Alexandria Provides COVID Updates; Paycheck Protection Program Loan Webinar; Online Learning Opportunities; Online COVID-19 Risk Assessment

Press release from the City of Alexandria:

Jan 7, 2021 at 8:22 PM

City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Paycheck Protection Program Loan Webinar; Online Learning Opportunities; Online COVID-19 Risk Assessment

­­For Immediate Release: January 7, 2021

The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) strongly urge residents to stay home as much as possible during the current surge of COVID-19 cases in our community. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are increasing in Alexandria. Take immediate and ongoing action to control the spread by wearing a
mask over both your nose and mouth, staying home unless it’s necessary to go out, and washing your hands frequently. Without these critical steps, additional lives may be at risk.

Paycheck Protection Program Loan Webinar

The Virginia Small Business Development Center will host a webinar on Friday, January 8, 10-11 a.m., about the
new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, federal coronavirus assistance legislation adopted at the end of December 2020. Topics will include eligibility, covered expenses, the application process, and the forgiveness process for any business that has received a loan. This event is free, but
registration is required to receive access to the webinar. The Alexandria
Small Business Development Center has compiled information about the new program.

Online Learning Opportunities

The City offers many fun and engaging online learning resources to support families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alexandria Library offers book clubs, crafting, story time, and games. The Office of
Historic Alexandria offers K-12 learning, online lessons, activity sheets, story times and educational kits, as well as virtual tours of museum collections. Registration is now open for online programs available through the Department of
Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities.

COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool

Residents can complete an online questionnaire to determine their risk for becoming infected or spreading COVID-19. The
CV19 CheckUp is a free, confidential, and easy-to-use assessment of health and behaviors to determine an individual’s level of risk. Once a questionnaire is completed, users receive a custom report that provides recommendations to reduce risk based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. The reports generated by the website are informational only, and are not health advice. Residents are encouraged to consult with their health care providers for guidance and to discuss concerns. COVID-19 testing is a key component to stopping the spread of COVID-19. Visit the City’s
Get Tested web page to determine the best testing facility for your needs.

Alexandria COVID-19 Data At-a-Glance

The chart below, containing the seven-day moving average number of COVID-19 cases and the daily and cumulative case and fatality counts, provides detailed information about how preventive measures are impacting Alexandria's response to the pandemic. An interactive version is available at
alexandriava.gov/114883. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, are available through links at
alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus.

AHD estimates that approximately 1 in 15 Alexandrians who tested positive for COVID-19 have required hospitalization. An estimated 66% of Virginia adults who become infected never have symptoms. The best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 remain wearing a mask in public, maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from others, and frequently washing your hands or carrying and using hand sanitizer with at least 60% ethyl alcohol. Help your loved ones and neighbors by calling your close contacts if you test positive for COVID-19. Learn who to call and what to say from AHD's “
What to Do If You Get Sick” guidance, which is available in
Spanish,
Amharic,
Arabic, and
Farsi or this brief
video. Download the Virginia Department of Health’s
COVIDWISE app to be quickly and anonymously notified of likely exposure to the virus.

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This news release is available at
alexandriava.gov/119701.

This press release was produced by the City of Alexandria.The views expressed here are the author’s own.