The Virginia Department of Health reports 146,957 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the commonwealth. The VDH also reports 3,097 confirmed deaths and 11,299 confirmed hospitalizations across the state. There are 3,448 cases in Southwest Virginia:

Washington County has 685 cases with 71 hospitalizations and 21 deaths
Smyth County has 561 cases with 50 hospitalizations and 20 deaths
Wise County has 464 cases with 33 hospitalizations and 9 deaths
Tazewell County has 358 cases with 17 hospitalizations and 2 deaths
Russell County has 318 cases with 30 hospitalizations and 6 deaths
Lee County has 310 cases with 28 hospitalizations and 7 deaths
Scott County has 210 cases with 20 hospitalizations and 4 deaths
City of Bristol has 199 cases with 11 hospitalizations and 7 deaths
Buchanan County has 196 cases with 13 hospitalizations and 2 deaths
Dickenson County has 108 cases with 8 hospitalizations and 1 death
City of Norton has 39 cases with 4 hospitalizations

The Lenowisco Health District is providing free flu shots in Wise on Friday. Free flu shots will be available at the Glamorgan Chapel Church parking lot, at 183 Southmark Road in Wise, from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday. The free shots will be available to Virginia residents ages 3 and up. Local first responders are especially encouraged to get vaccinated. The supplies are limited and will be available on first-come, first-served basis as long as supplies last. To save time, print and fill out the paper registration and bring it with you to the clinic. If a person does attend, they are asked to wear a short-sleeve shirt or sleeves that can be rolled up. No ID is required. 

The U.S. Department of Labor reports 22,482 new unemployment claims were filed in Tennessee and Virginia last week. There were 12,643 new claims filed in Virginia, an increase from the 9,377 claims filed the week prior. There were 9,839 claims filed in Tennessee during the week ending on October 3, 37 more claims than the week before. There were 579 new claims filed in Northeast Tennessee last week. According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, there has been 871,580 unemployment claims filed in Tennessee since March 15. 

A deadly worksite accident in Breathitt County, Kentucky is under investigation. The Breathitt County Sheriff's Department and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating what happened Wednesday evening involving someone getting ejected from a bulldozer on a construction site for a road to a cell tower off of Highway 1098. The person, whose identity has not been released, was immediately killed due to the impact. 

An ambulance crashed into a truck on the Erwin Highway on Tuesday night. Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that an ambulance was transporting a patient to the hospital on Highway 107 and attempting to pass through traffic. The driver says that he was passing the slowed traffic when a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado turned left from the eastbound lane into the westbound lane. The ambulance driver says that he tried to swerve to miss the truck but struck the drivers-side door of the vehicle. The driver of the truck, 19-year-old Jacob Riddle, said that he heard and saw the ambulance approaching and slowed down and tried to turn left to clear the road, which is when the ambulance hit the driver's side door. Riddle was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries. 

A former Carter County Sheriff has been arrested after assaulting deputies. The Carter County Sheriff's Office reports that George Papantoniou, who was the county sheriff from 1976-82, arrived at the Justice Center on Wednesday to collect firearms that were taken from him earlier this year after he brandished them at a neighbor during an argument. His neighbor died two weeks ago, so the district attorney ordered that Papantoniou's firearms be returned to him, since the case could not be prosecuted. At the center, Papantoniou refused to comply with deputies that were trying to help him and he became "very aggressive," escalating until he pushed one of the deputies. He continued his assault until he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and assault. Papantoniou was booked into the Carter County Detention Center but has been released on a $1,000 bond. 

Two arrests have been made in connection to a missing person's case in Leslie County, Kentucky. Kentucky State Police report that Lena Michelle Collet North and Jeremy Lewis were arrested on Wednesday night in connection to the disappearance of Tyler North. Lena North is the former wife of Tyler North and Lewis is a former Leslie County Sheriff's Deputy. Tyler was last seen leaving a family member's house in his truck in June 2018. In July 2018, his truck was found burned in a field in Warbranch by state police. There has been no sign of him and no body has ever been found, but Lena and Lewis have been charged with murder. They were transported to the Leslie County Jail. 

A Kingsport man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on firearm and meth charges. U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker sentenced 37-year-old Larry Hutchings to 20 years in federal prison after Hutchins pled guilty to felony possession of a firearm and possession of more than five grams of methamphetamine with the intention to distribute the drugs. Hutchins was arrested in March 2018 at Model City Apartments with two loaded firearms in his possession. Several months later, he was seen on the side of the road with more than 10 grams of meth, packaged for resale, in his possession. After pleading guilty to felony firearm possession and drug charges he was convicted on October 2. After serving 240 months in federal prison, he will have five years of supervised release. The Kingsport Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted with the indictment. 

No injuries were reported at a house fire in Washington County, Tennessee on Tuesday morning. The Embreeville Volunteer Fire Department reports that a call came in shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday about a house fire in the 3500 block of Cherokee Road. One man was inside the house at the time of the fire, but was able to get out safely, and no injuries were reported. No further information has been released. 

The Virginia Department of Health reports 145,462 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the commonwealth. The VDH also reports 3,088 confirmed deaths and 11,252 confirmed hospitalizations across the state. There are 3,350 cases in Southwest Virginia:

Washington County has 660 cases with 70 hospitalizations and 21 deaths
Smyth County has 549 cases with 50 hospitalizations and 20 deaths
Wise County has 456 cases with 33 hospitalizations and 9 deaths
Tazewell County has 344 cases with 17 hospitalizations and 2 deaths
Lee County has 306 cases with 28 hospitalizations and 7 deaths
Russell County has 300 cases with 29 hospitalizations and 5 deaths
Scott County has 205 cases with 18 hospitalizations and 4 deaths
City of Bristol has 198 cases with 10 hospitalizations and 7 deaths
Buchanan County has 188 cases with 13 hospitalizations and 2 deaths
Dickenson County has 105 cases with 8 hospitalizations and 1 death
City of Norton has 39 cases with 4 hospitalizations