Updated Sunday, March 15 at 11:40 a.m.
The Alexandria Dept. of Health Sunday morning announced that a second Alexandria resident has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the illness associated with the novel coronavirus.
The resident had attended a conference in the District where an individual was later confirmed to have coronavirus. The second individual immediately traveled abroad, where they began to feel ill.
"As a result, the resident self-quarantined at home immediately upon return to Alexandria on March 6, and received regular monitoring from AHD. The resident was evaluated, tested and released from Inova Alexandria Hospital and is doing well at home. They will remain under self-isolation and be monitored by AHD until it is safe for them to return to their normal activities," according to a health department release.
City officials still believe the risk to the public is low.
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Original story posted Saturday, March 14 at 7:44 p.m.
Some Alexandrians are quite concerned about coronavirus and others not concerned at all, but Alexandria’s City Manager Mark Jinks declared a local emergency Saturday morning. Doing so unlocks potential access to federal and state funds as the City of Alexandria implements its pandemic response plan.
Mayor Justin Wilson told residents on Facebook that City officials "will be working to define options to assist businesses and residents over the next few days."
Alexandria officials said the overall risk level remains low, as the City is not aware of current community transmission of the coronavirus COVID-19.
Just a few hours later, the Virginia Dept. of Health announced that a man in his 70s, who caught the virus from an unknown source, died of respiratory failure. He was being treated in the Newport News region of Virginia, about 150 miles southeast of Alexandria.
(Article continues below...)
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In addition to the emergency declaration, Alexandria City Council Saturday morning unanimously approved a matching grant of $100,000 to the ACTNow fund and $20,000 to the ALIVE! food bank. (Here’s more information and how to donate.)
Alexandria has a significant number of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. To ensure Alexandria’s children and their families are fed, Alexandria City Public Schools is providing free meals. More information is available here.
Alexandria Renew Enterprises (AlexRenew), Dominion Energy and Virginia American Water have notified the City that they have suspended utility disconnections for nonpayment.
Activities and programs produced by the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities are cancelled through March 21; Office of Historic Alexandria through March 22; and Alexandria Library through March 31.
For the time being, recreation centers remain open, libraries and museums are still open on a normal schedule, but individual programs may be canceled. Call ahead for details.
Many City events and programs are being held, postponed or canceled on a case-by-case basis. Keep an eye on the City of Alexandria calendar at alexandriava.gov for information over
For more information about the COVID-19 coronavirus and how you can help protect yourself and those around you, visit alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus. For questions about COVID-19, call the Alexandria COVID-19 Information Line at 703-746-4988, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Virginia residents can also call the Virginia Department of Health public information line, 877-ASK-VDH3, for questions about the novel coronavirus situation. If you have chest pain or shortness of breath, call or text 911.
