Alexandria's Coronavirus Prep To Be Detailed In Virtual Session

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The City of Alexandria and local partners will detail their preparations for the new coronavirus, COVID-19, in a virtual session on Thursday, March 12. Officials will provide information and answer questions from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. The online session will be available at alexandriava.gov/Health.

As of March 5, there are no confirmed cases in Alexandria or Virginia. The state has pending test results for three possible cases, and 108 people are under public health monitoring.

Panelists will include Alexandria Health Department director Dr. Stephen Haering, Inova Alexandria Hospital president Dr. Rina Bansal, Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings Jr., and City Manager Mark Jinks. The virtual session will detail how the government and health care sector is preparing for impacts of the COVID-19, how businesses and nonprofits can help and how residents can protect themselves against the virus.

SEE ALSO: Virginia's New Coronavirus Response Outlined, No Cases Confirmed

Residents can submit questions in advance or ask questions live via social media, text message, and phone information on the webpage. A recording of the virtual session will be provided online.

The new coronavirus, COVID-19, is a respiratory illness first identified in an outbreak in the city of Wuhan in China's Hubei province in December 2019. The respiratory illness is caused by a novel coronavirus and can be spread from person to person. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is thought to be spread between people in close contact with another through droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Cases have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath — these can appear two to 14 days after exposure. The CDC recommends contacting a doctor if you develop symptoms, have been in close contact with someone that has COVID-19, or have been to an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19. The CDC also urges U.S. travelers to avoid nonessential travel to China, Italy, Iran and South Korea.

ACPS said in an update to families it is monitoring the coronavirus situation with the Alexandria Health Department and is taking precautions as it does when flu and other virus outbreaks are prevalent.

"Our schools are cleaned daily. All of our classrooms are disinfected every day, and frequently touched areas such as door knobs, faucet handles, and handrails are wiped down," reads the March 4 update from ACPS. Hard surfaces such as desk tops, are wiped down twice per week, while all restrooms in all schools are cleaned using a hospital grade disinfectant. Soap dispensers are also being checked three times a day during school hours."

The Alexandria Health Department recommends the following tips to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home when you are sick. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow, not your hand. Alternatively, cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, and wash your hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

For ongoing updates, follow the coronavirus webpages from the Alexandria Health Department, Virginia Department of Health and CDC.