Richmond leaders warn against complacency as vaccine nears
Mayor Levar Stoney warned about foregoing COVID-19 guidelines after the arrival of a new vaccine this week.
and last updated 2020-12-16 18:33:40-05
RICHMOND, Va. Richmond City leaders are worried that a surge in coronavirus cases will follow when families and friends gather for holiday celebrations.
Mayor Levar Stoney warned about foregoing COVID-19 guidelines after the arrival of a new vaccine this week.
âWe always knew the vaccine would be the ultimate weapon against this invisible enemy. However, we still have weapons at our disposal â wearing a mask, keeping your distance, and washing your hands,â Stoney explained.
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Many Americans are expressing concerns over the pace with which COVID-19 vaccine were developed. Public health officials are working to alleviate those fears, saying vaccine science has come a long way from years past. (Photo: Crixell Matthews/VPM News)
While COVID-19 vaccines are not yet available to the general public, Virginia health officials are confronting the fact that some residents will face greater barriers than others to get vaccinated.
Over the summer, local health districts placed special attention on Latinos and other non-English speaking immigrant groups when rolling out COVID-19 testing. Teams prioritized the recruiting of bilingual contact tracers and investigators, and they conducted testing events in neighborhoods and communities with particularly high concentrations of Latino residents.
To gather or not to gather? Looking ahead to the Christmas holiday
To gather or not to gather? Looking ahead to the Christmas holiday By Olivia Ugino | December 14, 2020 at 6:09 PM EST - Updated December 14 at 6:58 PM
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - With just 11 days until Christmas, are you still deciding what to do with your family and friends? The health department shares what you can do to keep your loved ones safe, and what they learned from the Thanksgiving holiday.
“We have traced a lot of Thanksgiving outbreaks back to self-reported gatherings, both friends and family gatherings, but typically larger groups - larger than the governor’s new recommendations,” said Rebekah Butterfield with the Richmond City Health District.