Breaking News

Coronavirus

Active cases drop, deaths rise from virus in West Virginia

CHARLESTON — Active cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in West Virginia dropped to 11,491 Wednesday, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources. Wednesday’s total was more than 1,350 less from Tuesday when the cases were at 12,843. Active cases have been dropping in West Virginia since around the end of January. The highest number of active cases in the latest surge was 21,717 on Jan. 22, which is based on a five-day active guideline from the Centers for Disease Control. The most active cases under the previous 10-day guideline were 29,744 on Sept. 16. Most counties ...

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to listen to governors’ concerns about vaccine mandates, rural hospitals

WHEELING — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday that he and governors from Virginia and Tennessee have been granted a telephone meeting today with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services concerning their request for COVID vaccination mandates for healthcare workers in rural hospitals. Justice, Virginia Gov. Glen Youngkin and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday sent a letter to the CMS asking for a waiver in their states to a Biden Administration mandate requiring all healthcare workers be vaccinated. The governors are concerned about staffing issues at hospitals, and that ...

West Virginia Bureau for Public Health changing COVID procedures

CHARLESTON — The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Public Health has announced new guidance to local health departments about the end of universal case investigation and contact tracing after recommendations to do so by the Centers for Disease Control and other public health agencies were released. “As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, so have public health mitigation strategies and guidance,” the statement said. “The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Public Health continues to transition from universal case ...

Active COVID-19 cases continue to drop in local counties, West Virginia

Staff Report CHARLESTON — Active COVID-19 cases dropped over 2,600 in West Virginia, where hospitalizations reached 1,100 on Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health and Human Resources. The department reported 12,843 active cases Tuesday and 2,151 new cases received since the last report on Monday morning. Active cases on Monday were at 15,490. Cases were 17,468 on Sunday and 17,098 on Friday. The most active cases were 29,744 on Sept. 16, based on the previous 10-day active status guideline. The state changed to the federal Centers for Disease Control and ...

Justice seeks vaccine waiver for rural hospitals

CHARLESTON — As he continued to urge people to protect themselves from COVID-19 with vaccines and boosters, Gov. Jim Justice on Monday said he’ll join two other states’ chief executives in requesting a waiver for rural hospitals from the federal vaccine mandate for healthcare ...

Another 20 COVID deaths reported in West Virginia

CHARLESTON — A 42-year-old man Roane County was among the 20 deaths from the coronavirus reported on Monday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. The state also confirmed the deaths of a 76-year-old man from Jackson County and a 74-year-old man from Pleasants County in Monday’s pandemic update. The death toll since the pandemic started more than two years ago is 5,763 as of Monday, according to the state. In comparison, the population of Princeton is about 5,500. Deaths also were confirmed Monday of residents from Mercer, Ohio, Jefferson, Kanawha, ...