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WEST UNION -- The Doddridge County Health Department reported COVID-19 outbreaks in two churches Monday and Roane County reported a positive case at Geary Elementary Middle School in Roane County
The health department released information on how to conduct worship in a safe manner to prevent the further spread of the virus.
"Religion and worship are very essential parts of our lives. In order to reduce illness and risk for further deaths in our county, it is very important that we fight this monster virus with all the knowledge and tools that we have," the health department said.
For positive cases to be deemed an outbreak within a church, there needs to be three positive cases within a 14-day window and those cases must be separate and not within the same household, the health department said.
Doddridge County in the state's color coded County Alert System is orange, just below red, the most restrictive of the categories in the system. The infection rate in Doddridge County on Tuesday was 23.67 per 100,000 population, an increase over the past week from 16.06 per 100,000.
Counties are in the red at 25 cases per 100,000.
Counties are in the red at 25 cases per 100,000.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department reported a positive case at Geary Elementary School Sunday, according to a press release from Superintendent Richard Duncan.
Contract tracing was conducted and all students and staff members who were exposed were contacted and students returned to school Monday.
"At this time, this is the only incidence of a positive test result for COVID-19 associated with Geary Elementary Middle School," the release said.
Last week, two cases in Roane County Schools of a staff member at Spencer Middle School and a student at Roane County High School were reported.
As a precaution, both schools were closed Oct. 7 through 9.
"The case involving the staff member associated with Spencer Middle School is connected to the previous case confirmed on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, in another staff member associated with Spencer Middle School," according to a press release from Duncan's office. "While it is not certain transmission occurred at school, under definitions provided by the West Virginia Department of Education, these two cases of staff members not in the same classroom or core group fit the definition of a 'school outbreak.'"
The positive case with the student at Roane County High School is likely connected to the positive case reported earlier in the month, according to the release.
Although it is not certain whether the exposure took place at the school, it still constitutes as a classroom outbreak as two students in the same classroom tested positive, the release said.