Three days, five more deaths, 390 new cases

January 28, 2022

Wise County reported 349 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 8,216 cases since spring 2020, compared to 7,867 cases three days earlier.
There were 281 county residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.

The county’s total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 increased by five, from 154 to 159.

The health department’s cumulative positive case count for Norton increased by 41, from 997 Monday to 1,038 yesterday.
There were 37 city residents hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday.
The number of total deaths in the city remained at 20.

In Virginia, the highly contagious omicron variant continues to spread.

Statewide, the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began rose from 1,058,488 Monday to 1,081,269 yesterday, an increase of 22,781. The number of “probable” cases rose from 422,806 Monday to 433,593 yesterday, an increase of 10,787.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Virginia increased by 117 to 13,432. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths increased by 23 to 2,656.

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, 54 percent of Wise County residents and 64 percent of Norton residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to health department statistics.

Nearly 47 percent of county residents and nearly 54 percent of Norton residents have received a second dose.

Nearly 18 percent of county residents and 21 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.