Zebra Misc

Alexandria Stresses Importance of Childhood Vaccinations

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Alexandria, VA – In its most recent email, the city continues to urge residents to stay at home, unless going out is essential. And when out, they stress the importance of maintaining six feet of distance around others.

Children and Vaccinations

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there could be a possible outbreak of preventable diseases like the measles, because children are not receiving immunizations during the pandemic.

A recently released study found that in March, about a week after the president declared a national emergency in the U.S., the number of child vaccine orders by doctors dropped significantly.

Alexandria reminds residents that doctor visits for children and their immunizations are crucial to protect them and avoid outbreaks.

National Nurses Week

Nurses are very special people. While our community is distancing right now, they are rushing to help the sick. They are honored to do their jobs and combine their knowledge with compassion and strength.

National Nurses Week from May 6-12 recognizes them and their effort to provide non-stop care to patients.

Alexandria’s first responders recently visited Inova Alexandria Hospital with a siren salute for nurses and other healthcare providers, including support staff, who are going above and beyond during this crisis.

Residents can send a special message to staff at Inova Alexandria. To send a thank-you, click HERE.

Telework Helps Police

With the statewide stay-at-home order in place in March and April, the Alexandria Police Department saw a 42 percent drop in calls. For a time in April, officers averaged one call per shift.

This gave officers the opportunity to rotate, a few at a time, through one-week telework periods, while the department still met required staffing levels on the street. It also allowed for the limited use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the rearranging of workstations to adhere to distancing guidelines.

During telework periods, officers received reports of past offenses by telephone, followed up on past offenses by telephone and email, and completed online training. The period provided the rare opportunity for them to spend time with family and lessen stress.

With PPE inventories now at an adequate level and safer workstations, officers can respond to calls quicker as summer arrives and more people venture out,

Virtual Activities

Many city meetings and events are taking place virtually. For a full list of what is available, click HERE.

ICYMI: Mayor, County Leaders Urge Northam to Set Regions for Reopening

 

Kevin Dauray

Kevin is Publisher's Assistant with The Zebra Press. He has been working for Alexandria's "Good News" newspaper since 2019. A graduate of George Mason University, he earned a bachelor's in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. He also studied at the Columbia School of Broadcasting and holds a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marymount University. He is an alumnus of T.C. Williams High School. Go Titans!

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