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Coronavirus

Four Mid-Ohio Valley residents among West Virginia COVID-19 deaths

CHARLESTON — Three Wood County residents’ deaths were attributed to COVID-19 in the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ latest report released Monday. Also on Monday, Wood County Schools announced it will begin offering youth COVID-19 vaccinations next week. In the daily update from DHHR, three women — ages 49, 66 and 93 — from Wood County were among 30 deaths reported across the state, along with a 71-year-old man from Doddridge County. “With a heavy heart, we share this solemn news of more lives lost to this pandemic,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR ...

Justice skeptical Jan. 4 COVID-19 vaccine mandate will happen

WHEELING — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice believes a Jan. 4 federal mandate requiring employees at larger businesses to get COVID-19 vaccinations “will not happen.” During his virtual briefing with state reporters on Friday, Justice discussed the Biden administration’s mandate that ...

Wood County man’s death attributed to COVID

PARKERSBURG — A 72-year-old Wood County man was among seven people whose deaths were attributed to COVID-19 in Friday’s update from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Others whose deaths were reported Friday included a 51-year-old man from Raleigh County and a 91-year-old man from Preston County. “Each life lost to this disease is a tragedy, and we send our sympathies to the families,” DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. “We must continue to slow the growth of this virus in West Virginia through vaccination and prevention measures.” The ...

West Virginia University, Marshall University to identify COVID variants in state

MORGANTOWN — Infectious disease experts from West Virginia University and Marshall University will join to identify and track SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in West Virginia in hopes of preparing for and preventing future outbreaks. A $678,030 grant from the National Institutes of Health will assist researchers in conducting genomic sequence analyses to identify COVID-19 variants by leveraging three existing testing programs: the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnosis in Underserved Populations, surveillance testing among nursing home residents and staff and WVU testing. Project ...

Mid-Ohio Valley residents among West Virginia COVID deaths

CHARLESTON — Seven residents from the region — five from Tyler County — are among 16 confirmed deaths from the COVID-19 virus reported on Thursday morning by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. The department has confirmed the deaths of a 50-year-old man from Tyler County, a 68-year-old woman from Tyler County, a 54-year-old man from Tyler County, a 53-year-old man from Roane County, an 80-year-old woman from Wetzel County, a 66-year-old woman from Tyler County and a 90-year-old woman from Wetzel County, Since the start of the pandemic, 23 people from ...

West Virginia likely to file suit to block Biden vaccine mandates

CHARLESTON — The Biden Administration released details of its vaccine mandates for large businesses Thursday, with Republican lawmakers in Congress attempting to halt the rule and West Virginia’s top attorney prepared to file suit. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Thursday that companies with more than 100 employees have until Jan. 4, 2022, to either get their employees vaccinated against COVID-19 or implement a weekly testing regimen for employees. Employees of businesses who receive Medicare or Medicaid funding only have the option for ...