County, city record 15 new cases in three days

The Virginia Department of Health reported Thursday morning that Wise County’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the months since the pandemic began increased by 14 since Monday, from 3,307 to 3,321.

The county’s total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 remained at 105.

Meanwhile, the health department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by one, from 293 to 294.

The number of total deaths in the city remained at seven.
Statewide, the total number of confirmed cases across several months rose from 532,603 Monday to 533,967 Thursday, an increase of 1,364. The number of “probable” cases rose from 152,882 Monday to 153,583 Thursday, an increase of 701.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Virginia increased by seven to 9,700. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by three to 1,793.

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

REMINDERS

Only about 40 percent of Wise County residents and nearly 45 percent of Norton residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to health department statistics.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced June 21 that 70 percent of Virginians 18 and older had received at least one dose.

Meanwhile, the delta variant of the virus is causing a resurgence in cases across Virginia and the nation, mostly affecting people who are not fully vaccinated.

Guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifies that those who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks, practice physical distancing and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.