Covid active cases plunge across the region, too

J. Damon Cain, The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.
·2 min read

Mar. 14—As could have been expected, the statewide decline in the number of active cases of Covid-19 is being reflected around the region. The rate of decline varies from county to county, but overall, the numbers are down just shy of the state rate.

One month ago, on Valentine's Day, 1,803 people from the nine-county region that makes up The Register-Herald's primary market were carrying the highly infectious disease. On Monday, the state reported that number had fallen to 400 — 22.2 percent of where it had been on Feb. 14.

Statewide, active cases were at 1,244 on Sunday, up from 1,126 on Saturday, but at 20.9 percent of the Feb. 14 total of 5,951.

Holding opposite ends of the count regionally, the sparsely populated county of Monroe showed eight active cases in the Monday report compared to 89 one month ago, while Raleigh County still had 156 — about 42 percent of its 371 total on Feb. 14.

Fayette County's active list had plunged from 277 to 46 in the past month, while Greenbrier County saw its actives drop from 210 to 32.

Wyoming County counted 28 active cases on Monday compared to 166 on Feb. 14, while Summers County was down to 28 from 166. Nicholas County was at 22, down from 122, while Mercer County stood at 60 actives, down from 357. McDowell County had 32 active cases in the Monday report, down from 210 one month ago.

The positive test rate jumped a bit in the Monday report by the Department of Health and Human Resources, up to 4.04 percent from 2.77 percent in the previous 24 hours.

And while the number of patients on a ventilator was up by two to 44, both hospitalizations and patients in intensive care units were down.

The DHHR reported 10 Covid-related deaths since Friday's report, pushing the state total to 6,559.

A previously reported death during December 2020 of a 47-year-old female from Kanawha County was determined to not be a Covid-19 associated death, the state agency reported.

Also its Monday report, the DHHR confirmed the deaths of a 58-year-old female from Cabell County, an 81-year-old female from Monongalia County, a 61-year-old male from Preston County, an 89-year-old male from Lewis County, a 60-year-old male from Cabell County, a 78-year-old male from Cabell County, an 82-year-old female from Lewis County, an 87-year-old female from Lewis County, a 79-year-old male from Taylor County, and a 90-year-old male from Monongalia County.