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

Governor reports continued improvement in number of hospitalizations, severe cases

Babydog Justice / Photo courtesy of W.Va. Governor's Office

CHARLESTON — On Friday, Gov. Jim Justice reported that there are now 10,213 active cases of COVID-19 statewide — up by 510 cases since the Governor’s previous briefing on Wednesday.

Despite the small increase over the past two days, the active case count is down overall by 19,531 cases since peaking less than a month ago, dropping by 65.7% in that timeframe.

COVID-19 Dashboard | Coronavirus.wv.gov

Meanwhile, the state continues to see a steady downward trend in the number of severe COVID cases.

The number of hospitalizations, patients in ICUs, and patients on ventilators have all dropped between 16.4% and 23.3% since peaking in the final week of September.

The number of hospitalizations is now 785; down by 38 since Wednesday. Since peaking at 1,012, hospitalizations have dropped by 227 (22.4%).

The number of patients in ICUs is now 227; down by 12 since Wednesday. Since peaking at 296, the number of patients in ICUs has dropped by 69 (23.3%).

The number of patients on ventilators is now 163; down by 12 since Wednesday. Since peaking at 195, the number of patients on ventilators has dropped by 32 (16.4%).

However, the statewide death toll from COVID-19 has now reached 4,108, with 110 more deaths being reported since Wednesday, including 31 as a result of the DHHR’s data reconciliation with official death certificates.

The County Alert System map now features 20 red counties, 26 orange counties, six gold counties, one yellow county, and two green counties.

CLARKSBURG VETERANS NURSING FACILITY UPDATE

Also on Friday, Gov. Justice provided an update on the recent COVID-19 outbreak at the West Virginia Veterans Nursing Facility in Clarksburg.

The Governor reported that the outbreak is contained to the Alzheimers/Dementia Ward.

There have been 13 positive cases among the 17 total residents in this ward. Additionally, five staff members have tested positive.

One infected patient who was under hospice care prior to their infection died Thursday.

The Governor went on to add that all residents have now received antibody treatments and that there are no patients hospitalized at this time. 

“We have it contained to the very best of our abilities,” Gov. Justice said. “We thank our National Guard for doing what we always say and running to the fire. These are our heroes and we’re trying to look after them in every way.


With the percentage of fully vaccinated residents hospitalized for COVID-19 slowly creeping higher in recent weeks, Gov. Justice took time during his briefing to encourage all West Virginians to determine if they qualify for a booster dose and then get one if they are eligible.

West Virginians who received specifically the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine  may qualify for the booster shot if it has been at least six months since their second dose.

The CDC recommends that:

  • People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings SHOULD receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their second dose of Pfizer.
  • People aged 50–64 years with *underlying medical conditions SHOULD receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their second dose of Pfizer.
  • People aged 18–49 years with *underlying medical conditions MAY receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their second Pfizer dose, based on their individual benefits and risks.

People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting MAY receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their second Pfizer dose, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Share this story:

RECENT Stories

Buckhannon man arrested after police find fentanyl stamps in vehicle

A man was arrested for felony possession with intent to deliver after police allegedly discovered wax stamps in his vehicle that tested positive for fentanyl.

Buckhannon pair charged after road rage incident leaves car damaged

A Buckhannon man and woman were arrested after a road rage incident in which they allegedly threw bottles at another vehicle, causing over $5,000 in damages and threatening the driver.

Buckhannon-Upshur environmental students experience exciting legal battle with mock trial

Buckhannon-Upshur environmental students participated in a mock trial at the Upshur County Courthouse, learned about Parkersburg v. DuPont, and received advice from renowned lawyer Robert Bilott.

Upshur County Commission Agenda: April 24, 2025

The Upshur County Commission has released the agenda for its upcoming meeting scheduled for April 24, 2025.

City of Buckhannon Water Department announces service interruption on Thursday, April 24

Water service for parts of Vicksburg Road, Pine Street, Royalty Road and Tripp Drive will be interrupted starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 24, for repairs.

Alert: Ritchie Street paving to start Wednesday, April 23

Paving of Ritchie Street from College Avenue to Camden Avenue will begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23, with residents asked to remove vehicles beforehand to facilitate the work.

Baseball Bucs come up short in McDonald’s Classic games

The Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneers baseball team went winless in the McDonald’s Classic, losing three closely contested games against Washington, Wheeling Park, and Parkersburg South, despite several strong performances at the plate.

Upshur County Sports Calendar

This week’s Upshur County sports calendar features a full slate of baseball, softball, lacrosse, golf, tennis, and track and field events for local high school and college teams, with some schedule changes due to cancellations.

WVWC’s Stoffel named MEC Softball Pitcher of the Week

Kendall Stoffel of West Virginia Wesleyan was named Mountain East Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week after earning three complete-game victories, including a one-hit shutout, and striking out 17 over 21 innings.

Tennis Lady Bucs have impressive showing in northern panhandle

The Buckhannon-Upshur tennis Lady Bucs bounced back from an initial 7-0 defeat to sweep both John Marshall and Brooke, finishing their northern panhandle trip with a strong 7-4 record.

Tennis Bucs down Brooke on northern panhandle trip

The Buckhannon-Upshur boys tennis team finished a busy northern panhandle trip with a 4-3 win over Brooke after losing matches to Wheeling Park and John Marshall, bringing their season record to 5-6.
WVWC Track - Wesleyan Sports

Wesleyan track and field teams shine in home event

West Virginia Wesleyan College’s track and field teams turned in a dominant all-around performance at their home Jasmine Claggett Invitational, earning numerous victories, personal bests, and nationally ranked marks across both men’s and women’s events.