RICHMOND, Va. – Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday that Virginia is making progress to address the coronavirus pandemic, noting that “”Our cases are going down and our vaccinations are going up.”

Northam said Virginia is 11th in the country for doses of the vaccine given and is sixth for dosages of the vaccine used. He said that as of Tuesday, 18% of Virginians have had at least one dose. And he said mass vaccination clinics will be held in the coming days in Danville, Petersburg and Portsmouth to expand those numbers.He described these as “large scale events” designed “to vaccinate anywhere from several hundred to several thousand people in a day.” The date and location of the Danville event will be announced at a later date.

Meanwhile, Danville’s second smaller vaccination clinic will be held Friday, March 12 at the former J. C. Penney store in the Danville Mall. At last Friday’s clinic at this location, approximately 1,250 vaccines were given.

This closed “point of dispensing” (POD) event is to provide first doses of Moderna vaccine, by appointment only. All available appointments for the clinic have been filled, for those eligible in the highest priority groups who pre-registered at the Virginia department of Health’s central online portal or call center.