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Free community COVID-19 testing continues

2/23/2023, 6 p.m.
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following location:

The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following location:

Friday, Feb. 24, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. - Fulton Neighborhood Resource Center, 1519 Williamsburg Road.

Call the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for more information on testing sites, or go online at vax.rchd.com.

The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of COVID- 19 testing locations around the state at www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites.

Want a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot?

The Richmond and Henrico health districts are offering free vaccines for COVID-19 and more at the following locations:

Thursday, Feb. 23, 4 to 7 p.m. - Sacred Heart, 1400 Perry St., Primary Moderna shots for age 6 months to 5 years old and 12 years and older, and bivalent boosters for age 6 years and older, Primary Pfizer shots for age 6 months and older, bivalent boosters for age 5 years and older, Novavax primary shots for age 12 and older, and boosters for age 18 and older, flu shots and baby bivalent boosters. Walk-ups welcome, but appointments encouraged.

• Saturday, Feb. 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Diversity Thrift, 1407 Sherwood Ave., JYNNEOS and flu shots, Primary Moderna shots for age 12 years and older, and bivalent boosters for age 6 years and older, Primary Pfizer shots and bivalent boosters for age 12 years and older, Novavax primary shots for age 12 and older, and boosters for age 18 and older. Walk-ups welcome, but appointments encouraged.

People can schedule an appointment online at vase.vdh.virginia.gov, 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 who are getting a booster shot should bring their vaccine 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 boosters, updated to better protect against the latest variants of the virus, are now available. The new Pfizer booster is approved for those age 12 and up, while the new Moderna booster is for those age 18 and older.

As with previous COVID-19 boosters, the new doses can only be received after an initial two vaccine shots, and those who qualify are instructed to wait at least two months after their second COVID-19 vaccine.

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are now offering bivalent Pfizer and Moderna boosters to children between the ages of 5 and 11 in clinics in the near future. Children in this age range will be eligible after at least two months since their last vaccine dose.

New COVID-19 cases in Virginia fell 12 percent during the last week, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health, while data from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association showed hospitalizations statewide dropped six percent since last week.

Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico County remain at medium levels of community COVID-19. No localities in Virginia are ranked at high community COVID levels, while 52 were ranked at medium as of last week.

Compiled by George Copeland Jr.