Through a post on social media dated Wednesday, December 9, the Greenbrier County Health Department said, “It is with great regret that we announce our twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth COVID-19 deaths. We lost a 71-year-old female resident, a 92-year-old female resident and a 99-year-old male resident due to complications of the virus. We offer our sincere condolences to their families.”
In a similar post, also from Wednesday, the Pocahontas County Health Department said, “We are sad to report that Pocahontas County has six additional COVID-related deaths since our last post. Please keep the individual’s families in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports that 20 more residents have succumbed to the virus within the last 24 hours.
Among those confirmed deceased are the two of the three individuals reported by the Greenbrier County Health Department, as well as a 75-year-old Putnam County man, a 90-year-old Preston County women 77-year-old Wood County man, an 80-year-old Mineral County man, a 77-year-old Mineral County man, a 78-year-old Brooke County man, an 86-year-old Wood County man, a 75-year-old Kanawha County man, an 80-year-old Kanawha County man, a 72*year-old Boone County woman, an 83-year-old Kanawha County man, a 72-year-old Boone County woman, an 83-year-old Kanawha County man, an 86-year-old Putnam County woman, a 42-year-old Raleigh County man, an 87-year-old Jackson County woman, a 64-year-old Cabell County man, a 70-year-old Cabell County man, a 38-year-old Cabell County woman and a 59-year-old Hancock County man. The DHHR has not yet updated their reporting to reflect the passing of the 99-year-old Greenbrier County man.
In a statement posted on the DHHR’s website, Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch said, “As this pandemic continues, it doesn’t get any easier to report the deaths of our residents. Our sincere condolences are extended to these families.”
As of Thursday, Dec. 10, the total number of deaths in West Virginia attributed to complications of the coronavirus is 921.
According to the DHHR’s daily color-coded county map, Greenbrier has been upgraded once again, and is now designated as orange. Pocahontas County also remains orange, Fayette remains designated as gold, Monroe remains yellow and Summers County remains green, while Mercer County has been upgraded to gold.
In Monroe County, a scheduling change has been announced with regard to free COVID-19 testing.
Through a social media post of their own, the Monroe Health Center said, “Beginning Monday, Dec.14, the time of the Free COVID-19 Drive-Thru testing will be 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Testing is Monday through Friday at our Union, Peterstown and Forest Hill Locations.
Although an appointment time for the free drive-thru testing is not required, by calling and scheduling a time, it will help with the flow and wait time.
Union: 304-772-3064
Peterstown: 304-753-4336
Forest Hill: 304-466-1152.”
A total of 14,904 laboratory tests were performed on Wednesday, Dec. 8, bringing the state’s seven-day testing average to 14,504. West Virginia has now tested 70.322% of it’s population. The daily positivity-rate is 6.24% and the cumulative positivity-rate is 3.98%. An additional 1,233 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified statewide within the last 24 hours.
At present, there are 679 West Virginians hospitalized with COVID-19, 184 of whom are receiving care in the intensive care unit, with 73 being treated with ventilators. According to the DHHR, 38,614 of those previously infected with the virus have since recovered.
West Virginia has now exceeded 20,000 active cases of COVID-19, and is on pace to exceed 60,000 total cases by Friday, December 11.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.