All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

First confirmed COVID-19 case reported in Upshur County on Thursday

A confirmed case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Upshur County, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced Thursday night.

The Upshur County case was one of 27 new confirmed cases reported around the state Thursday. In total, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in West Virginia increased to 76.

No other details about the Upshur County confirmation were immediately available.

New cases were reported in Berkeley, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Monongalia, Raleigh, Upshur and Wood counties, according to the DHHR.

The West Virginia news came shortly after the United States surpassed China and is now reporting the highest number of coronavirus cases worldwide.

“The state breakdown of cases by county are four individuals from Berkeley County, four from Harrison County, five from Jackson County, four from Jefferson County, 15 from Kanawha County, one from Logan County, two from Marion County, three from Marshall County, one from Mason County, two from Mercer County, 24 from Monongalia County, one from Ohio County, one from Preston County, two from Putnam County, two from Raleigh County, two from Tucker County, one from Upshur County, and two from Wood County,” according to a press release from the DHHR.

The DHHR said 1,855 residents have been tested for COVID-19 as of Thursday.

“Following surveillance from several identified cases, the official case count changed for Ohio and Preston counties by one less as they were found to not be the county of residence of these individuals,” the release notes.

Meanwhile, the spread of the virus continues to grow at an exponential rate worldwide, with about 75,000 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the worldwide total to 530,000. The number of deaths is also increasing at an alarming rate, with about 3,000 new deaths in the last day. To date, more than 24,000 people have died to the disease.

Also on Thursday, the United States surpassed both Italy and China – where the virus is believed to have originated in December 2019 – in total confirmed cases. About 84,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S.

In a press conference, West Virginia governor Jim Justice appointed a COVID-19 czar and asked travelers from out-of-state to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Read more about Justice’s recent actions here.

Want to keep up-to-date with the latest local information about COVID-19? Bookmark our COVID-19 HQ page, which has the latest news, numbers, charts and more.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for July 2, 2025

This week in Buckhannon, local organizations plan events and clinics — including a big July 4th celebration — and several community initiatives aim to engage residents of all ages.

Emergency agencies stress need for coordinated incident plans during large events with road closures

Emergency officials emphasized the need for incident action plans and coordination with public safety agencies for large events that close major streets, citing upcoming car shows and other street-closure events to ensure fast, safe emergency responses.
BUHS Sports

B-U now in Class AAAA in all sports; moved to new South Region after WVSSAC restructuring

Buckhannon-Upshur High School will compete in Class AAAA — the highest division — for all sports and has been moved to the new South Region under a two-year realignment by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

Stockert Youth and Community Center Board Meeting Agenda: July 3, 2025

The Stockert Youth and Community Center Board will meet July 3, 2025, with an agenda set to discuss organizational matters and upcoming events.

Buckhannon Waste Board Agenda: July 3, 2025

The City of Buckhannon Waste Collection Board has released the agenda for its upcoming meeting on July 3, 2025.

Woman arrested on six felony charges after allegedly shooting at a man in Upshur County

Jocelyn M. Krum, 28, of Charleston, was arrested on six felony charges after allegedly entering a Mt. Lebanon Road residence in Upshur County with a rifle and shooting at a man before fleeing the scene.

Buckhannon man sentenced to 11 to 21 years for Bailey Ridge Road shootout

Austin W. Arbogast, 26, was sentenced to 11 to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felony charges stemming from a March 2024 shootout on Bailey Ridge Road while attempting to retrieve his child.

Mountain East Conference extends invitation to Shawnee State University

The Mountain East Conference has approved Shawnee State University as its 12th full-time member, with the school set to join in 2026 pending NCAA Division II acceptance and expanding league competition in 19 sports.
Davis and Elkins College

Davis & Elkins College students recognized for high academic honors for Spring 2025 semester

Davis & Elkins College has announced the Spring 2025 president’s list, for students earning 4.0 GPAs, and dean’s list, for those earning 3.6 to 3.99, honoring academic excellence campus-wide.