COVID-19 deaths climb in W.Va.
As COVID-19 cases, and deaths, rise in West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice said Monday that Marshall County had reached out for help due to the number of deaths.
In his Monday briefing, Justice said the county had contacted the West Virginia National Guard “as a preventative measure” for a refrigerated trailer to “provide assistance to the county coroner.”
In a Monday evening news release, the Marshall County Health Department had asked for assistance due to “the number of overall deaths in the area.” There had been nine recent deaths in Marshall and Ohio counties, and five were COVID-related.
The health department said that “due to COVID, a traditional funeral may be delayed due to family members that are either positive or under quarantine, delaying those funerals for as much as two weeks.”
The department said there is a concern that, with such a delay, there may not be sufficient cold storage for those who have died and awaiting a funeral.
COVID-related deaths have climbed precipitously in Marshall County over the last few weeks. The Marshall County Health Department, on Nov. 17, reported 10 COVID-related deaths since the pandemic began. As of Monday night, that number had leaped to 36 after the health department reported three more deaths Monday evening – a 59-year-old woman who had been hospitalized at the time of her death and a 96-year-old man and 73-year-old woman who were residents in long-term facilities at the time of their deaths.
The Marshall County Health Department isn’t the only agency that has sought such assistance in recent weeks. In November, Wheeling Hospital, as part of its COVID surge capacity plan, asked the city of Wheeling if it could use morgue equipment at the former Ohio Valley Medical Center campus. The city now owns the OVMC property.
The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department also reported three COVID-related deaths Monday night, bringing that county’s total to 25. One was hospitalized at the time of death and two were residents of long-term care facilities. Additionally, the county announced 18 new positive COVID cases, bringing that total to 1,921.
Marshall County also reported 21 new confirmed positive COVID cases and seven new probable cases Monday. The county’s totals are now 1,346 confirmed cases, 203 probable cases and 12 hospitalizations.
The virus also has seen a surge at correctional facilities in Marshall County. According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources website, the Northern Regional Jail and Northern Correctional Facility, which share a building in the county, had 203 active cases among inmates as of Monday evening. Of those, 108 were at the jail and 95 were at the correctional facility.
There were 120 test results pending and 474 inmates quarantined between the two facilities.
During Monday’s briefing, Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, the adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, said the bulk of positive COVID cases in the state’s correctional facilities have come from correctional officers bringing the virus into the facilities. He added that correctional officers will be part of the group with police officers who will receive vaccines.
Hoyer also said that the state will continue to look at where inmates would fall on the timeline of those receiving vaccines.
Three of four Northern Panhandle counties – Hancock, Brooke and Marshall – remained “red” on the DHHR’s Monday COVID-19 alert map. Ohio County was in “orange.”
Marshall County had an infection rate of 139.44 cases per 100,000 residents and a percent positivity of 12.13. Ohio County had an infection rate of 86.59 cases per 100,000 residents and a percent positivity of 6.85. Brooke County had an infection rate of 110.70 cases per 100,000 residents and a percent positivity of 9.93. Hancock County had an infection rate of 132.39 cases per 100,000 residents and percent positivity of 10.27.
COVID cases remain significant in Ohio County long-term care facilities. According to DHHR information last updated Friday, Peterson Healthcare and Rehabilitation Hospital had 47 active positive cases among residents, 11 among staff and 10 COVID-related deaths. Good Shepherd Nursing Home had 19 active cases among residents and 16 among staff. Wheeling Hospital’s Continuous Care Center had three active cases among staff.
In Marshall County, Stonerise Moundsville, formerly known as Mound View, had 19 positive cases among 78 residents as of 10:45 a.m. Monday.