Health & Fitness
Vaccine Required For Alexandria Government, School Workers
City government and school employees will be asked to submit vaccine documentation or undergo weekly testing for COVID-19 at no direct cost.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The City of Alexandria and Alexandria City Public Schools announced a COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirement for city government and ACPS employees. The employers cited guidance from the Alexandria Health Department as a response to rising COVID-19 cases.
City government and ACPS employees will be asked to submit vaccine documentation to their agencies. Employees who did not get vaccinated or don't disclose their vaccination status will be required to get weekly COVID-19 testing. The testing will be available at no direct cost to employees.
"We have to take every action available to provide safe public facilities to residents, reduce transmission, and prevent exposure to the virus and more of the impacts we have already experienced," said City Manager Mark Jinks in a statement. "As major employers, the City and school division are in partnership to address this pandemic health situation. This new mitigation measure adds a layer of protection to the existing requirement for staff and visitors to wear masks inside City and ACPS facilities, regardless of vaccination status, as recommended by the CDC."
Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Alexandria School Board approved the vaccine or weekly testing recommendation from Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings, Jr. at a special meeting Thursday.
"This is a vital tool to add to our current health and safety mitigation measures," said Alexandria City School Board Chair Meagan Alderton. "It is a proactive step we can take to help reduce transmission of the virus in our school facilities and strengthen safety measures to protect our community as a whole."
Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In Alexandria, 71.4 percent of the adult population has at least one vaccine dose and 61.7 percent is fully vaccinated, according to Virginia Department of Health data. Northern Virginia and the state as a whole has seen a majority of cases, hospitalizations and deaths this year among people who are unvaccinated or not yet fully vaccinated.
The Alexandria Health Department and other providers administer the vaccine to people 12 and older by appointment and walk-in.
SEE ALSO:
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
