Teachers, police officers, mail carriers, grocery store workers and other frontline essential workers are next in line to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to City of Alexandria officials.
Virginia and Alexandria are current still in phase 1a, vaccinating healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities, but the Alexandria Health Department is starting to prepare for the next wave of vaccinations.
Phase 1b includes residents over the age of 75 and a variety of frontline essential workers. Ideally, by this summer, all Alexandria residents will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, but it depends on vaccine manufacturing, availability and distribution. (Learn more here.)
Vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given at no cost. Some vaccination providers may charge an administration fee (around $20) for administering the vaccine, but some providers, including the Alexandria Health Department, will waive this fee.
The virus is on the upswing in Virginia, where there are currently more cases and higher positive test rates than at any time since the coronavirus pandemic arrived here.
Virginia Dept. of Health
As of Jan. 7, 2021, there was an average of 4,708 new cases per day in Virginia.
In Alexandria, cases are not at their all-time high (that was Dec. 11, 2020), but 90 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Jan. 5, 2020 and there is significantly more virus transmission in the region than there was before Thanksgiving.
In Fairfax County, virus transmission is very close to its all-time high from Dec. 11, 2020. There is an average of 477 new cases per day over the past week in the County.
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The following information came from the City of Alexandria late Wednesday night:
Phase 1b and 1c Vaccine Priority Groups Announced
On January 6, Governor Northam announced eligible groups for the next phases of COVID-19 vaccination. Although Virginia is currently still in Phase 1a (health care workers and people in long-term care settings), AHD is prepared to begin Phase 1b vaccinations and has petitioned the state to allow Alexandria to move into the next tier. AHD expects to learn more in the next few days about when Alexandria can move into Phase 1b.
Phase 1b includes people ages 75 and older living in Alexandria, those in correctional facilities and homeless shelters, and frontline essential workers who work in Alexandria, regardless of their residency. Frontline essential worker categories include police, fire and hazmat; corrections and shelters; childcare and K-12; agriculture; manufacturing; grocery stores; public transit; and public and private mail carriers.
Phase 1c includes people ages 65-74 who live in Alexandria; those aged 16-64 who live in Alexandria and have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19; and other essential workers who work in Alexandria, regardless of their residency. Other essential worker categories include energy; water and wastewater; housing construction; food service; transportation, higher education; finance; communications; media; legal, public safety engineers; other public health workers; and officials needed to maintain continuity of government.
AHD has begun outreach to organizations employing Phase 1b and 1c workers to collect the needed information to register for a vaccine appointment. Organizations that have not been contacted and individuals who qualify for Phase 1b or 1c based on age or medical condition should fill out this brief form. AHD is working closely with senior serving organizations to reach residents ages 75 and older who do not have access to the internet or an email address.
