VUU’s tower sign stays; scooter rentals advance

utility.

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The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of COVID19 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. 16, 2 to 4 p.m. - Cary Street, 400 E. Cary St., Primary Moderna shots for age 6 months to 5 years old and 12 years and older, bivalent boosters for age 6 years and older, Primary Pfizer shots for age 6 month and older, bivalent boosters for age 5 years and older, Novavax primary shots for age 12 and older, boosters for age 18 and older, flu shots, walkups welcome but appointments encouraged. JYNNEOS and flu shots, walk-ups welcome but appointments encouraged.

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m. to noon - Henrico West Health Department, 8600 Dixon Powers Dr., JYNNEOS and flu shots; 2 to 4 p.m., 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, walk-ups welcome but appointments encouraged.

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.

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 15 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 12 percent since last week.

Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico County remain at medium levels of community COVID-19. Four localities in Virginia are ranked at high community COVID levels, while 58 were ranked at medium as of last week.

A total of 680 new cases of COVID-19 were reported statewide Tuesday for the 24-hour period, contributing to an overall state total of 2,260,752 cases in Virginia since the pandemic’s outbreak. As of Tuesday, there have been 458,332 hospitalizations and 23,380 deaths reported statewide.

State data also shows that African-Americans comprised 22.1 percent of cases statewide and 22 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 10.3 percent of cases and 4 percent of deaths.

As of Tuesday, Richmond reported a total of 61,526 cases, 1,292 hospitalizations and 547 deaths; Henrico County, 90,387 cases, 1,738 hospitalizations and 1,083 deaths; Chesterfield County, 99,630 cases, 1,768 hospitalizations and 873 deaths; and Hanover County, 28,925 cases, 912 hospitalizations and 347 deaths.

Compiled by George Copeland Jr.

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All nine council members also voted to authorize the city’s administration to proceed to develop an apartment inspection plan, approve moving ahead with the state Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian safety in various parts of the city, and clear the way for expansion of the rental program for electric scooters.

Separately, the council has been notified that the price tag for planned community centers is going up.

For example, the price tag for building a new South Side Community Center has grown to $22 million – or $6 million more than City Hall estimated 16 months ago.

Mr. Saunders disclosed the increase

Feb. 6 in response to an inquiry from Council President Michael J. Jones, who represents the 9th District where the center is located. Back in September 2021, the center was earmarked to receive $16 million to replace a previously demolished portion. That funding was a piece of the $64 million that Mayor Stoney proposed and the council agreed to spend on four community centers.

The approved plan also allocated $20 million for a new indoor center at Lucks Field in Church Hill; $20 million to improve and expand the T.B. Smith Center in South Side; and provided $8 million to overhaul the existing Calhoun Center in Gilipin Court, including reopening its long-closed swimming pool.

The money came from the $155 million that Richmond received under President

Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

Mr. Saunders responded, “The short answer is yes,” when asked if new cost estimates for the three other centers also are expected to be higher.

He told Dr. Jones that the city would pursue strategies to cut the final projected cost of the South Side center and the other proposed center developments, such as phasing the projects or making changes to materials, size or other parameters in a process called value engineering.

Mr. Saunders said the city also might need to tap the general fund or borrow to fully cover the cost of the South Side center, which is slated to be built first. He told Dr. Jones and the other members that more details would be forthcoming on the administration’s plan to cover the shortfall.

Purpose drives Diversity Richmond’s

Continued from A1 to “the Mecca,” as Howard University is known to some.

After a detour to reconcile her faith and sexuality, Rev. Cross, who identifies as bisexual, transferred to Catholic University of America and received a degree in social work. She moved to Richmond in 2010 and earned her master’s and doctorate of divinity degrees from Virginia Union University, and a master’s in theology from Union Presbyterian Seminary.

Rev. Cross has more than 15 years of experience working with regional nonprofits in leadership positions, most recently as a strategic adviser with NEO Philanthropy. She served as interim executive director for Side-by-Side during 2021, after serving as its director of volunteers and outreach. She was also one of three founders of Black Pride