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Coronavirus

West Virginia prepares for increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations

CHARLESTON — West Virginia started slightly behind other states when it comes to spread of the new omicron COVID-19 variant with hospitalization numbers on the rise, though serious infections requiring intensive care unit beds remain flat. Gov. Jim Justice announced Tuesday the West Virginia National Guard was making preparations to provide support to hospitals and healthcare providers, anticipating a shortage of beds and staffing. “Along the way, we make provisions…just in case we get overrun at our hospitals and we’re understaffed in every way,” Justice said during his ...

Omicron case detected in Wood County

PARKERSBURG — The omicron variant has reached the Mid-Ohio Valley. One case of the COVID-19 mutation that accounted for an estimated 95% of new cases in the U.S. last week was reported in Wood County Tuesday, according to statistics released by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Seventy-nine cases statewide are listed in the variant report on the state’s COVID dashboard. Given that it takes a while to examine the genetic sequence of coronavirus specimens to identify individual strains and the increased transmissibility of omicron, it’s unlikely that’s ...

New COVID-19 cases rise in Washington County, statewide

From staff reports Washington County has remained near the bottom of Ohio’s 88 counties in the two-week average of new COVID-19 cases for several weeks, but the county’s numbers moved upward in the most recent period. The county of 59,911 residents recorded 328 new cases from Dec. 16-29, according to Ohio Department of Health statistics released Thursday. That’s up from 213 from Dec. 9-22 and pushes the rate per 100,000 people from 355.5, 87th in the state, to 547.5, 80th. Athens County also broke 300 new cases from Dec. 16-29 after tallying 246 in the preceding two-week span. ...

West Virginia’s active COVID cases exceed 15K, hospitalizations more than 700

CHARLESTON — Active cases of the virus have exceeded 15,000 in West Virginia while hospitalizations are above 700, according to the Monday morning pandemic update from the Department of Health and Human Resources. The state reported 15,015 active COVID-19 cases, up from 11,017 cases from the last update on Thursday. The most active cases in West Virginia was 29,744 on Sept. 16. The state also reported 9,164 new cases of the virus have been confirmed since the Thursday report. The daily positivity rate is 19.33% and the cumulative rate is 6.6%. Active cases in Wood County as of ...

Capito, congressional Republicans ready arguments in vaccine mandate case

CHARLESTON — With arguments slated for next week before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and other Republican members of Congress have added their voices in opposition of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for large businesses. Capito was one of 46 members of the U.S. Senate and 136 members of the U.S. House of Representatives — including 1st District Congressman David McKinley, 2nd District Congressman Alex Mooney, and 3rd District Congresswoman Carol Miller — who filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the case of National Federation of Independent ...

COVID numbers concern West Virginia officials

WHEELING — New COVID-19 cases in West Virginia requiring hospitalization are on the rise, which has state officials monitoring daily capacity levels at hospitals as the new year begins. Gov. Jim Justice, giving his last COVID briefing of 2021 on Thursday, pointed out COVID numbers will continue to increase as the new year begins. “I know we’ve been through some tough stuff in 2021, and it’s probably going to continue to be tough,” Justice said. “We’re going to have to be on our toes, and watch what we do. The omicron virus is moving across our state. We still only have 18 ...