WOOD COUNTY, W.Va. — New steps to keep crowds to a minimum to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus in one of West Virginia’s newest “hot spot” counties for COVID-19 could include a focus on stores, according to an official with the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department.
“There are some stores that we see more people going into so we’re going to be working with them to try to get them to set up the parameters that they’re supposed to have,” said Carrie Brainard, public information officer.
“For the most part, people are taking it pretty seriously.”
As of Monday, the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department was reporting 19 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wood County, two cases in Roane County, two cases in Wirt County and one case in Pleasants County.
Both Ritchie County and Calhoun County, also served through MOVHD, were among a small number of West Virginia counties with no confirmed cases at the start of the week.
Of those diagnosed, “We have some that have recovered. We have some that are at home, just quarantining at home, and then we have several in the hospital,” Brainard said.
Wood County was one of four counties added to a list of “hot spots” in West Virginia back on Friday.
“This was something the Governor (Jim Justice) suggested because of us being No. 10 in the state for cases in Wood County,” Brainard said. “Our medical director and our Board of Health decided to implement it.”
Also on that “hot spot” list were these counties: Cabell, Wayne, Ohio, Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Kanawha, Monongalia, Marion and Harrison.
An executive order from the Governor Justice tightened social distancing guidelines in all of those counties.
In general, the guidelines limited groups to a maximum of five people, required all businesses to require employees to work from home “to the maximum extent possible” and authorized county health departments to limit occupancy of any businesses that remain open to the public.
Support from State Police and the West Virginia National Guard was also permitted.
Brainard said the steps were necessary to keep the coronavirus from spreading, but admitted there was some fatigue among residents nearly three weeks into a stay-home order for West Virginia.
“People are getting tired of being at home, feeling like they’re wasting their time,” Brainard said.
“But I’ve also heard people say that they felt like this Easter, when they couldn’t get together with their family, they were making memories that they might not have otherwise with their kids so you have to see the positive in it.”