School mask mandates in Virginia would end on March 1 if the General Assembly adopts amendments made by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to just-passed legislation on the issue.

Virginia continues to make progress in protecting people from the coronavirus as more and more people receive the vaccine. The Virginia Department of Health announced Tuesday that some health districts will begin the transition to Phase 1c vaccinations this week and that all communities across Virginia should be able to open to this group of essential workers by mid-April. The Pittsylvania/Danville Health District and Southside Health District, which covers Brunswick, Halifax and Mecklenburg counties, are among those now in Phase 1c. Phase 1b includes those 65 and older, those 16-64 with underlying medical conditions and some frontline essential workers. Overlap of vaccination of groups may occur to ensure people in each phase are vaccinated as quickly and efficiently as possible.

RADFORD, Va. – Radford University is reporting its fewest new cases of coronavirus in a week since the beginning of the school year. On Tuesday, the university updated its COVID-19 Dashboard, reporting that of 308 new coronavirus tests, only 12 tests came back positive. Two weeks ago, the overall positivity rate of campus tests was 12.26%. In the two weeks since, only 52 of the campus' 883 COVID-19 tests have been positive, which equates to 5.89% positivity. Looking at the two weeks prior to that, 259 of the campus' 1,206 COVID-19 tests were positive.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va – Franklin County leaders are urging the community to help keep its coronavirus numbers low as flu season arrives. On Tuesday, the county hosted a roundtable discussion with officials from the Virginia Department of Health. Nancy Bell with the West Piedmont Health District said Franklin County has been doing a great job of keeping COVID-19 cases low but warned that as flu season approaches, people need to stay vigilant to prevent a spike in cases or community spread. Franklin County has had 280 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March. The county also announced it is hosting several free clinics for people to get their flu shots this year.

ROANOKE, Va. – For the first time in months, the Berglund Center opened its doors to the public. Berglund Center General Manager Robyn Schon described the event is a test run for her staff. Mandatory temperature checks and masks are required for anyone who enters the Berglund Center. The Berglund Center will start hosting small-scale events throughout the summer, but does not anticipate any live performances in the near future. The LFA Consignment Event ends Sunday.

ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – The NAACP addressed the current rise in coronavirus cases and how the police, schools and health departments are handling it among the African-American community. NAACP news conference in Rocky Mount The NAACP is addressing the current rise in coronavirus cases in Franklin County and how the police, schools and the health departments are handling it among the African-American community. Posted by WSLS 10 / WSLS.com on Thursday, July 9, 2020The Rocky Mount NAACP President Rev Walter Lawson and the Regional NAACP President Brenda Hale hosted this event. We apologize for some technical difficulties with the video.