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

Local doctor offers guidance as 65 new COVID-19 cases are reported in West Virginia on Thursday

The medical director of the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department has released a set of recommendations for county residents as COVID-19 cases continue to rise locally.

A new case was reported in Upshur County Thursday morning by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, but it was removed in the 5 p.m. update, leaving the county with 13 cases. According to the DHHR, the patient who tested positive was found not to be a resident of Upshur County.

“Due to the current rise in COVID-19 cases in Upshur County, it is the recommendation of medical director Dr. Joseph Reed and the Upshur-Buckhannon Board of Health that all residents and visitors to Upshur County use face coverings and practice social distancing, and those who have traveled or are traveling to a large or crowded vacation area to self-monitor / quarantine for 14 days upon return,” according to a statement from the Board of Health that was released Wednesday night.

The board also supports any additional restrictive requirements imposed by employers, the statement says.

The guidelines came as the United States reported the highest single-day increase in new COVID-19 cases to date on Wednesday. West Virginia is one of 26 ‘hot spot’ states that are experiencing increases in both the average number of cases and the positive test rate.

Overall, DHHR announced that 65 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Mountain State on Thursday.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of 5 p.m. on June 25, 2020, there have been 159,962 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 2,694 total cases and 92 deaths,” according to a press release.

New cases were reported Thursday in Berkeley, Cabell, Fayette, Greenbrier, Harrison, Jefferson, Kanawha, Marion, Mercer, Mingo, Monongalia, Ohio, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Wayne, Webster and Wood counties.

About 700 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 1,902 people have recovered and 92 have died.

CASES PER COUNTY (Case confirmed by lab test/Probable case): Barbour (15/0), Berkeley (423/18), Boone (19/0), Braxton (3/0), Brooke (8/1), Cabell (102/3), Calhoun (2/0), Clay (10/0), Fayette (64/0), Gilmer (11/0), Grant (15/1), Greenbrier (57/0), Hampshire (40/0), Hancock (18/2), Hardy (41/1), Harrison (55/1), Jackson (142/0), Jefferson (214/5), Kanawha (278/8), Lewis (15/0), Lincoln (5/0), Logan (21/0), Marion (53/2), Marshall (38/1), Mason (16/0), McDowell (6/0), Mercer (30/0), Mineral (52/2), Mingo (13/3), Monongalia (147/14), Monroe (8/1), Morgan (19/1), Nicholas (8/0), Ohio (78/0), Pendleton (12/1), Pleasants (4/1), Pocahontas (23/1), Preston (56/14), Putnam (49/1), Raleigh (42/1), Randolph (154/1), Ritchie (2/0), Roane (11/0), Summers (1/0), Taylor (13/1), Tucker (6/0), Tyler (3/0), Upshur (13/1), Wayne (109/1), Webster (1/0), Wetzel (9/0), Wirt (4/0), Wood (58/4), Wyoming (7/0).

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Local Rotary club expands soft-plastics recycling drop-off sites in Upshur County

The Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur has added more drop-off locations for its soft-plastics recycling project, keeping thousands of pounds out of local landfills. The effort helps fund balers and inclusive playground equipment made from recycled materials.

WVWC Center for Community Engagement & Leadership Development to host Community Labs on fundraising, marketing

WVWC’s Center for Community Engagement & Leadership Development is hosting free Community Labs to help local nonprofits, mission-driven groups, and businesses strengthen fundraising and marketing.

Upshur County Board of Education Agenda: January 20, 2026

The Upshur County Board of Education will hold a meeting January 20, 2026, and this notice outlines the agenda for that session.

Upshur County Convention & Visitors Bureau seeking executive director

Upshur County Convention & Visitors Bureau is hiring an executive director to lead tourism development, marketing and community engagement.

Basketball ‘Cats have no answers for UC’s offense in 100-58 setback

Charleston rolled to a 100–58 Mountain East Conference win over West Virginia Wesleyan, led by Matthew Shelton’s 20 points and strong depth as the Bobcats fell to 0–14.

Wesleyan women drop game at the buzzer to Charleston, 53-51

West Virginia Wesleyan fell 53-51 to Charleston after a final-second layup, despite Sydney Baird’s 14 points and Kilah Dandridge’s 12 points and five assists in a tightly contested Mountain East Conference game.

Tucker and Pingley record double-doubles as B-U secures first win of the year with a 58-43 victory over Robert C. Byrd

Madelyn Tucker and Emma Pingley each posted double-doubles as Buckhannon-Upshur earned its first win, defeating Robert C. Byrd 58-43 behind Tucker’s 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Election Update: The latest local candidate filings as of January 14

Candidate filings are underway for the May 12, 2026, Primary Election, with early entries for county commission, school board and city recorder. The filing deadline is Jan. 31, 2026.

Winter weather advisory issued for Upshur County as snow moves in

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Upshur County from 4 p.m. Wednesday to 1 p.m. Thursday as a fast-moving system could bring 2–4 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 35 mph.