West Virginia reporting record high numbers of new COVID-19 cases with start of school a week away

Brian Bergstrom
September 1, 2020

With one week left until the scheduled start of school, West Virginia is reporting record high numbers of new and active COVID-19 cases.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced Tuesday 257 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Mountain State.

A total of 1,112 new cases have been reported in the last week, a record number, and 2,122 cases are currently active, the highest the state has seen since the pandemic began.

Eight additional deaths have been attributed to the disease, according to the DHHR – a 72-year old female from Monroe County, a 65-year old female from Kanawha County, an 84-year old male from Kanawha County, a 65-year old female from Logan County, a 62-year old female from Logan County, an 82-year old male from Logan County, a 41-year old female from Mingo County, and a 91-year female from Kanawha County.

“This is another difficult day for West Virginia as the death toll continues to rise,” Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary, said in a press release. “Our heart goes out to these West Virginians and their families. Please continue taking every precaution we can to slow the spread of this disease.”

The daily percent positive Tuesday was 6.85%, more than double what it has been in recent weeks.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of 10 a.m., on September 1, 2020, there have been 438,255 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 10,507 total cases and 222 deaths,” according to a press release.

WVU reported 27 new cases and a positive rate of nearly 20 percent in their most recent update. The school has reported 215 total cases to date.

Despite the county’s move into the orange alert zone, Gov. Jim Justice allowed bars to reopen in Monongalia County on Monday.

New cases were reported Tuesday in Berkeley, Boone, Brooke, Cabell, Fayette, Gilmer, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Wayne, Wood and Wyoming counties.

About 2,122 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 8,163 people have recovered and 222 have died.

CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (33), Berkeley (804), Boone (143), Braxton (9), Brooke (94), Cabell (544), Calhoun (10), Clay (27), Doddridge (6), Fayette (360), Gilmer (19), Grant (141), Greenbrier (104), Hampshire (92), Hancock (121), Hardy (75), Harrison (269), Jackson (205), Jefferson (360), Kanawha (1491), Lewis (32), Lincoln (119), Logan (493), Marion (219), Marshall (133), Mason (105), McDowell (70), Mercer (311), Mineral (147), Mingo (249), Monongalia (1170), Monroe (124), Morgan (37), Nicholas (52), Ohio (291), Pendleton (45), Pleasants (15), Pocahontas (45), Preston (140), Putnam (286), Raleigh (366), Randolph (226), Ritchie (5), Roane (33), Summers (20), Taylor (106), Tucker (11), Tyler (15), Upshur (43), Wayne (253), Webster (7), Wetzel (46), Wirt (8), Wood (310), Wyoming (68).