The City of Alexandria is experiencing the largest 10-day spike in reported COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic reached the city a year ago, though the city cautioned that these deaths were the result of the post-holiday case surge and could have occurred weeks earlier.

In the last 10 days, the Virginia Department of Health has determined that 16 additional Alexandria residents have died from COVID-19, bringing the city’s death total to 120. The 16 deaths reported in 10 days surpass even the reported death totals from last spring, when most of the city’s long-term care facilities experienced COVID-19 outbreaks. There have been lags between the occurrence of deaths and when VDH reports them throughout the pandemic.

In addition, the four deaths reported on Feb. 28 were the second-most in a single day since the pandemic began, trailing only June 26, 2020.

-ddunbar@alextimes.com