In response to the rapid spread of the delta variant of COVID-19 (including a reported new delta-plus variant), an increasing number of places in Alexandria and Fairfax County are requiring masks, even for those who are vaccinated.
Signs at local grocery stores and businesses are posting signs reflecting current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to wear a mask — even if you’re fully vaccinated, in places where there is substantial spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately, these days, that includes Alexandria and Fairfax County.
But several places are requiring masks for everybody, not just recommending their use.
This week, Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. announced: “The Alexandria City School Board has approved my recommendation to require masks for everyone inside all ACPS facilities as we return to five days a week of in-person learning this month, regardless of vaccination status. This mask policy will also apply when students and staff are in any ACPS vehicles.”
Masks are required in all City of Alexandria facilities, including for people who are already fully vaccinated.
Fairfax County Public Schools are also requiring masks inside school buildings. “To ensure a safe start to the school year, masks will be required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, inside FCPS school buildings,” the school system announced.
Some businesses are taking safety a step further: Sand & Steel, a personal training and CrossFit gym in Alexandria’s West End, is requiring members to provide proof of vaccination. Those who meet limited, documented exemptions will have to wear an N95 or surgical mask inside the gym, but anyone who simply does not want to get a vaccination or provide proof will be asked to leave.
Owner Paul Roberts, who had COVID-19 last year before vaccines were available, told members, “We have built an amazing CrossFit community at Sand & Steel, and we need to work together to protect it.”
He noted that the “honor system” that asks people to wear a mask if they haven’t been vaccinated isn’t working. “Virginia has a vaccination rate of about 67% to 80%,” Roberts wrote in an email to members. “But when you look at how many people are wearing masks in Alexandria — it’s like 5%. We both know the truth… people are saying they have the vaccine so that they don’t have to wear a mask.”
Private businesses, in the absence of a state mandate or executive order, can make their own rules about whether they require masks or other safety measures during the pandemic. Most are providing alternatives for those who do not wish to comply with a businesses' rules, such as curbside pickup or virtual services.
Vaccinations and Spread in Alexandria and Fairfax County
Since releasing a statement last week that the City of Alexandria is experiencing “substantial” community spread of COVID-19, transmission has increased further, primarily affecting those who are unvaccinated. Fairfax County is also experiencing substantial community spread.
As of Thursday, Aug. 5, Alexandria reported a 7-day average of almost 18 confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. The last time Alexandria saw that rate was in late April this year.
In Fairfax County, the 7-day average is 101 confirmed cases per 100,000 people (also similar to the rate in late April), according to data from the Virginia Dept. of Health.
The following chart tracks cases in the Northern health district in Virginia, which includes Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties, plus the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.
Virginia Dept. of Health
The increase in spread is happening despite a majority of people being vaccinated in both jurisdictions. In Alexandria, more than 70% of adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine. In Fairfax County, more than 75% of adults have received at least one dose.
A number of people who are fully vaccinated are still catching the delta variant of COVID-19, but their cases tend to be mild and the vast majority of cases do not result in hospitalization. However, recent research seems to show that vaccinated people with mild cases of COVID-19 can still spread the virus to other people quite easily, which is why more businesses are calling for vaccines or masks.
For those who are unvaccinated, the delta variant is cause for concern, as the variant appears to be much more contagious than earlier strains. Hospitals in Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and several other places are reporting a flood of new COVID-19 patients, straining those health care systems. Here in Virginia, hospitalizations are up compared to earlier this summer, but hospitalizations are not at a point where ICUs are full.
