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Free COVID-19 testing

3/25/2021, 6 p.m.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues.

Free community testing for COVID-19 continues.

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

Thursday, March 25, 10 a.m. to noon, Diversity Richmond, 1407 Sherwood Ave. in North Side.

Thursday, April 1, 1 to 3 p.m., Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd. Drive-thru testing.

Appointments are encouraged by calling the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by registering online at https://bit.ly/RHHDCOVID.

Testing will be offered while test supplies last.

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?

Seniors ages 65 and older who live in Richmond or Henrico County can call the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts COVID-19 hotline — (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule a vaccine appointment.

Others who want a vaccine should contact the statewide COVID-19 Vaccination Pre-Registration System at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling 877-VAX-IN-VA, or (877) 829-4682.

The statewide call center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week to help people pre-register by phone or to answer questions about the vaccine. The call center has English- and Spanish-speaking agents and a call-back service to help people in more than 100 other languages.

Additionally, TTY service is available to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

With at least 25 percent of Virginia’s population having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced Tuesday the loosening of some pandemic safety restrictions in the Commonwealth.

Beginning Thursday, April 1, the cap on social gatherings will be raised to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. The current caps are 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors. The guidelines also encompass weddings, the governor stated.

Additionally, entertainment venues can open up to 30 percent of capacity, up to 500 people, while outdoor venues can open up to 30 percent without a numerical cap, according to the governor’s order.

Recreational sports venues will be capped at 30 percent occupancy both for indoor and outdoor facilities, under the guidelines.

The changes don’t apply to restaurants, gyms, salons and bars. And those who attend events or go to the venues must still wear face masks and follow other COVID-19 safety protocols.

State health officials reported Wednesday that more than 3.2 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the state, with 1.1 million people fully vaccinated, or 13.1 percent of the state’s residents.

The Richmond City Health District opened its latest mass vaccination center at Celebration Church in South Side. The site opened on Tuesday, with 861 people receiving vaccines. The center will be open once a week for now, with the goal of vaccinating 800 to 1,000 people with each clinic.

State officials reported 608,704 cases of COVID-19 statewide on Wednesday, along with 26,037 hospitalizations and 10,143 deaths. Virginia’s seven-day positivity rate has been holding at 5.6 percent over several days. Last week, it was 5.4 percent.

According to state data, African-Americans comprised 21.9 percent of cases statewide and 24.5 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 16.7 percent of cases and 6.5 percent of deaths.