City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MAY 5, 2021
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing, Second Reading and Final Passage of an amended ordinance to prevent the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes, commonly referred to as COVID-19 by requiring face coverings in certain indoor and outdoor locations. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of amendments to the ordinance requiring face coverings in certain indoor and outdoor locations to acknowledge updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about when face coverings are required.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve the amended ordinance on first reading and set the ordinance for second reading, public hearing and adoption on Saturday, May 15, 2021.
BACKGROUND: On September 12, 2020, City Council adopted an ordinance that was effective October 20, 2020 that requires face coverings in certain indoor and outdoor locations in order to assist in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The ordinance requires face coverings in outdoor locations when social distancing between people not in the same family cannot be achieved and in indoor locations other than an individual's household or vehicle. The ordinance does not have specific penalties for violation of the requirements, however, has provided clear guidance to residents and visitors of Alexandria regarding the City's expectations and requirements.
On April 27, 2021, as the number of new cases of COVID-19 decreases and the number of people vaccinated has increased, CDC issued new guidance for wearing face coverings indoors and outdoors. Accordingly, the Commonwealth of Virginia also updated its Executive Order 72 (EO72)to incorporate ongoing CDC guidance. Therefore, it is recommended that City Council now adopt th...
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