CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Coronavirus cases in Kanawha County continuing to increase, resulting in a change in the county’s placement on the statewide color-coded alert system.
The county on Wednesday moved to the orange category, the second-highest rating possible. According to the state Department of Health and Human Resources, the county has a daily case rate of 12.1 cases per 100,000 people over the last week.
Because of the new level, face-to-face school instruction cannot happen in the state until the rate of cases decreases below a 10-case average. Athletic teams are allowed to practice but cannot take part in games.
Dr. Sherri Young, health officer and executive director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, said most of the recently reported cases have been related to outbreaks at jails and nursing facilities.
“It does explain our seven-day average going up,” she said.
Young noted the state’s most populous county can get out of the orange rating if people follow guidelines on social distancing and face coverings.
“In a lot of the cases that we investigate that are outside of the nursing homes and the jail facilities, people aren’t wearing their masks,” she said. “We’re looking at outbreaks in college settings, too, and while I know these are tough times and this is not the social norm, it’s something we all need to pay attention to.”
Young added most people are wearing masks, and the number of people wearing masks increases once contact tracing begins.
“Once they’re involved in the investigation piece, they realize how close COVID can come to them,” she said.
Kanawha County is one of three counties in the orange category with Logan and Monroe counties.