A death, 37 new cases reported in county, city

Wise County reported 36 new COVID-19 cases between last Thursday and yesterday.

According to Virginia Department of Health statistics, the county’s total number of cases since spring 2020 was 12,836 as of Monday, compared to 12,800 four days earlier.

However, both numbers are a significant reduction in reported county cases. Health department officials explained last week that case counts and COVID death counts have been revised in recent weeks as they have worked to verify whether each reported statistic represented someone who actually lives in Wise County or Norton.

As of yesterday, the health department reported Wise County’s total of COVID deaths as 211, or one more than reported Thursday.
The department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by two, from 1,451 Thursday to 1,453 yesterday. Again, however, the latest numbers followed a recent downward revision in the city’s case and death counts.

The city’s total number of deaths remained at 20.

The health department reports that statewide, the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began rose from 1,487,381 Thursday to 1,489,728 yesterday, an increase of 2,347. The number of “probable” cases in Virginia rose from 614,321 Thursday to 615,857 yesterday, an increase of 1,536.
During the same period, the number of confirmed deaths increased by 23 to 18,312. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by six to 3,729.