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Coronavirus

COVID-19 claims 3 Mid-Ohio Valley residents

From staff reports CHARLESTON — A 65-year-old Wood County man resident was among 20 people whose deaths were attributed to COVID-19 on Thursday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. “Every life lost is one too many,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. “We extend our sympathy to all of the families affected by these deaths. Protect your loved ones by continuing to wash hands, social distance, wear masks and schedule your vaccine.” Those who died ranged in age from a 34-year-old man from Randolph County man to a 93-year-old woman from Mercer ...

Memorial Health System workers feel strain of COVID surge

MARIETTA — The Memorial Health System in Marietta has seen a substantial increase in COVID-19 cases in the last few weeks with patients from both Ohio and West Virginia, officials said. Memorial currently has 56 COVID patients; 10 of which are ventilated, said Jennifer Offenberger, Associate VP, Service Excellence for Memorial Health System. Around 75-80 percent of the remaining patients are receiving high flow oxygen to prevent them from needing a ventilator, she added. Around 90 percent of the current COVID-19 patients at Memorial are unvaccinated. “In our region of Ohio our ...

Wood County resident listed among COVID deaths

From staff reports CHARLESTON — A 65-year-old Wood County man resident was among 20 people whose deaths were attributed to COVID-19 on Thursday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. “Every life lost is one too many,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. “We extend our sympathy to all of the families affected by these deaths. Protect your loved ones by continuing to wash hands, social distance, wear masks and schedule your vaccine.” Those who died ranged in age from a 34-year-old man from Randolph County man to a 93-year-old woman from Mercer ...

COVID-19 ICU numbers hit record mark in West Virginia

CHARLESTON — The number of patients in intensive care units due to COVID has hit a record in West Virginia, as has the number of patients on ventilators. There were 252 COVID patients in ICUs at West Virginia’s hospitals as of Wednesday morning — a number surpassing that posted during ...

COVID Update: New Martinsville School goes to remote learning

CHARLESTON— New Martinsville School is moving to remote learning for the next week-and-a-half “due to circumstances caused by COVID,” the Wetzel County School District announced on its Facebook page Wednesday. “It was becoming very difficult to operate,” Superintendent Tammy Wells said. Remote learning will last through at least Sept. 19. “It is our hope that after Sept. 19 we are back in school,” Wells said. In addition to students testing positive and quarantining — “The numbers are still coming in,” Wells said when asked for figures — the district has been ...

Wood County Schools seeks federal funding for WiFi hotspots

PARKERSBURG — In an effort to give students more reliable WiFi access to those that have little to no internet access at home, Wood County Schools is applying for federal funding to purchase WiFi hotspots for those families. The FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) is a $7.17 billion program that will help schools and libraries provide the tools and services their communities need for remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period. The grant requires a survey of needs. The survey posted was drafted by the state and will be used by Wood County Schools to show how many ...