Upshur County woman, 61, dies from COVID-19 as death toll surges in West Virginia

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COVID-19 has claimed the life of a sixth Upshur County resident, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced Wednesday.

The 61-year-old female was one of 39 deaths reported statewide as the fatality rate surged again Wednesday. More than 160 West Virginians have died from the virus in the last week, the DHHR said.

The DHHR also announced Wednesday that 1,516 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Mountain State.

Locally, new cases were reported in Upshur (23), Barbour (52), Lewis (16), Randolph (50) and Webster (4) counties.

A total of 268 cases are currently active in Upshur County, according to the DHHR, and the county remains red on the daily alert map. Every county statewide was either orange or red, the levels previously deemed unsafe for school. 

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Wednesday’s Upshur update:

  • Added eight probable and 14 confirmed cases to Jan. 5
  • Added two probable and four confirmed cases to Jan. 4
  • Removed one confirmed case from Jan. 3
  • Removed three probable cases from Jan. 2
  • Removed one probable case and added one confirmed case to Dec. 31

The deaths reported in West Virginia Wednesday include:

  • an 88-year old female from Kanawha County,
  • a 43-year old female from Raleigh County,
  • an 80-year old female from Mercer County,
  • an 81-year old male from Kanawha County,
  • a 75-year old male from Barbour County,
  • a 59-year old female from Wood County,
  • a 74-year old female from Mineral County,
  • an 85-year old male from Kanawha County,
  • a 95-year old female from Mineral County,
  • a 64-year old male from Putnam County,
  • a 77-year old female from Monongalia County,
  • a 66-year old male from Monongalia County,
  • an 82-year old female from Harrison County,
  • a 62-year old male from Wayne County,
  • a 97-year old male from Wood County,
  • a 67-year old female from Cabell County,
  • a 97-year old female from Mineral County,
  • an 89-year old female from Hancock County,
  • an 89-year old female from Mineral County,
  • an 81-year old female from Cabell County,
  • a 78-year old male from Cabell County,
  • a 61-year old female from Upshur County,
  • a 73-year old male from Hancock County,
  • a 90-year old female from Morgan County,
  • an 82-year old female from Mercer County,
  • a 93-year old female from Mercer County,
  • a 49-year old male from Cabell County,
  • an 82-year old male from Kanawha County,
  • a 75-year old male from Hancock County,
  • a 73-year old female from Fayette County,
  • a 79-year old male from Kanawha County,
  • an 89-year old female from Cabell County,
  • an 80-year old male from Wood County,
  • a 67-year old female from Wood County,
  • a 96-year old female from Hardy County,
  • a 79-year old male from Kanawha County,
  • a 78-year old male from Kanawha County,
  • a 65-year old male from Tucker County,
  • a 63-year old female from Brooke County.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of January 6, 2021, there have been 1,570,248 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 94,678 total cases and 1,481 deaths,” according to a press release.

About 27,626 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 65,571 people have recovered and 1,481 have died. The daily percent positive was 11.65%.

CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (899), Berkeley (6,920), Boone (1,137), Braxton (594), Brooke (1,565), Cabell (5,721), Calhoun (154), Clay (269), Doddridge (284), Fayette (1,913), Gilmer (444), Grant (826), Greenbrier (1,677), Hampshire (1,084), Hancock (2,060), Hardy (875), Harrison (3,348), Jackson (1,290), Jefferson (2,596), Kanawha (9,230), Lewis (602), Lincoln (855), Logan (1,840), Marion (2,194), Marshall (2,273), Mason (1,120), McDowell (1,040), Mercer (3,209), Mineral (2,194), Mingo (1,562), Monongalia (5,754), Monroe (699), Morgan (709), Nicholas (774), Ohio (2,687), Pendleton (351), Pleasants (607), Pocahontas (385), Preston (1,870), Putnam (3,190), Raleigh (3,003), Randolph (1,313), Ritchie (389), Roane (337), Summers (503), Taylor (777), Tucker (364), Tyler (407), Upshur (1,080), Wayne (1,846), Webster (177), Wetzel (775), Wirt (248), Wood (5,405), Wyoming (1,253).

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