More than 1,000 West Virginians have now died from COVID-19, state announces Tuesday

Brian Bergstrom
December 15, 2020

The Department of Health and Human Resources announced Tuesday that 34 additional West Virginians have now died from COVID-19, pushing the state total above 1,000 deaths.

Tuesday’s report marks a single-day record increase in deaths. A total of 1,314 new cases of COVID-19 were also reported in the Mountain State on Tuesday.

State officials are relying on vaccinations to stem the tide of the virus, although they acknowledge it could be months before the general public has access to the vaccines. Gov. Jim Justice received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine Monday to demonstrate its safety to state residents.

Hospitalizations and active cases statewide are at record high levels, the DHHR said. More than 750 West Virginians are currently in the hospital battling COVID-19. Tuesday’s positivity percentage of 9.61% was also the highest the state has seen since the early days of the pandemic last spring.

Locally, new cases were reported Tuesday in Upshur (5), Barbour (2), Lewis (4), Randolph (22) and Webster (2) counties.

A total of 77 cases are currently active in Upshur County, according to the DHHR, a big drop from Monday. Tuesday’s update:

Added eight probable and four confirmed cases to Dec. 14
Removed one probable case and two confirmed cases from Dec. 13
Removed four probable cases from Dec. 12
Removed one probable and one confirmed case from Dec. 10
Removed one probable and added one confirmed case to Dec. 8

The deaths reported statewide Tuesday included:

a 52-year old male from Ritchie County,
a 94-year old female from Harrison County,
a 41-year old female from Berkeley County,
a 66-year old female from Cabell County,
an 86-year old male from Monroe County,
an 86-year old female from Monongalia County,
a 72-year old female from Hardy County,
a 72-year old female from Wayne County,
a 76-year old female from Fayette County,
a 92-year old female from Kanawha County,
an 89-year old male from Greenbrier County,
an 89-year old male from Mineral County,
a 92-year old male from Hardy County,
a 96-year old male from Mineral County,
an 80-year old female from Mineral County,
a 78-year old male from Mineral County,
an 82-year old female from Mason County,
a 78-year old male from Taylor County,
a 78-year old male from Hancock County,
a 67-year old female from Mineral County,
an 89-year old female from Putnam County,
a 63-year old female from Pleasants County,
a 74-year old female from Morgan County,
a 50-year old male from Marshall County,
an 84-year old male from Roane County,
a 63-year old female from Mercer County,
a 94-year old female from Cabell County,
an 81-year old female from Cabell County,
a 78-year old female from Jackson County,
a 68-year old male from Summers County,
a 76-year old male from Kanawha County,
a 79-year old female from Kanawha County,
an 83-year old female from Kanawha County,
and a 92-year old male from Kanawha County.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of December 15, 2020, there have been 1,330,401 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 65,708 total cases and 1,012 deaths,” according to a press release.

About 21,091 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 43,605 people have recovered and 1,012 have died. The daily percent positive was 9.61%.

CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (564), Berkeley (4,652), Boone (820), Braxton (178), Brooke (1,045), Cabell (4,047), Calhoun (112), Clay (200), Doddridge (175), Fayette (1,399), Gilmer (256), Grant (600), Greenbrier (945), Hampshire (664), Hancock (1,337), Hardy (548), Harrison (2,076), Jackson (920), Jefferson (1,874), Kanawha (7,213), Lewis (347), Lincoln (564), Logan (1,236), Marion (1,286), Marshall (1,693), Mason (815), McDowell (752), Mercer (1,905), Mineral (1,857), Mingo (1,143), Monongalia (4,256), Monroe (485), Morgan (476), Nicholas (512), Ohio (2,043), Pendleton (188), Pleasants (211), Pocahontas (300), Preston (1,111), Putnam (2,505), Raleigh (2,104), Randolph (927), Ritchie (262), Roane (243), Summers (331), Taylor (507), Tucker (242), Tyler (242), Upshur (644), Wayne (1,358), Webster (112), Wetzel (533), Wirt (161), Wood (3,761), Wyoming (971).