

Testing Update

There have been 89,826 COVID tests administered in the city; 6,076 antibody tests and 4,893 antigen tests. The city’s seven-day positivity rate is now at 10.9%.

• Arlington County has 9,290 cases, 182 deaths and a 11.2% seven-day positivity rate
• Fairfax County has 46,595 cases, 703 deaths and a 14.5% seven-day positivity rate
• Loudoun County has 14,569 cases, 161 deaths and a 16.2% seven-day positivity rate

Need a test? Find out where tests are administered here.

Cases By ZIP Code

Some of the areas share jurisdictions between Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax Counties:

• 22301 — 340 cases, 8,203 people tested (Estimated population 15,171)
• 22302 — 858 cases, 14,534 people tested (Estimated population 20,238)
• 22304 — 2,448 cases, 26,588 people tested (Estimated population 54,003)
• 22305 — 1,266 cases, 9,985 people tested (Estimated population 16,095)
• 22311 — 1,274 cases, 11,027 people tested (Estimated population 16,898)
• 22312 — 1,865 cases, 14,797 people tested (Estimated population 6,901)
• 22314 — 953 cases, 19,489 people tested (Estimated population 47,826)

Photo via CDC/Unsplash

As Alexandria’s COVID-19 caseload continues to grow, the city is encouraging residents to participate in an upcoming virtual discussion with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

There are now 7,230 cases of COVID-19 in Alexandria, and the death toll has risen to 87. The most recent fatality was a woman in her 40s, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Across Virginia, there are 344,345 cases and there have been 4,984 deaths.

The free discussion on Friday, Jan. 8, is being hosted by Governor Ralph Northam’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Equity, and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center.

Fauci says that vaccination targets have been missed so far this month, and expects the pandemic to get worse before it gets better.

The conversation is part of the “Facts & Faith Friday” group that has met to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the Black community.

Registration is required for the event, and participants need to fill out a questionnaire with their basic information, including age, race, sex and whether they have a specific question for Fauci.

Image via NIAID

Another Alexandria resident has died of COVID-19, and the death toll from the virus now stands at 83.

The resident was a man in his 60s.

Alexandria now has 6,717 cases of COVID-19, an increase of 470 cases since this time last week, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The city is asking residents to stay at home as much as possible while the number of cases is surging.

“The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) strongly urge residents to stay home as much as possible during the current surge of COVID-19 cases in our community,” the city said in a release.

There have also been 414 total hospitalizations since the onset of the pandemic in Alexandria, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Across Virginia, there have been 4,654 deaths and there are or have been 310,890 cases of the virus. There have been nearly 4 million PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and the state’s seven-day positivity rate is 11,3%.

Demographics

There are or have been 3,535 women (with 39 deaths) and 3,162 men (with 44 deaths) in Alexandria with the virus. The only age groups that have not experienced a death are children and teenagers.

• 80+    — 36 deaths, 173 cases
• 70-79 — 20 deaths, 217 cases
• 60-69 — Nine deaths, 499 cases
• 50-59 — 14 deaths, 788 cases
• 40-49 — One death, 1,155 cases
• 30-39 — Two deaths, 1,559 cases
• 20-29 — One death, 1,360 cases
• 10-19  — Zero deaths, 464 cases
• 0-9     — Zero deaths, 480 cases

Latino residents have the most infections with 2,700 reported cases (with 14 deaths), white residents with 1,532 cases (45 deaths), and Black residents with 1,295 cases (20 deaths). There are 266 cases with Asian or Pacific Islander residents (one death), 184 cases classified as “other” (two deaths) and seven native American cases (no deaths).

There have also been 56 outbreaks in the city (an increase of seven since last week), including 15 at long term care facilities, 31 in congregate settings, six in child care settings, one at a college, one in a K-12 setting and one at a correctional facility. There have been 617 cases associated with the outbreaks. Health care workers also make up 415 positive COVID cases, according to VDH.

Testing Update

There have been 80,873 COVID tests administered in the city; 5,884 antibody tests and 3,881 antigen tests. The city’s seven-day positivity rate is now at 9.3%.

• Arlington County has 8,054 cases, 169 deaths and a 7.4% seven-day positivity rate
• Fairfax County has 40,551 cases, 670 deaths and a 11% seven-day positivity rate
• Loudoun County has 12,861 cases, 155 deaths and a 11.7% seven-day positivity rate

Need a test? Find out where tests are administered here.

