Free community testing for COVID-19 continues.

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

• Thursday, Sept. 9, 1 to 3 p.m., Hotchkiss Field Community Center, 701 E. Brookland Park Blvd.

• Wednesday, Sept. 15, 1 to 3 p.m., Eastern Henrico Recreation Center Pavilion, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave.

• Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1 to 3 p.m., Eastern Henrico Recreation Center Pavilion, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave.

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, Sept. 9, 1 to 4 p.m. – Richmond Health District Cary Street Clinic, 400 E. Cary St.

• Friday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to noon – Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive.

• Tuesday, Sept. 14, 3 to 6 p.m. – Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd.

• Wednesday, Sept. 15, 1 to 4 p.m. – Eastern Henrico Recreation Center, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave.

• Thursday Sept. 16, 1 to 4 p.m. – Richmond Health District Cary Street Clinic, 400 E. Cary St.

• Friday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to noon – Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive.

Children ages 12 to 17 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.

On Tuesday, health officials touted the new milestone reached nationally of 75 percent of all adults having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. That news was tempered, however, by the nation logging 40 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The United States is now averaging three times as many cases daily than it was a year ago.

In Virginia, the state Department of Health reported 2,007 new COVID-19 cases for the 24-hour period, which was a significant drop from the peak of 4,255 new cases logged statewide on Sept. 2.

As schools in Metro Richmond and across the state opened this week, concerns about the virus and its transmission remain high because youngsters under the age of 12 are not yet approved for vaccination. Warning signs already have begun to appear, with Chesterfield County reporting over 230 cases among students since its return to classes in late August.

On a more positive note, vaccination rates continue to rise statewide, along with increased interest in COVID-19 testing, particularly in Central Virginia.

On Tuesday, state health officials reported that 57.3 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, while 64.7 percent of the people have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Virginia has logged a total of 788,917 cases during the course of the pandemic, with 34,312 hospitalizations and 11,947 deaths. The state’s seven-day positivity rate dropped slightly to 10 percent. Last week, it was 10.3 percent.

State data also show that African-Americans comprised 22.9 percent of cases statewide and 25.1 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 15 percent of cases and 6.4 percent of deaths.