Breaking News

Coronavirus

Officials: COVID claims another 37 lives in West Virginia

CHARLESTON — Another 37 people have died from the virus between Tuesday and Wednesday in West Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Resources said. More than 340 deaths from the virus have been confirmed so far in the month of February. The death count as of Wednesday was 6,104 residents. Wednesday’s update by the state included the confirmed deaths of a 47-year-old woman from Wirt County, a 63-year-old woman from Jackson County, a 95-year-old woman from Tyler County, a 94-year-old woman from Wood County and a 61-year old male from Wirt County. Other deaths were confirmed ...

West Virginia reports 44 new COVID deaths

Staff Report CHARLESTON — Forty-four more residents were confirmed as deaths from the COVID-19 virus on Tuesday morning, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. The state has confirmed eight deaths in Cabell, Hancock, Clay, Jefferson, Lincoln, Monongalia and Grant counties while 36 of the deaths were from the data reconciliation with the death certificates by the Bureau of Public Health. The reconciliation deaths, which occurred from December to February, included an 87-year-old woman from Wood County, a 58-year-old woman from Gilmer County, an ...

West Virginia records 6,000th COVID-19 death

CHARLESTON — Even as active COVID-19 cases and hospitalization numbers decline, West Virginia recorded 31 deaths over the weekend, pushing the total fatalities attributed to the virus since the spring of 2020 over 6,000. “We have lost 6,023 great West Virginians,” Gov. Jim Justice said during Monday’s online COVID-19 briefing. “It rips my heart out in so many ways.” Justice and Dr. Clay Marsh, the state’s coronavirus czar and vice president/executive dean for Health Sciences at West Virginia University, continued to urge people to take advantage of free COVID-19 ...

West Virginia upgrades Wood County on COVID alert map

CHARLESTON — Wood County was upgraded to yellow on West Virginia’s County Alert System map, where only one county was red as of Monday. Total deaths were at 6,023 on Monday with another 31 deaths confirmed since Friday, according to the state Department of Health and Human Resources. The confirmations include eight people from the Mid-Ohio Valley — a 64-year-old woman from Wood County, a 69-year-old man from Wood County, a 64-year-old man from Jackson County, an 87-year-old man from Jackson County, an 85-year-old woman from Doddridge County, a 91-year-old man from Wood County and ...

Too soon to say endemic, West Virginia health officer says

CHARLESTON — West Virginia still wants the authorization for a fourth booster shot despite the possibility that the latest omicron variant surge of the pandemic may have peaked. The state earlier this year asked the federal government for the authorization of another booster for residents 50 and older, those who are immunocompromised and essential workers who are four months out from their booster shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Data from Israel supported the booster to increase immunity levels, health officers said. “I would say we certainly are still very interested in ...

West Virginia eight shy of 6,000 COVID deaths

CHARLESTON — Active cases of the coronavirus in West Virginia again fluctuated to just over 8,000 on Friday, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources. The state reported 8,076 active COVID-19 cases with 2,121 new cases received in the 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday morning. Active cases have been generally trending downward as health officials believe the omicron variant surge has plateaued. Active cases were reported at 7,589 on Thursday and 8,339 on Wednesday. The last time active cases were around 8,000 was the first week of December. The most cases of ...