A surge in new cases of COVID-19 continued on Monday as the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced that 107 additional cases of COVID-19 had been identified in the Mountain State.
“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of 5 p.m. on July 6, 2020, there have been 188,875 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 3,442 total cases and 95 deaths,” according to a press release.
The number of cases has increased sharply in July, with the active caseload up more than 50 percent in less than a week. The amount of testing, meanwhile, has held steady or even decreased slightly in recent weeks.
The percentage of daily positive tests, once under 1 percent in West Virginia, topped 4 percent on Monday.
Hospitals are beginning to see increased usage as well; the number of patients currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 is at the highest level in nearly two months.
On Monday, Gov. Jim Justice ordered that masks must be worn in all public indoor spaces effective as of midnight Tuesday. If residents do not take heed and work to stem the tide in new cases, Justice warned that businesses would be forced to close again, citing the situation in Texas as an example of where we could be headed.
New cases were reported Monday in Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Brooke, Cabell, Fayette, Greenbrier, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Marion, Mercer, Monongalia, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt and Wood counties.
About 829 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 2,518 people have recovered and 95 have died.
The Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department has announced that free drive-through COVID-19 testing will be available to all residents — including those without symptoms — on July 10-11.
Here are the dates, times and locations:
- Buckhannon-Upshur High School on Friday, July 10 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (two lanes will be open for testing)
- Tri-County Health Clinic in Rock Cave on Friday and Saturday, July 10-11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days (one lane will be open for testing)
“You need to have a valid form of ID, with current contact information and phone number if possible, so you can be notified of results,” according to the health department. “All test results should be in by Wednesday, July 15. You will be notified of test results. We hope to have a great turn out.”
Anyone with questions about the free testing can call the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department at 304-472-2810.
CASES PER COUNTY (Case confirmed by lab test/Probable case): Barbour (17/0), Berkeley (474/18), Boone (24/0), Braxton (3/0), Brooke (14/1), Cabell (161/6), Calhoun (2/0), Clay (11/0), Fayette (72/0), Gilmer (13/0), Grant (15/1), Greenbrier (66/0), Hampshire (42/0), Hancock (29/3), Hardy (44/1), Harrison (79/0), Jackson (145/0), Jefferson (240/5), Kanawha (346/9), Lewis (19/1), Lincoln (9/0), Logan (26/0), Marion (85/3), Marshall (43/1), Mason (21/0), McDowell (6/0), Mercer (57/0), Mineral (56/2), Mingo (20/3), Monongalia (285/14), Monroe (15/1), Morgan (19/1), Nicholas (14/1), Ohio (109/1), Pendleton (13/1), Pleasants (4/1), Pocahontas (30/1), Preston (73/16), Putnam (68/1), Raleigh (62/1), Randolph (169/2), Ritchie (2/0), Roane (11/0), Summers (2/0), Taylor (16/1), Tucker (6/0), Tyler (5/0), Upshur (20/1), Wayne (119/1), Webster (1/0), Wetzel (18/0), Wirt (5/0), Wood (124/8), Wyoming (7/0).
