Fayette Covid-19 cases still on upswing

Sep. 16—Covid-19 numbers in Fayette County have displayed a disquieting trend over the course of the past few days.

According to figures on the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources' coronavirus dashboard, Fayette County Covid-19 cases identified on Friday through Sunday alone totaled 199 (69 Friday, 72 Saturday and 58 Sunday). The pace early this week eased somewhat, but subsequent days still featured 32, 25 and 38 cases.

For the seven-day period through midnight on Sept. 15, there were 340 cases and two deaths in Fayette. For comparison, in a complete week in late June, there were three county cases.

On Sept. 15, the active cases in the county stood at 786. There were 21 active Fayette cases on July 19 and 124 active on Aug. 2.

During a recent seven-day period through Sept. 13, the largest number (47, 14.29 percent) of cases came from the 31-40 age group. There were 42 cases (12.77 percent) in the 41-50 group, and 35 cases (10.64 percent) among those 51-60. In the younger set, 37 cases (11.25 percent) came from the 5-11 age classification, 34 (10.33) from the 12-15 group, 25 (7.60) from 16-20 and 13 (3.95) from 0-4.

On the heels of an advisory from the Fayette County Health Department for those who participated in the Oak Leaf Festival in Oak Hill on Saturday, Sept. 4 to consider themselves exposed to the virus and get tested due to festival workers and volunteers contracting Covid-19, Fayette County Covid-19 testing numbers have risen. According to DHHR figures, there were 3,154 Covid-19 tests administered in Fayette from Sept. 6-12. (That calculation includes the first positive test plus all negative test results for an individual.)

On Sept. 15, Fayette County's daily percent positivity was 9.77, which is derived from new positive tests divided by the number of confirmatory tests.

In the latest figures from the DHHR as of Thursday, Fayette had 72 of West Virginia's 1,783 Delta variant cases. Kanawha County had 108 Delta cases. Officials remind the public that Delta numbers are from a sampling of those who have tested positive for Covid-19.

As of Sept. 16, Fayette and Kanawha were both in red on the DHHR's county alert system map. Fayette had percent positivity of 10.09 and an infection rate of 110.83. Kanawha's corresponding numbers were 8.40 and 77.55.

"It's really just widespread throughout the county," Fayette County Health Department Administrator Teri Harlan said of Covid-19 community spread.

Harlan said the department has issued no formal orders or mandates concerning business capacity, gatherings or other situations. However, officials continue to stress caution.

"Anyone who has asked about any large gatherings, we've told them right now that is not a good idea, mostly because of the surge and what it's doing to our hospital capacity, our health care system," she said. "What we're doing is to try to educate folks on where we are currently with this surge, and let them know what our recommendations are."

Those include wearing masks indoors, donning masks outdoors if in crowded areas, social distancing and holding no large gatherings.

"I'm pretty thankful that a lot of our organizations and community members have decided on their own to cancel upcoming events," she said. "That's really smart at this point."

"We need to get people vaccinated," Harlan continued. "The number one thing that people can do to prevent the spread is to get vaccinated, and then of course to do those others things, to help get us through this surge."

Also, she said, it is important that anyone who has even mild symptoms is asked to isolate until tested.

Anyone with questions about testing, vaccines or other Covid-19-related or other health-related questions can call the FCHD at 304-574-1617. Or, call your local health care provider.

----On Wednesday, Sept. 15, Fayette County Schools identified three new positive Covid-19 cases in schools. There was one case each at Oak Hill high and middle schools and Meadow Bridge High.

On the previous day, there were nine school cases revealed. They included: Divide Elementary, 1; Fayetteville PK-8, 2; Meadow Bridge Elementary, 1; New River Primary, 1; Oak Hill Middle, 1; and Oak Hill High, 3.

On Monday, Sept. 13, FCS identified three new positive Covid-19 cases in schools. They were at Oak Hill Middle (two) and Oak Hill High (one).

On Sunday, Sept. 12, FCS announced 17 new positive Covid-19 cases in the county school system. They occurred at the following schools: Divide Elementary, 2; Meadow Bridge Elementary, 1; New River Primary, 1; New River Intermediate, 2; Oak Hill Middle, 1; Meadow Bridge High, 1; Midland Trail High, 3; and Oak Hill High, 6.

