CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Most of the coronavirus cases in Kanawha County have been linked to spread among families and communities, Dr. Sherri Young with the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department noted Tuesday on “MetroNews Talkline.”
The health department reported Tuesday evening 602 cases have been confirmed in which 225 cases are active. Twenty residents have died in connection with the pandemic.
“We’re still seeing spread within families, community-spread and then one or two in different daycare situations and different restaurant situations and a lot travel-associated,” said Young, the health department’s health officer and executive director.
Young said the health department is doing well with contact tracing, but added the rapid spread in communities is concerning and the increase of cases will likely continue for the immediate future.
“Maybe one member of the family did go on a vacation or trip or contacted COVID through some other means,” she said. “These individuals, even though it is contained within a family, this is still a family that could be going to work, going to grocery stores, going to churches.”
The health department contacted the West Virginia National Guard about assisting with contact tracing and volunteering with the county coronavirus response.