County, city: Four deaths, 367 new cases

Wise County reported 314 new COVID-19 cases between Monday and yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As of Monday, the county had reported a total of 9,399 cases since spring 2020, compared to 9,085 cases three days earlier.
There were 285 county residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The county’s total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 increased by four, from 162 to 166.

The health department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by 53, from 1,145 Monday to 1,198 yesterday.

There were 37 city residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The number of total deaths in the city remained at 21.

In Virginia, the highly contagious omicron variant continues to spread.

Statewide, the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began rose from 1,130,170 Monday to 1,139,576 yesterday, an increase of 9,406. The number of “probable” cases rose from 454,098 Monday to 458,840 yesterday, an increase of 4,742.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Virginia increased by 196 to 14,420. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by 90 to 2,973.

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, nearly 55 percent of Wise County residents and nearly 65 percent of Norton residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to health department statistics.

Almost 48 percent of county residents and 55 percent of Norton residents have received a second dose.

About 19 percent of county residents and 23 percent of Norton residents have received a booster or third dose.

Former 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.