Two deaths, 55 new cases reported

Wise County reported 51 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 10,078 cases since spring 2020, compared to 10,027 cases three days earlier.
There were 297 county residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The county’s total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 increased by two, from 180 to 182.

The health department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by four, from 1,287 Monday to 1,291 yesterday.
There were 39 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 1,169,612 Monday to 1,173,211 yesterday, an increase of 3,599. The number of “probable” cases rose from 470,330 Monday to 471,483 yesterday, an increase of 1,153.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Virginia increased by 112 to 15,666.

The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by 22 to 3,239.

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.

Twenty 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.