Updated Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021
Alexandria area officials are gearing up to give booster shots to those who have gotten vaccinated against COVID-19.
But until booster shots are available to everyone — and until the delta variant is under control — Alexandria officials are asking everyone to put on their masks, both inside and outdoors, regardless of vaccination status.
Alexandria officials are launching a new campaign to encourage mask usage: "Residents, businesses and visitors are encouraged to 'Wear It Well' by wearing a mask in public indoor spaces, whether vaccinated or not, to help prevent the spread of the more contagious delta variant."
"With COVID-19 cases surging, we have to act now to stop more illness," said Dr. Anne Gaddy, Acting Alexandria Health Director. "One of the easiest ways to do your part is by wearing a mask in public indoor spaces and encouraging your friends and neighbors to do the same.”
Alexandria officials would like to see people wearing masks in all indoor public places and outdoors, particularly in crowded places and at events.
According to the City of Alexandria: "The 'Wear It Well' message will be visible in the community in the form of multilingual banners and posters displayed in City facilities and businesses, as well as pop-up events taking place throughout Alexandria to ensure residents, visitors and businesses are aware of the CDC’s recommendation.'
Vaccination Status
After the opening of mass vaccination centers earlier this year, the number of people seeking vaccinations slowed over the summer as the majority of Alexandria residents got vaccinated. Currently, 70.7 percent of Alexandria residents over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 61 percent are fully vaccinated. (Vaccines are still readily available and free — here’s where to get one.)
The Alexandria Health Dept. has already started giving booster shots to those who are immunocompromised as the delta variant of COVID-19 has turned Alexandria (and Fairfax County) into a community of “high transmission.” The strong majority of the new coronavirus cases are among those who are not vaccinated.
“In Northern Virginia, there have been only 24 breakthrough hospitalizations and only 1 death of vaccinated individuals over the past month, despite cases increasing significantly,” Mayor Justin Wilson wrote in a Facebook post.
Regarding booster shots, city officials announced: “This work follows today’s White House announcement that a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be recommended for individuals ages 18 and older who have received the first two doses of an mRNA vaccine. If the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend booster doses after reviewing the available data, vaccinated adults will be eligible for a booster shot as soon as eight months after they received their second dose. Booster shots may be available as soon as Sept. 20.”
Some people who were vaccine-hesitant said they would wait until one of the vaccines received full approval from the Food & Drug Administration — that happened Monday. The FDA gave approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
On Wednesday, Johnson & Johnson announced that a second shot significantly increased protection against COVID-19, including the delta variant.