In the last 24 hours, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported 921 new cases and 40 deaths due to complications stemming from COVID-19.
Among those confirmed deceased are an 85-year-old Putnam County woman, a 77-year-old Marion County woman, a 55-year-old Cabell County man, a 77-year-old Lewis County woman, an 85-year-old Wyoming County man, a 72-year-old Mercer County man, a 78-year-old Mason County woman, a 75-year-old Harrison County man, a 57-year-old Cabell County man, a 72-year-old Upshur County woman, an 82-year-old Gilmer County woman, an 84-year-old Boone County woman, a 96-year-old Wood County woman, a 67-year-old Mercer County man, a 78-year-old Randolph County man, a 64-year-old Gilmer County man, a 58-year-old Tyler County man, an 84-year-old Wayne County woman, a 72-year-old Brooke County woman, a 95-year-old Mason County man, a 67-year-old Monongalia County man, a 75-year-old Pleasants County man, a 96-year-old Jackson County woman, an 82-year-old Jackson County woman, a 57-year-old Mercer County woman, a 65-year-old Jackson County woman, a 76-year-old Jackson County woman, a 79-year-old Lewis County man, a 92-year-old Wood County man, an 82-year-old Jackson County man, a 59-year-old Marion County woman, an 87-year-old Monongalia County man, a 66-year-old Jackson County man, a 90-year-old Wood County man, a 92-year-old Kanawha County man, a 59-year-old Grant County woman, a 79-year-old Monongalia County man, an 85-year-old Randolph County woman, a 79-year-old Jefferson County man and a 64-year-old Monongalia County woman.
“The loss of additional lives is painful to report,” Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch said, in a message posted on the DHHR’s website. “To these families, we extend our deepest sympathy and commitment to continue working to end transmission of this deadly virus.”
The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in West Virginia has now reached 1,634.
Vaccination efforts are continuing across the state.
According to a social media post from the Greenbrier County Health Department dated Monday, Jan. 11, “There will be a regional community COVID vaccination event in the WV Building at the WV State Fair on 1/14/2021 for those over 80-years of age. To ensure you receive a vaccine, please call your local health department to make an appointment.”
The Greenbrier County Health Department can be reached at 304-645-1787.
Recently, questions have been raised regarding the protocols for those choosing to receive the vaccination, particularly regarding those who have already received the first round of injections. As the vaccine does not afford maximum protection until seven-days after the second dose is administered, it is possible to contract the virus in between injections.
Regarding this situation, W.Va. State Health Officer Dr. Ayne Amjad said, “If someone receives the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and they unfortunately have COVID in between that series, you would wait until you’re not infectious so that the person who is vaccinating you obviously does not become infected.”
Amjad went on to say, “You would simply pick up with the next dose in the series. You would not have to go ahead and get another first dose again.”
As of Tuesday, Jan. 12, West Virginia has received 109,440 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, all of which have been allocated to community providers. The state has administered 93,481 first-doses to residents and 13,764 second doses. West Virginia’s daily positivity-rate is 8.68% and the cumulative positivity-rate is 5.40%. Currently, there are 28,577 active cases of COVID-19 across the state.
At present, 755 West Virginians are hospitalized with COVID-19, 203 of whom are receiving treatment in the ICU, with 104 being assisted with ventilators. The W.Va. DHHR reports that 72,992 residents who had previously tested positive for the virus have since recovered.
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