Upshur County reports eighth active COVID-19 case, recent uptick related to local stockyard

The Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department announced in a press release Wednesday morning that another case of COVID-19 has been identified locally.

“Upshur County now has its 12^th case of COVID-19,” according to the release. “Eight of those are currently active. Many of those are soon coming off quarantine. We have finally been permitted to state that five of those cases in Upshur County were related to the local stockyard.”

Cases in Upshur County have tripled amid a surge along Route 33. In the last week, 32 new cases have been reported in Upshur, Lewis, Barbour and Randolph counties. The Webster County Health Department also announced Wednesday that the county to Upshur’s south finally has its first confirmed case.

The local stockyard has not had a sale in 14 days, and the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department has been diligently tracing and notifying any contacts the recent cases may have had to prevent spread in the community. Active cases without symptoms are generally considered recovered and removed from quarantine after two weeks.

The health department continues to advise continuing to social distance, wear a mask, wash hands and treat everyone as a potential source of infection.

“UBHD also wants to make it clear that anyone who is waiting for COVID-19 test results should remain self-quarantined to protect their family members and working partners,” according to the release. “Everyone who can work from home should take advantage of this opportunity, only making trips outside for essential errands.”

Statewide, cases surpassed the 2,600 mark Wednesday morning.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of 10 a.m. on June 24, 2020, there have been 156,438 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 2,611 total cases and 92 deaths,” according to a press release from the DHHR.

CASES PER COUNTY (Case confirmed by lab test/Probable case): Barbour (15/0), Berkeley (420/18), Boone (19/0), Braxton (3/0), Brooke (6/1), Cabell (90/3), Calhoun (2/0), Clay (10/0), Fayette (62/0), Gilmer (10/0), Grant (15/1), Greenbrier (52/0), Hampshire (40/0), Hancock (18/2), Hardy (41/1), Harrison (52/1), Jackson (141/0), Jefferson (212/5), Kanawha (262/8), Lewis (15/0), Lincoln (5/0), Logan (21/0), Marion (52/2), Marshall (38/1), Mason (16/0), McDowell (6/0), Mercer (28/0), Mineral (52/2), Mingo (12/3), Monongalia (146/14), Monroe (8/1), Morgan (19/1), Nicholas (8/0), Ohio (74/0), Pendleton (12/1), Pleasants (4/1), Pocahontas (23/1), Preston (52/13), Putnam (44/1), Raleigh (33/1), Randolph (154/0), Ritchie (2/0), Roane (11/0), Summers (1/0), Taylor (13/1), Tucker (6/0), Tyler (3/0), Upshur (12/1), Wayne (106/1), Wetzel (9/0), Wirt (4/0), Wood (56/4), Wyoming (7/0).