Free community testing for COVID-19 continues.
That Richmond and Henrico County Health Districts offer tests at the following locations:
• Thursday, May 26th4pm to 7pm – Broad Rock Sports Complex, 4899 Old Warwick Road
For more information on test sites, call the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or go online at vax.rchd.com.
The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of statewide COVID-19 testing sites at www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites.
Would you like a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot?
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are offering free COVID-19 vaccines at the following locations:
• Friday May 27th, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Bacon Retirement Community, 815 N 35th St., Pfizer for ages 12 and older and Moderna; 2-4 p.m. – Bowler Retirement Community, 608 N. 26th St., Pfizer for ages 12 and older and Moderna.
Children ages 5 to 17 may only receive the Pfizer vaccine. Vaccinations and booster shots are available to all beneficiaries on a walk-in basis. People can still make an appointment online at vaccinate.virginia.gov or vax.rchd.com or by calling (804) 205-3501 or (877) VAX-IN-VA (1-877-829-4682).
VaccineFinder.org and vaccines.gov also allow people to find nearby pharmacies and clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.
Those receiving a booster shot should bring their vaccination card to confirm the date and type of vaccine received.
RHHD also offers at-home vaccinations by calling (804) 205-3501 to schedule appointments.
New COVID-19 cases in Virginia rose 25 percent last week, according to the Virginia Department of Health, while data from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association showed a 24 percent increase in hospital admissions statewide over the same period.
Pfizer now recommends three small doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of five, and on Monday announced plans to submit preliminary data to federal health groups later this week.
Previous data for this method showed 80 percent effectiveness in protecting people aged between six months and five years from the Omicron variant, although the company’s researchers also say larger studies are needed to test how well the doses treat serious diseases prevent in the age group.
The Food and Drug Administration is already in the process of reviewing data on the Moderna vaccine’s effectiveness in protecting very young children, with doses potentially approved and approved for the age group in the summer.
As of Wednesday, a total of 3,488 new cases of COVID-19 were reported statewide in a 24-hour period, adding to a total of 1,770,620 cases in Virginia since the pandemic began. As of Wednesday, there have been 450,973 hospital admissions and 20,358 deaths nationwide. The state’s seven-day positivity rate rose to 17.2 percent on Wednesday. Last week, the positivity rate was 14.8 percent.
On Wednesday, state health officials reported that 73.6 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, while 82.2 percent have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
State data also showed that over three million people in Virginia received booster shots, or third doses, of the vaccine.
Among Virginia’s 5- to 11-year-olds, 318,300 have received their first vaccinations, accounting for 43.9 percent of the state’s age group, while 271,762 children, or 37.5 percent, are fully vaccinated, and 3,429 children have received a third dose or booster shot. As of Wednesday, there were fewer than 147,770 cases, 882 hospital admissions and 10 deaths among children in the state.
State data also shows that African Americans accounted for 22 percent of cases nationwide and 23.2 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data are available, while Latinos accounted for 11.7 percent of cases and 5.1 percent of deaths.
