Free community testing for COVID-19 continues.

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

• Thursday, Aug. 19, 4 to 6 p.m., Henrico Government Center West, 4301 E. Parham Road, Motor Pool Parking Lot on Prince Henry Drive, drive-thru testing.

Appointments are not necessary, but can be made 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.

COVID-19 testing also is available at various drug stores, clinics and urgent care centers throughout the area for people with and without health insurance. Several offer tests with no out-of-pocket costs.

A list of area COVID-19 testing sites is online at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/richmond-city/richmond-and-henrico-area-covid-19-testing-sites/

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?

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

• Thursday, Aug. 19, 2 to 4 p.m. – Brookland Middle School, 9200 Lydell Dr.; 2 to 4 p.m. – Fat Dragon restaurant, 1200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

• Friday, Aug. 20, 9 a.m. to noon – Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson; 10 a.m. to noon – Deering Manor Apartments’ Back-to-School Event, 2720 Hopkins Road, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson; 3 to 5 p.m. – East End Branch Richmond Public Library, 1200 N. 25th St., Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

• Saturday, Aug. 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Whitcomb Court Back to School event, 2302 Carmine St., Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – RPS Summer Fest: Hotchkiss Field, 701 E. Brookland Park Blvd., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

• Tuesday, Aug. 24, noon to 2 p.m. – St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, 9801 Fort King Road, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

• Wednesday, Aug. 25, 10 a.m. to noon – Ginter Park United Methodist Church Food Pantry, 1010 W. Laburnum Ave.

• Friday, Aug. 27, 9 a.m. to noon – Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson

• Saturday, Aug. 28, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Broad Rock Farmers Market, Back to School event, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd.; 4 to 7 p.m. – Mosby Summer Night Lights event, 1400 Spotsylvania St., Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson

Children ages 12 to 15 may only receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Appointments are not required, but individuals can schedule an appointment online at vax.rchd.com or by calling (804) 205-3501.

VaccineFinder.org and vaccines.gov also allow people to find nearby pharmacies and clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Virginia Department of Health announced Aug. 13 that third shots, or booster shots, of coronavirus vaccines soon will become available for immunocompromised residents to better protect them as the delta variant continues to surge.

The announcement came shortly after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people with significantly compromised immune systems get a third dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. The CDC guidance followed an announcement Aug. 12 from U.S. regulators saying transplant recipients and others with severely weakened immune systems can get an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

The state health department said vaccine providers are expected to make third doses available during the next several days.

Gov. Ralph S. Northam issued a public health order on Aug. 12 mandating the universal use of masks in K-12 schools in Virginia.

“We all share the same goal of keeping our schools open and keeping our students safe,” Gov. Northam said in a statement. “This public health order makes it very clear that masks are required in all indoor K-12 settings, and Virginia expects all schools to comply.”

Virginia has continued to reach highs in its daily case counts of coronavirus infection not seen since April, prompting further action on the state and local levels.

Wednesday was the deadline for employees of the City of Richmond to provide proof of full vaccination, have their first dose of the vaccine or obtain a religious or medical exemption as required under a mandate put in place two weeks ago for all city employees to be vaccinated. Richmond officials have warned that refusal to get vaccinated could lead to sanctions, including leave without pay or firing.

More than 2,500 new COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday by the Virginia Department of Health, adding to a total of 728,523 cases in the state. Data also show a total of 32,493 hospitalizations and 11,632 deaths statewide.

Virginia’s seven-day positivity rate continues to rise at 8.6 percent. Last week, it was 7.5 percent.

According to state health department data, 55.3 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated, while 62.4 percent of the population has received at least one dose of the COVID- 19 vaccine.

State data also show that African-Americans comprised 22.7 percent of cases statewide and 25.1 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 15.5 percent of cases and 6.4 percent of deaths.