Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

With 7-day positivity rates for COVID-19 around the state hovering around 10% and with 90% of cases in Virginia caused by the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the Virginia Department of Health has added more than 170 community testing events around the state, though only two of those are in the Western Tidewater area.

Dr. Todd Wagner, director for the Western Tidewater Health District, said the region would have two combined vaccination and testing events this week — one in Smithfield from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sept. 9 and another in Windsor from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Windsor Town Center.

Suffolk’s 7-day positivity rate for the period between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4 is 18.4%, according to the state health department. It is 17.9% in Surry County, 17.1% in Isle of Wight County, 7% in Southampton County and 6.8% in Franklin.

A number of pharmacies, medical offices and other locations in the Western Tidewater Health District, and Surry in the Crater Health District, still offer COVID-19 testing. The state health department website at www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-testing-sites has a listing of locations, contact information and hours of operation.

“While our local health departments, pharmacies and hospitals are working to keep up with the demand for testing, we are providing additional testing locations to accommodate our residents and to help reserve our hospital emergency rooms and rescue squads for medical emergencies,” said Dr. Laurie Forlano, deputy director, Office of Epidemiology in a statement.

The state health department has added more than 170 community testing events across the state in September and said more would be added based on community need and to reduce the burden on healthcare providers.

It recommends COVID-19 testing in the following circumstances:

• People who have symptoms or signs of COVID-19, whether vaccinated or not.
• Most people who have been in close contact with someone known or suspected to have COVID-19. Fully vaccinated people should be tested 3 to 5 days following a known exposure, and unvaccinated people should be tested immediately after an exposure and again at 5 to 7 days after exposure if the first test is negative.
• People who take part in activities at higher risk for COVID-19 exposure (travel, attending large events where social distancing is not possible, or in crowded indoor settings).
• Those who have been referred for testing by a healthcare provider or the state/local health department.
• People who are not fully vaccinated and planning to visit those at high risk of developing COVID-19.

The state health department says those who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past three months and have recovered do not need to be tested for exposure as long as they do not have symptoms.

For more information about COVID-19 testing call 877-829-4682, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

COVID-19 testing is available at the following locations in Western Tidewater:

Sept. 9 — Main St. Baptist Church, 517 Main St., Smithfield, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (757-514-4700). Combined testing and vaccination event. No appointment or registration needed.

Sept. 10 — Windsor Town Center, 23361 Courthouse Way, Windsor. Combined testing and vaccination event. No appointment or registration needed.

Rite Aid

1517 Holland Road, Suffolk

757-539-6359

Rite Aid

515 N. Main St., Suffolk

757-539-9992

Walgreens

118 W. Constance Road, Suffolk

757-514-3451

Lakeview Medical Center

2000 Meade Parkway, Suffolk

757-686-3508

Velocity Urgent Care

1001 Centerbrooke Lane, Suite 100, Suffolk

757-702-8105

Walgreens

2902 Godwin Blvd., Suffolk

757-539-0734

Nowcare Health

3060 Godwin Blvd., Suffolk

757-483-7198

Windsor Town Center

23361 Courthouse Highway, Windsor

757-514-4700

Walgreens

3633 Bridge Road, Suffolk

757-686-4793

Nowcare Urgent Care

4868 Bridge Road, Suite 3000, Suffolk

757-483-7198

Velocity Urgent Care

7394 Harbour Towne Parkway, Suite 5, Suffolk

757-702-8116

AFC Urgent Care

1013 University Blvd., Suite 270, Suffolk

757-335-4755

Rite Aid 

6150 College Drive, Suffolk

757-638-2912

Rite Aid

1031 Armory Drive, Franklin

757-562-7415

Velocity Urgent Care

20209 Sentara Way, Suite 100, Carrollton

757-772-6125

Walgreens

100 S. College Drive, Franklin

757-562-6177

Total Family Care

1378 Armory Drive, Franklin

757-562-4111, Opt 1

Rite Aid

13554 Carrollton Blvd., Carrollton

757-238-9401

Rite Aid

1200 Benns Church Blvd., Smithfield

757-357-3254

CVS Pharmacy

1109 Benns Church Road, Smithfield

757-356-0083

Main Street Baptist Church

517 Main St., Smithfield

757-514-4700

Ivor Medical Center

8575 Ivor Road, Ivor

757-859-6161

Surry Medical Center

440 Colonial Trail West, Dendron

757-294-3981