Area sees 69 new virus cases

Wise County reported 60 new COVID-19 cases between last Thursday and yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As of Monday, the county had reported a total of 6,009 cases since spring 2020, compared to 5,949 cases four days earlier.
There were 239 county residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The county’s total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 remained at 132.

The health department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by nine, from 661 last Thursday to 670 yesterday.
There were 35 city residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The number of total deaths in the city remained at 17.

In Virginia, the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began rose from 718,038 Thursday to 723,503 yesterday, an increase of 5,465. The number of “probable” cases rose from 255,963 Thursday to 259,552 yesterday, an increase of 3,589.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Virginia increased by 22 to 12,400. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by eight to 2,371.

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, roughly 52 percent of Wise County residents and about 61 percent of Norton residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to health department statistics.

Nearly 45 percent of county residents and nearly 51 percent of Norton residents are fully vaccinated.

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 are fully vaccinated.

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.