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Coronavirus

W.Va. sets two daily records for positive COVID-19 cases

CHARLESTON (AP) — West Virginia set two daily records in the past week for positive coronavirus cases as the pandemic continues to ravage the state. Thursday’s total of confirmed cases was a record 1,738, only to be broken by Saturday’s total of 1,821, according to state health data. The previous one-day high of more than 1,700 was set on Dec. 31. The statewide total of 7,849 positive cases for the six days ending Saturday has already passed the seven-day total for the previous week, which was the second highest during the pandemic. Sunday’s figures will be released on ...

Randolph County now averaging one COVID death per day

ELKINS — The increasing number of COVID-19 related deaths in the Randolph County and the inability to reach citizens who have tested positive for the virus is a growing concern for local health officials. The Randolph-Elkins Health Department confirmed the death of a 34-year-old male over the weekend, pushing the total number of COVID-related deaths in Randolph County to 21 to date. Five such deaths have been confirmed in Randolph County in the past week. “The rise in deaths is very serious and it should concern everyone in our community,” Bonnie Woodrum, the Randolph-Elkins ...

Masks mandated at W.Va. Bridge Day

CHARLESTON (AP) — West Virginia’s largest annual festival will require most people in attendance to wear masks when Bridge Day is held this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic in America’s newest national park. Tens of thousands of people typically show up on the third Saturday of October to watch parachutists, zip liners and rappellers on the 876-foot-high (267-meter) New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville. Masks will be required at the festival regardless of vaccination status, and social distancing must be observed whenever possible, the Bridge Day Commission said in a ...

Barbour County students going back to schools

PHILIPPI — After operating in remote learning mode last week due to COVID-19 concerns, Barbour County Schools officials announced that students will return to the classrooms today. Barbour County Superintendent of Schools Jeff Woofter posted the following information on social media: “The number of quarantined staff and students is dropping, and we want to return to a normal school day while continuing our mask mandate,” Woofter wrote. “We will do everything we can to avoid going back to district-wide remote learning and will utilize class, grade level, or individual ...

Justice: Cold weather may worsen virus

CHARLESTON — The COVID-19 virus is going to get worse before it gets better with cold weather coming, the governor of West Virginia warned Monday. People are going to be inside more, according to Gov. Jim Justice at his Labor Day morning online pandemic briefing. “I personally ...

Randolph BOE approves student mask mandate

ELKINS — Students in Randolph County Schools will be required to wear masks to begin the new school year as part of a back-to-school plan officials hope will ensure the safety of students and staff. In response to a request from Superintendent Debbie Schmidlen, the Randolph County Board of Education voted this week to require masks to be worn in school and on buses by students in grades kindergarten through 12 and staff PreK-12. Teachers and school staff will also be required to wear masks. Schmidlen said she and other school officials have worked closely with the ...