The previous day, 29 more positive Covid-19 school cases were revealed over a two-day period. Seven of those cases occurred at Midland Trail High School, and six were at Oak Hill High. The breakdown of other involved schools was as follows: Oak Hill Middle, 4; Meadow Bridge High, 3; New River Intermediate, 3; Divide Elementary, 2; New River Primary, 2; Valley PK-8, 1; and Meadow Bridge Elementary, 1.

----\The West Virginia DHHR reported that, as of Sept. 16, there have been 3,644,765 total confirmatory laboratory results received statewide for Covid-19, with 217,119 cases and 3,313 deaths.

Through Sept. 16, Covid-19 cases per county included: Barbour (2,217), Berkeley (15,581), Boone (2,840), Braxton (1,574), Brooke (2,675), Cabell (12,343), Calhoun (741), Clay (953), Doddridge (918), Fayette (4,831), Gilmer (1,106), Grant (1,727), Greenbrier (3,992), Hampshire (2,500), Hancock (3,370), Hardy (2,026), Harrison (8,205), Jackson (2,961), Jefferson (5,765), Kanawha (20,112), Lewis (2,187), Lincoln (2,187), Logan (4,422), Marion (6,035), Marshall (4,528), Mason (2,930), McDowell (2,223), Mercer (6,959), Mineral (3,763), Mingo (3,722), Monongalia (11,012), Monroe (1,792), Morgan (1,653), Nicholas (2,751), Ohio (5,297), Pendleton (966), Pleasants (1,193), Pocahontas (919), Preston (3,800), Putnam (7,062), Raleigh (9,388), Randolph (4,239), Ritchie (1,112), Roane (1,034), Summers (1,150), Taylor (1,747), Tucker (819), Tyler (1,119), Upshur (3,228), Wayne (4,404), Webster (851), Wetzel (2,055), Wirt (637), Wood (10,556) and Wyoming (2,942).

On Sept. 16, the DHHR confirmed the deaths of a 53-year-old Mercer County woman, an 84-year-old Wood County man, a 65-year-old Wood County man, a 52-year-old man from Ritchie County, a 79-year-old woman from Raleigh County, a 91-year-old Preston County woman, a 56-year-old Wetzel County woman, a 70-year-old Kanawha County man, a 52-year-old Kanawha County man, a 45-year-old man from Greenbrier County, an 89-year-old Wetzel County man, a 77-year-old Marion County man, a 67-year-old Preston County woman, a 46-year-old Kanawha County man, an 89-year-old Raleigh County woman, a 33-year-old woman from Kanawha County, and a 56-year-old woman from Harrison County.

"We are thankful for all the health care workers who are treating West Virginians battling Covid-19 and send our sympathies to these families," said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR cabinet secretary. "I urge everyone to get vaccinated to prevent further loss of life."

On Wednesday, the agency revealed the deaths of a 62-year-old Harrison County man, a 74-year-old Preston County man, a 46-year-old man from Upshur County, an 87-year-old Mineral County man, a 47-year-old woman from Cabell County, a 61-year-old Berkeley County man, a 71-year-old Pleasants County woman, a 79-year-old Harrison County man, an 88-year-old Mingo County man, a 79-year-old Randolph County man, an 80-year-old man from Tyler County, an 81-year-old man from Mineral County, a 72-year-old Harrison County man, a 75-year-old woman from Cabell County, a 50-year-old Kanawha County woman, a 69-year-old Hancock County man, a 47-year-old Cabell County man, a 73-year-old woman from Calhoun County, a 46-year-old Harrison County woman, a 69-year-old Mineral County woman, a 73-year-old Jefferson County man, a 29-year-old Berkeley County man, a 54-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 58-year-old Wirt County woman, a 58-year-old Monroe County woman, a 44-year-old man from Raleigh County, a 71-year-old Monongalia County woman, a 58-year-old Mingo County man, a 55-year-old Monongalia County man, an 80-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 58-year-old Lewis County man, a 67-year-old woman from Raleigh County, an 82-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 77-year-old man from Logan County and an 87-year-old Logan County woman.

The DHHR on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of an 87-year-old Summers County man, an 80-year-old Summers County woman, a 52-year-old man from Fayette County, a 55-year-old Mercer County woman, a 49-year-old man from Lincoln County, a 65-year-old woman from Berkeley County, a 77-year-old Wayne County woman, a 48-year-old Greenbrier County woman and a 64-year-old woman from Lewis County.

