Four more deaths reported

Wise County reported 21 new COVID-19 cases between Monday and yesterday.

According to Virginia Department of Health statistics, the county’s total number of cases since spring 2020 was 13,206 as of yesterday, compared to 13,185 three days earlier.
Wise County’s total number of COVID deaths increased by four, from 218 to 222.

But in a Thursday email, a regional health department official put the death statistics in perspective.

Allie Phillips, population health manager for the health districts serving the coalfield region, wrote, “We are not seeing a big jump in COVID deaths . . . there are several reasons why data may fluctuate, including quality assurance work or death certificate reviews.”
The department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by three, from 1,486 to 1,489.

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

As for case numbers, Phillips noted: “Many people are taking at-home tests now, so the reported case numbers are always underrepresented. This is why it’s important for the public to continue to follow CDC/VDH recommendations to protect themselves and their loved ones from illness.”

The health department reports that statewide, the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began rose from 1,514,557 Monday to 1,517,720 yesterday, an increase of 3,163. The number of “probable” cases in Virginia rose from 631,469 Monday to 633,593 yesterday, an increase of 2,124.
During the same period, the number of confirmed deaths increased by 48 to 18,605. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by 15 to 3,832.