Free community testing for COVID-19 continues.

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

• Wednesday, April 6, 4 to 6 p.m.—Southwood Pool House, Southwood Parkway and Clarkson Road.

Walk-up testing is provided, though appointments may be set by calling (804) 205-3501 or going to www.rchd.com.

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 walk-up COVID-19 vaccines at the following locations:

• Friday, April 1, 9 to 11 a.m.—Southwood Pool House, Southwood Parkway and Clarkson Road; 1 to 2:45 p.m.—Fairfield Court Resource Center, 2506 Phaup St., Pfizer and Moderna.

Children ages 5 to 17 may only receive the Pfizer vaccine. Vaccinations and booster shots are available for all eligible on a

walk-in basis. No appointment is needed. However, appointments may be scheduled 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 getting a booster shot should bring their vaccine card to confirm the date and type of vaccine received.

RHHD now offers at-home vaccinations by calling (804) 205-3501 to schedule appointments, which are typically available within two weeks.

On Tuesday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a second COVID-19 booster shot for adults ages 50 and older. This follows authorization by the federal Food and Drug Administration for second booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for those ages 50 and older.

The FDA also authorized second boosters for the immunocompromised, with the Pfizer booster approved for those ages 12 and older, and a second Moderna vaccine booster approved for those ages 18 and older.

The omicron subvariant BA. 2, also known as stealth omicron, is now the dominant COVID-19 strain in the United States, according to CDC data, and accounted for nearly 55 percent of all new infections last week.

BA. 2 has led to COVID-19 surges in China, Europe and other countries. While there is no difference in severity between omicron and BA.2 infection, BA.2 is more difficult to detect through testing.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced that a new website, COVID.gov, will provide information on vaccines, tests and more for those in the United States. The website includes a Test-to-Treat locator to help people find pharmacies and community health centers for testing and treatment nationwide.

A total of 798 new cases of COVID-19 were reported statewide Wednesday for the 24-hour period, contributing to an overall state total of 1,668,087 cases of coronavirus since the pandemic’s outbreak. As of Wednesday, there have been 448,442 hospitalizations and 19,673 deaths statewide. The state’s seven-day positivity rate dropped to 3.2 percent on Wednesday. Last week, the positivity rate was 3.6 percent.

On Wednesday, state health officials reported that 72.7 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, while 81.4 percent of the people have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

State data also show that more than 2.9 million people in Virginia have received booster shots or third doses of the vaccine.

Among those ages 5 to 11 in Virginia, 307,108 children have received their first shots, accounting for 42.4 percent of the eligible age group in the state, while 261,596 children, or 36.1 percent, are fully vaccinated and 500 have received a booster shot or third dose. As of Wednesday, fewer than 138,700 cases, 846 hospitalizations and nine deaths have been recorded among children.

State data also shows that African-Americans comprised 22.4 percent of cases statewide and 23.2 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos make up 12 percent of cases and 5.1 percent of deaths.

As of Wednesday, Richmond reported a total of 44,212 cases, 1,067 hospitalizations and 488 deaths; Henrico County, 64,128 cases, 1,404 hospitalizations and 903 deaths; Chesterfield County, 72,400 cases, 1,386 hospitalizations and 750 deaths; and Hanover County, 21,649 cases, 526 hospitalizations and 277 deaths.