Alexandria Mask Mandate Tweaked To Match Virginia Requirements

ALEXANDRIA, VA — On Saturday, Alexandria City Council voted to adjust the city's face mask requirement to meet the adjusted Virginia requirements.

The vote by City Council adjusts the city's public mask mandate to be consistent with Gov. Ralph Northam's current and future executive orders. Northam had announced Friday he was lifting the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people in Virginia on Saturday in accordance with new CDC guidance.

Under the new guidance, fully vaccinated people do not have to wear a mask in most indoor or outdoor settings, mask or physically distance in any indoor and outdoor setting, except when required by federal, state or local laws and regulations. Masks must continue to be worn in public transit, in health care facilities, congregate settings, K-12 schools, and businesses that require masks.

The amended Alexandria ordinance takes effect immediately, allowing fully vaccinated people in Alexandria to no longer wear masks in most indoor public settings. Existing mask requirements for city programs and facilities remain in place for now.

People not fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask in shared indoor and outdoor public settings and continue safety precautions against COVID-19. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The easing of the mask requirement comes as Alexandria and Virginia have seen health metrics improve and the share of vaccinated individuals grow.

"With 40 percent of Alexandrians ages 16 and up fully vaccinated and approaching our lowest 7-day moving average of COVID-19 cases, we are thrilled to be able to take a step toward returning to normalcy," said Mayor Justin Wilson in a statement. "Wearing a mask has been one of the simplest and most effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 and has helped us reach this transition point. If you are not yet fully vaccinated, please continue to wear a mask in public settings to protect your loved ones and neighbors and to help us all return to normal."

Alexandria implemented its own face mask requirement in October 2020. The city's ordinance required masks in both indoor and outdoor public places, expanding on Northam's requirement. Northam later expanded his mandate to include outdoor settings where social distancing cannot be maintained.