County’s new virus case count accelerates again

Dickenson County has recorded 13 new COVID-19 cases within one week.

As of July 27, the Virginia Department of Health reported a total of 1,012 confirmed cases in Dickenson County since the pandemic began last year. As of Tuesday, the number had increased to 1,025.

The county’s number of COVID-19-related deaths remained at 19.

Nearby, Russell County has recorded a total of 2,337 positive cases since the pandemic began, an increase of eight cases in one week. Buchanan County’s total case count was 1,591, an increase of 21 cases in one week. Wise County has reported a total of 3,383 cases, an increase of 58 cases in a week.
To look at the health department’s data, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov and go to the COVID-19 Data and Resources section.

VACCINATION

As of Tuesday, nearly 42 percent of Dickenson County residents had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the health department.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced June 21 that 70 percent of Virginians 18 and older had received at least one dose.

Meanwhile, the delta variant of the virus is causing a resurgence in cases across Virginia and the nation, mostly affecting people who are not 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.