Four deaths, 234 new COVID-19 cases reported in West Virginia on Thursday

Brian Bergstrom
September 17, 2020

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced Thursday that 234 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Mountain State.

The DHHR is still not reporting the additional cases announced in recent days by the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department. On Wednesday, the health department reported 63 total cases locally, while the DHHR data includes just 60.

Barbour County reported three new cases on Thursday and is now listed as yellow on the county alert map.

Four additional deaths have been attributed to the disease, according to the DHHR – a 69-year old male from Berkeley County, a 75-year old male from Berkeley County, a 91-year old female from Jackson County, and an 80-year old male from Roane County.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of 10 a.m., September 17, 2020, there have been 497,962 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 13,430 total cases and 294 deaths,” according to a press release.

Gov. Jim Justice announced additional tweaks to the state’s county alert map during his virtual press briefing Wednesday, saying college students who quarantine together will only count as one case collectively.

The move is seen as a way to remove WVU cases from the Monongalia County totals, but teacher groups criticized the health rationale behind the decision, noting college students — unlike people in prisons or nursing homes — have extensive community interaction prior to testing positive. Most community spread is believed to occur in this phase, not after someone quarantines.

Schools across the state, meanwhile, are reporting new outbreaks. A student at Grafton High School has tested positive for COVID-19, the Grafton-Taylor Health Department said in a press release Wednesday. That news came just one day after athletes from Grafton traveled to Buckhannon-Upshur to compete in boy’s soccer, girl’s soccer and volleyball.

New cases were reported Thursday in Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Randolph, Roane, Summers, Wayne, Wetzel, Wood and Wyoming counties.

About 3,332 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 9,804 people have recovered and 294 have died. The daily percent positive is 4.93%.

CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (42), Berkeley (922), Boone (190), Braxton (10), Brooke (106), Cabell (690), Calhoun (23), Clay (33), Doddridge (17), Fayette (501), Gilmer (19), Grant (150), Greenbrier (118), Hampshire (99), Hancock (139), Hardy (76), Harrison (326), Jackson (239), Jefferson (413), Kanawha (2154), Lewis (38), Lincoln (148), Logan (558), Marion (250), Marshall (148), Mason (130), McDowell (80), Mercer (392), Mineral (157), Mingo (332), Monongalia (1791), Monroe (143), Morgan (48), Nicholas (77), Ohio (343), Pendleton (51), Pleasants (15), Pocahontas (59), Preston (145), Putnam (460), Raleigh (449), Randolph (233), Ritchie (10), Roane (43), Summers (32), Taylor (115), Tucker (15), Tyler (15), Upshur (60), Wayne (328), Webster (7), Wetzel (49), Wirt (9), Wood (345), Wyoming (88).