As of Thursday, March 26, there were 20 cases of COVID-19 in Alexandria, and City health officials were working on contacting people who may have been at Murphy's Irish Pub in Old Town on March 10, 14 and 15. (Read more here.)
Statewide, the Virginia Dept. of Health released new data about who is contracting this novel coronavirus:
- 10.9 percent of cases are in people ages 70 to 79
- 18.3 percent of cases are affecting people ages 60 to 69
- 18.3 percent of cases are affecting people ages 50 to 59
- 15 percent of cases are in people ages 40 - 49
- 14.6 percent of cases are in people ages 30 - 39
- 15.9 percent of cases are in people ages 20 - 29
Men are testing positive in 52.6 percent of cases, and women account for 45.9 percent of cases. (The others cases not report a gender.)
Northern Virginia has, by far, the most cases. There are more than 60 cases in Arlington and more than 80 cases in Fairfax County.
Resources Available
As Alexandria residents continue to navigate restrictions due to coronavirus concerns, the City of Alexandria is reminding residents of resources available to them.
A record 3.28 million people applied for unemployment benefits in the week ending Sunday, March 21, including more than 46,000 Virginia residents.
(More information on applying for unemployment benefits is here.)
Business Owners
Business owners have a variety of tools open to them. The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce has provided links to SBA Disaster loan information, local tax relief information and more. Go to this page (and scroll down to Business Assistance & Resources).
Assistance for Pet Owners
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) has a Pet Pantry program in place for residents in need of pet food or other pet supplies. Pet items will be available for pick up at the AWLA (4101 Eisenhower Ave.) by appointment only. Residents in need are encouraged to email community@alexandriaanimals.org or call 703-746-5508 to request pet food or supplies. If transportation is a problem, contact the AWLA to discuss options.
SNAP Benefits Expanded
The Virginia Department of Social Services is extending services and providing emergency allotments for households currently receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program ( SNAP) benefits. Certifications expiring in March, April and May will be extended for six months until September, October and November, respectively. Emergency allotments for current SNAP households will be issued for the months of March and April, and the work requirement will be waived effective April 1.
City Meetings
Several City of Alexandria meetings are being canceled or moved in such a way that residents are encouraged to call in or watch the meeting on television or the Internet. More information about Board of Architectural Review, Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals meetings is available here. Other city meetings and links to videos, agendas and schedules are available here.
