COVID-19 cases continue to surge in West Virginia as deaths, hospitalizations mount

Brian Bergstrom
October 29, 2020

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced Thursday that 402 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Mountain State.

Seven additional deaths have been attributed to the disease, according to the DHHR – an 82-year old female from Kanawha County, a 71-year old female from Wetzel County, a 73-year old female from Wetzel County, a 66-year old female from Wetzel County, a 66-year old female from Wetzel County, a 74-year old female from Berkeley County, and a 70-year old male from Kanawha County.

“Today is a difficult day in our fight against COVID-19,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary.

Over the last seven days, West Virginia is averaging about 350 new cases per day. That’s nearly double what the state was reporting just weeks ago. Hospitalizations are also at record levels after rising sharply over the last 10 days.

In Upshur County, the DHHR report Thursday removed three probable cases from Oct. 26 and two probable cases from Oct. 27. It also removed a confirmed case from Oct. 27. The report added eight cases to Oct. 28 — five probable and three confirmed — for a net increase of two cases.

Upshur and Barbour counties both moved to gold on the daily alert map. The only thing keeping Upshur County from being orange are the large number of probable cases, which do not count toward the positivity percentage. If those were included, Upshur County currently would be orange, approaching red.

Regardless of color, Upshur County schools are closed to students until at least Nov. 4 due to an outbreak in the transportation department.

A total of 49 cases are active in Upshur County, according to the DHHR. Thirty-five new cases have been reported in the last seven days.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of 10 a.m., October 29, 2020, there have been 757,923 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 23,466 total cases and 443 deaths,” according to a press release.

New cases were reported Thursday in Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wood and Wyoming counties.

About 4,747 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 18,276 people have recovered and 443 have died. The daily percent positive was 2.97%.

CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (185), Berkeley (1615), Boone (381), Braxton (67), Brooke (237), Cabell (1453), Calhoun (36), Clay (64), Doddridge (71), Fayette (786), Gilmer (64), Grant (194), Greenbrier (200), Hampshire (133), Hancock (224), Hardy (107), Harrison (660), Jackson (388), Jefferson (603), Kanawha (3683), Lewis (94), Lincoln (253), Logan (770), Marion (391), Marshall (341), Mason (178), McDowell (126), Mercer (762), Mineral (223), Mingo (609), Monongalia (2316), Monroe (257), Morgan (151), Nicholas (188), Ohio (560), Pendleton (77), Pleasants (30), Pocahontas (70), Preston (200), Putnam (884), Raleigh (825), Randolph (419), Ritchie (41), Roane (111), Summers (119), Taylor (168), Tucker (64), Tyler (35), Upshur (265), Wayne (595), Webster (32), Wetzel (183), Wirt (53), Wood (616), Wyoming (309).