{"id":19410,"date":"2024-03-18T09:07:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T13:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/?p=19410"},"modified":"2026-05-19T13:54:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:54:56","slug":"from-the-director-a-transitional-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/03\/18\/from-the-director-a-transitional-anniversary\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Director: A transitional anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"<table class=\"x_mcnTextBlock\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"x_mcnTextBlockOuter\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextBlockInner\" valign=\"top\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextBlock\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"x_mcnTextBlockOuter\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextBlockInner\" valign=\"top\">\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextContentContainer\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextContent\" valign=\"top\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">Four years ago this week, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19\u00a0a\u00a0pandemic, and we entered the first of many emergency declarations at the national,\u00a0state, and\u00a0local\u00a0levels. The pandemic has had an overwhelming impact on all of our lives\u2014it shaped our experiences at home, in the workplace, and at school. We lost beloved family members and friends.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">For me, this anniversary is a time\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0recognize the magnitude of the last four years,\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0share in our community\u2019s grief, and\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0express an immense gratitude\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0our community and especially the staff at RHHD. Whether you were working at a health department, hospital, grocery store, or post office\u00a0during the early days of this pandemic; protecting loved ones and strangers by following public health measures; or learning how\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0communicate new health information\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0young children, each of us contributed something essential.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">We know that COVID-19 is still with us, even as this is the first anniversary since the lifting of the\u00a0national public health emergency. CDC\u2019s\u00a0updated respiratory virus guidance\u00a0reminds us that simple public health principles continue\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0be the most effective ways for keeping ourselves safe from serious illness: we can make sure we\u2019re up-<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>-date on recommended vaccines, stay home and away from others when we\u2019re sick, and practice good hygiene.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">RHHD staff has risen\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0the challenge time and again in the last four years, taking on needed services like contact tracing and vaccination. We look forward\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0continuing\u00a0<span class=\"markxp4u9xrfc\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">to<\/span>\u00a0support our neighbors, friends, and community members even as the nature of those services shifts.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">And if you still need a 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine\u2014or if you are over 65 and\u00a0newly eligible for a second\u00a0<span class=\"markkr23end7f\" data-markjs=\"true\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\">do<\/span>se\u2014please reach out! Schedule your vaccine appointment with RHHD by calling 804-205-3501 or visit\u00a0vaccines.gov\u00a0for more information.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">With gratitude,<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">Dr. Elaine Perry, Director of the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Four years ago this week, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19\u00a0a\u00a0pandemic, and we entered the first of many emergency declarations at the national,\u00a0state, and\u00a0local\u00a0levels. The pandemic has had an overwhelming [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":590,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"modified_by":"bryanhooten","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From the Director: A transitional anniversary - Richmond City Health Department<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/03\/18\/from-the-director-a-transitional-anniversary\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From the Director: A transitional anniversary - Richmond City Health Department\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Four years ago this week, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19\u00a0a\u00a0pandemic, and we entered the first of many emergency declarations at the national,\u00a0state, and\u00a0local\u00a0levels. 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