Cases By ZIP Code

Some of the areas share jurisdictions between Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax Counties:

• 22301 — 291 cases, 7,287 people tested (Estimated population 15,171)
• 22302 — 762 cases, 13,221 people tested (Estimated population 20,238)
• 22304 — 2,165 cases, 23,847 people tested (Estimated population 54,003)
• 22305 — 1,1263cases, 9,108 people tested (Estimated population 16,095)
• 22311 — 1,162 cases, 10,206 people tested (Estimated population 16,898)
• 22312 — 1,671 cases, 13,352 people tested (Estimated population 6,901)
• 22314 — 815 cases, 17,204 people tested (Estimated population 47,826)

Photo via CDC/Unsplash

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.

The update comes as Governor Ralph Northam recently announced plans to release the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The first doses will only be available to health care workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

This is an important update from the @GovernorVA

The City has worked with the Commonwealth to plan for vaccinations for most of 2020.

It is a thrill and a relief that the first allotment will reach VA within the next 48 hours for distribution to the highest risk populations. https://t.co/K192MFB9Np

— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) December 12, 2020

Across Virginia, there have been 4,414 deaths and there are or have been 285,149 cases of the virus. There have been 3.5 million PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and the state’s seven-day positivity rate is 10.8%.

Demographics

There are or have been 3,297 women (with 40 deaths) and 2,945 men (with 42 deaths) in Alexandria with the virus. The only age groups that have not experienced a death so far are children and teenagers.

• 80+    — 36 deaths, 165 cases
• 70-79 — 21 deaths, 200 cases
• 60-69 — Seven deaths, 460 cases
• 50-59 — 14 deaths, 742 cases
• 40-49 — One death, 1,081 cases
• 30-39 — Two deaths, 1,457 cases
• 20-29 — One death, 1,259 cases
• 10-19  — Zero deaths, 430 cases
• 0-9     — Zero deaths, 444 cases

Latino residents have the most infections with 2,584 reported cases (with 14 deaths), white residents with 1,398 cases (45 deaths), and Black residents with 1,223 cases (19 deaths). There are 243 cases with Asian or Pacific Islander residents (one death), 168 cases classified as “other” (two deaths) and five native American cases (no deaths).

There have also been 49 outbreaks in the city (an increase of six since last week), including 12 at long term care facilities, 28 in congregate settings, five in child care settings, one at a college, one in a K-12 setting and one at a correctional facility.

There have been 540 cases associated with the outbreaks. Health care workers also make up 370 positive COVID cases, according to VDH.

Testing Update

There have been 75,319 COVID tests administered in the city; 5,767 antibody tests and 3,381 antigen tests. The city’s seven-day positivity rate is now at 9%.

• Arlington County has 7,463 cases, 164 deaths and a 7.8% seven-day positivity rate
• Fairfax County has 37,440 cases, 657 deaths and a 11% seven-day positivity rate
• Loudoun County has 11,937 cases, 151 deaths and a 12.4% seven-day positivity rate

Need a test? Find out where tests are administered here.

Cases By ZIP Code

Some of the areas share jurisdictions between Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax Counties:

• 22301 — 260 cases, 6,764 people tested (Estimated population 15,171)
• 22302 — 689 cases, 12,264 people tested (Estimated population 20,238)
• 22304 — 2,007 cases, 22,147 people tested (Estimated population 54,003)
• 22305 — 1,122 cases, 8,580 people tested (Estimated population 16,095)
• 22311 — 1,094 cases, 9,699 people tested (Estimated population 16,898)
• 22312 — 1,553 cases, 12,480 people tested (Estimated population 6,901)
• 22314 — 752 cases, 15,865 people tested (Estimated population 47,826)

Photo via CDC/Unsplash

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.

“We know that, initially, there will be very limited supplies and the federal government will be advising and even requiring us to vaccinate certain persons first,” Dr. Stephen Haering, director of the Alexandria Health Department, told City Council last month.

Vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are currently undergoing Food and Drug Administration approval. Once approved, it is estimated that 480,000 doses will be distributed across Virginia.

Haering said that essential workers, like first responders and government employees would be next to get the vaccine, followed by the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions. He estimates that the AHD will vaccinate up to 35% of the city’s population.

The vaccine will free and eventually available at grocery stores, as well as chain and independent pharmacies, according to the VDH COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

“One of the things we’re doing is focusing a lot of our resources on vaccine PODs (Points Of Dispensing),” Haering said. “We’re anticipating that pharmacies will be vaccinating the long-term care facilities, but we’re planning on doing that if for some reason that falls through.”

Mayor Justin Wilson said the city needs to be clear on a timeline for who will get vaccinated.

“I imagine we are going to need to communicate extremely clearly with the public as it relates to vaccination prioritizations, particularly early on when the supply is limited,” Wilson said.

Photo via CDC on Upsplash