This post is made possible by Fosters Marketing Group, a Buckhannon-based business that offers several affordable services — such as air duct cleaning, mold and mildew stain removal, pressure washing, paving and more — for both residential and commercial customers. Call them at 1-800-633-9266 or check out the Baceria Busters website.

COVID-19 claims another Upshur County life, DHHR announces Sunday

Brian Bergstrom
January 17, 2021

The number of COVID-19 related deaths in Upshur County continues to increase, with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announcing Sunday that a 73-year old male has died from the virus.

That marks the sixth straight day the county has reported a new death; the virus has now claimed 17 Upshur Countians in total.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for the families and friends of these West Virginians,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. “We offer our deepest sympathies to these families.”

Locally, new cases were reported in Upshur (8), Barbour (11), Lewis (5) and Randolph (8) counties. A total of 200 cases are currently active in Upshur County, according to the DHHR.

Statewide, the DHHR said that 697 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Mountain State.

West Virginia is currently seeing the biggest drop in new cases since the virus began to surge in September and October, and a post-holiday spike has so far not materialized. However, schools are set to reopen statewide this week by order of Gov. Jim Justice, ending a month-long break in which they were closed to in-person learning.

Fifteen additional deaths have been attributed to the disease, according to the DHHR:

a 72-year old male from Marshall County,
a 73-year old male from Wood County,
a 75-year old female from Berkeley County,
a 70-year old female from Wood County,
a 96-year old female from Ohio County,
a 62-year old male from Raleigh County,
an 88-year old female from Hardy County,
a 73-year old male from Upshur County,
an 84-year old male from Lewis County,
a 79-year old female from Fayette County,
an 81-year old male from Brooke County,
a 95-year old male from Hardy County,
an 89-year old female from Brooke County,
a 92-year old female from Monongalia County,
an 85-year old male from Marshall County.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of January 17, 2021, there have been 1,746,224 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 108,821 total cases and 1,776 total deaths,” according to a press release.

About 26,858 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 80,187 people have recovered and 1,776 have died. The daily percent positive was 5.07%.

A total of 23,066 people have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in West Virginia, meaning they have received both doses of the vaccine, the DHHR said.

CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (998), Berkeley (7,982), Boone (1,285), Braxton (686), Brooke (1,741), Cabell (6,410), Calhoun (188), Clay (299), Doddridge (363), Fayette (2,151), Gilmer (532), Grant (919), Greenbrier (2,037), Hampshire (1,228), Hancock (2,317), Hardy (1,083), Harrison (3,971), Jackson (1,467), Jefferson (2,981), Kanawha (10,239), Lewis (719), Lincoln (1021), Logan (2,111), Marion (2,843), Marshall (2,538), Mason (1,325), McDowell (1,135), Mercer (3,675), Mineral (2,313), Mingo (1,757), Monongalia (6,432), Monroe (796), Morgan (813), Nicholas (935), Ohio (3,037), Pendleton (459), Pleasants (710), Pocahontas (509), Preston (2,213), Putnam (3,496), Raleigh (3,611), Randolph (1,929), Ritchie (494), Roane (399), Summers (629), Taylor (891), Tucker (417), Tyler (488), Upshur (1,268), Wayne (2,100), Webster (219), Wetzel (881), Wirt (291), Wood (6,070), Wyoming (1,420).