At a joint news conference Tuesday, Richmond government and health officials announced local efforts to support underserved groups in the area as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
One day after the University of Virginia’s Biocomplexity Institute released a model of COVID-19’s expected statewide impact, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney urged city residents to remain vigilant in the face of disease spread and to stay home if possible.
“We are on the front end of this roller coaster ride. We have not reached the apex, and we haven’t gone down the hill yet,” he said. “That means that we have to be even more vigilant to ensure that we protect our families throughout this. We all have to act as if everyone around us has the virus.”
As the health crisis takes a toll on global economies, Stoney said city revenue projections are also taking a hit. On Monday, his administration presented an adjusted budget proposal for the coming fiscal year to City Council that included a $38.5 million projected drop in revenue, or roughly a 5% reduction over original estimates.
While the city tightens its purse strings, Richmond and Henrico Health District Director Dr. Danny Avula announced measures to expand COVID-19 testing among the region’s uninsured and under-insured groups. He announced that, starting next week, walk-in COVID-19 testing will be offered at eight city resource centers and low-income apartment communities in Henrico County.
The city resource centers are located within Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority public housing communities, along with Broad Rock Community Center and Southwood Apartments. Testing also will be offered at the Henrico Arms and St. Luke apartment communities in Henrico County, and will be expanded to other low-income apartment communities based on demand and access.
Avula said the tests were contributed by Virginia Commonwealth University and UVA, who haven’t yet needed to exhaust their available supply of tests. Once testing begins, he said, he hopes to run one testing event per day in the region’s underserved communities with the goal of testing between 100 and 150 individuals daily. Though asymptomatic disease spread continues to be a threat, Avula said the testing centers will prioritize testing for those who show symptoms of COVID-19 or have had contact with confirmed cases.
“Our hope is, by providing more testing in communities where we have many uninsured residents, not only are we addressing the inequitable access to testing, but we’re doing case-finding in neighborhoods where residents may respond differently and may hold more tightly to those stay-at-home and physical distancing guidelines,” he said.
Meanwhile, Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said the school system has begun distributing laptops to over 12,000 RPS students who need them to complete their online coursework. He aims to fill that need by the end of next week.
RPS also will continue distributing food for the duration of the school closure, he said. The school system is currently giving away more than 13,000 meals per day.
“To all of our students, if you’re watching or if your families are watching: Though our buildings are closed, our hearts remain open, and we are here to support you in any way we possibly can,” Kamras said in closing. “We love you very much, and we will be here for you throughout the pandemic.”