Additional deaths reported on Tuesday's dashboard as a result of the Bureau for Public Health's continuing data reconciliation with the official death certificate are a 90-year-old man from Preston County, a 90-year-old man from Lincoln County, a 71-year-old Mercer County man, a 71-year-old Tucker County woman, an 80-year-old Monongalia County man, a 79-year-old Putnam County man, an 85-year-old Cabell County woman, a 45-year-old man from Upshur County, a 79-year-old woman from Hancock County, an 89-year-old Wood County man, an 80-year-old Mason County man, an 87-year-old Jefferson County woman, an 80-year-old Tucker County man and a 66-year-old man from Mercer County.

On Sept. 13, the DHHR confirmed the deaths of a 77-year-old Putnam County man, a 26-year-old Fayette County woman, a 44-year-old man from Wood County, an 83-year-old Boone County woman, a 75-year-old Wood County man, a 72-year-old woman from Jefferson County, a 94-year-old woman from Harrison County, a 52-year-old man from Raleigh County, a 72-year-old Kanawha County man, an 83-year-old Fayette County man, a 59-year-old Taylor County woman, a 67-year-old Webster County woman, a 57-year-old Wood County man, a 54-year-old Marshall County man, an 86-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 51-year-old Mason County man, an 81-year old Mineral County man, a 79-year-old Wayne County man, a 69-year-old Kanawha County woman, a 30-year-old Ohio County woman, a 76-year-old Jefferson County man, an 85-year-old Harrison County man, an 85-year-old woman from Harrison County, a 71-year-old Jackson County woman, a 50-year-old Roane County man, a 56-year-old Harrison County woman, a 67-year-old Randolph County man, a 43-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 55-year-old Mingo County man, a 57-year-old Monongalia County man, and an 83-year-old woman from Cabell County.

The DHHR on Sept. 10 revealed the deaths of a 58-year-old Raleigh County man, a 75-year-old Kanawha County man, a 94-year-old Raleigh County woman, an 81-year-old Pleasants County man, an 81-year-old woman from Barbour County, a 54-year-old Raleigh County man, a 33-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 91-year-old Pleasants County man, a 73-year-old Barbour County man, a 79-year-old Upshur County man, a 70-year-old Lewis County woman, a 62-year-old man from Mercer County, a 62-year-old Greenbrier County man, a 68-year-old Mingo County man, a 69-year-old Wood County man, a 72-year-old woman from Marion County, a 55-year-old man from Cabell County and a 61-year-old Logan County man.

On Sept. 9, the agency announced the passing of a 59-year-old man from Harrison County, a 67-year-old woman from Preston County, a 70-year-old Greenbrier County man, a 71-year-old Cabell County woman, a 52-year-old Marshall County woman, a 58-year-old Upshur County woman, a 65-year-old man from Wood County, a 69-year-old Kanawha County man, a 72-year-old Tucker County man, an 87-year-old Ohio County woman, a 73-year-old Preston County man, a 63-year-old Marion County man, a 65-year-old Harrison County man, a 93-year-old Mercer County woman, a 59-year-old woman from Kanawha County, a 64-year-old Marion County woman, a 65-year-old Mercer County woman, a 34-year-old man from Randolph County, a 66-year-old Harrison County man and an 86-year-old woman from Cabell County.

On Monday, Gov. Jim Justice announced that 852 West Virginians were currently hospitalized with Covid-19, breaking the all-time record high number of active hospitalizations for the pandemic. The number of West Virginians in ICUs once again set a new high of 267 patients. Meanwhile, the number of West Virginians on ventilators reached a record 164 patients on Sunday.

West Virginians 12-and-older are eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine. To learn more about the vaccine or to find a nearby vaccine site, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965. West Virginians 12-and-older who have had at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine can register for a vaccine sweepstakes by visiting doitforbabydog.wv.gov.

The Fayette County Health Department gives free Covid-19 vaccines from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the downtown Fayetteville location. For more information, call the health department at 304-574-1617 or visit fayettehealth.org. Other health care providers in the area, including New River Health, Rainelle Medical Center and Walgreens, provide Covid-19 testing and/or vaccines.

----In Fayette County, free testing opportunities are as follows:

—Fayette County Health Department (new location behind Med Express) — Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

—Ruby Welcome Center — Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

—Walgreens — Daily by appointment

—Smithers Gateway Center — Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m.

—Meadow Bridge High School — Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

—Midland Trail High School — Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

—Rainelle Medical Center — Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

—New River Health, Scarbro — Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Email: skeenan@register-herald.com; follow on Twitter @gb_scribe