Area sees nine new cases, one more death

The Virginia Department of Health reported yesterday morning that Wise County’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the months since the pandemic began increased by seven since Monday, from 3,214 to 3,221.

The county’s total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 increased by one to 99.

Meanwhile, the health department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by two to 289.

The number of total deaths in the city remained at seven.

Statewide, the total number of confirmed cases across several months rose from 521,930 Monday to 522,955 yesterday, an increase of 1,025. The number of “probable” cases rose from 148,526 Monday to 148,961 yesterday, an increase of 435.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Virginia increased by 37 to 9,344. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by two to 1,724.

To look at the health department’s data, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov and go to the COVID-19 Data and Resources section.

REMINDERS

Gov. Ralph Northam announced May 14 that Virginia’s indoor face mask requirement would be lifted, citing new guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, the CDC guidelines specify that fully-vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most indoor settings. Those who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear masks in all settings.