Area records 156 new cases, three deaths

Wise County reported 141 new COVID-19 cases between Dec. 20 and yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As of Monday, the county had reported a total of 6,427 cases since spring 2020, compared to 6,286 cases one week earlier.
There were 257 county residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The county’s total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 increased by three, from 139 to 142.

The health department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by 15, from 720 Dec. 20 to 735 yesterday.
There were 36 city residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The number of total deaths in the city remained at 19.

In Virginia, the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began rose from 749,459 Dec. 20 to 776,232 yesterday, an increase of 26,773. The number of “probable” cases rose from 274,239 Dec. 20 to 291,617 yesterday, an increase of 17,378.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Virginia increased by 166 to 12,860.

The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by 17 to 2,459.

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

VACCINATION RATES

As of yesterday, 53 percent of Wise County residents and more than 62 percent of Norton residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to health department statistics.

Nearly 46 percent of county residents and roughly 52 percent of Norton residents have received a second dose.

Almost 15 percent of county residents and 18 percent of Norton residents have received a booster or third dose.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Nov. 12 that more than 83 percent of Virginia adults had received at least one dose, while 75 percent of adults had received a second dose.

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.