Two deaths, 118 new cases reported

Wise County reported 102 new COVID-19 cases between Monday and yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As of Thursday, the county had reported a total of 9,990 cases since spring 2020, compared to 9,888 cases three days earlier.
There were 291 county residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The county’s total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 increased by two, from 175 to 177.

The health department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by 16, from 1,266 Monday to 1,282 yesterday.
There were 40 city residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The number of total deaths in the city remained at 22.

In Virginia, the highly contagious omicron variant continues to spread, but the rate of new cases is slowing down.

Statewide, the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began rose from 1,161,344 Monday to 1,165,816 yesterday, an increase of 4,472. The number of “probable” cases rose from 467,249 Monday to 469,035 yesterday, an increase of 1,786.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Virginia increased by 224 to 15,270. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by 71 to 3,170.

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

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

Almost 20 percent of county residents and 24 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.