CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There have now been 44 people who have died in West Virginia directed related to COVID-19. The state DHHR reported three additional deaths in the agency’s Thursday evening report.
The most recent deaths include a 71-year-old woman and 81-year-old man, both from Kanawha County, and a 74-year-old man from Berkeley County. The agency reported the death of a 89-year-old Jackson County man earlier in the day.
“We are very sorry to report more tragic news concerning the death toll in West Virginia. Each life lost to this disease is a tragedy. We send our thoughts and sympathies to the families,” state DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch said.
According to the DHHR website, 25 of the 44 deaths have come at nursing homes. The testing of patients and staff at all nursing homes in the state is scheduled to be completed Friday, Crouch said.
.@WV_DHHR reports as of 5:00 p.m., on April 30, 2020, there have been 44,700 laboratory results received for #COVID19, with 1,125 positive, 43,575 negative and 44 deaths. https://t.co/LzE3LlAzfP pic.twitter.com/W9KWkxFjgg
— WV DHHR (@WV_DHHR) April 30, 2020
Seven confirmed coronavirus cases were added to the state numbers Thursday evening. There are now 1,125 positive cases out of a total of 44,700 tests given. The agency said 43,575 of the tests have been negative.
The state’s positive test rate is now at 2.52 percent.
State Coronavirus Czar Dr. Clay Marsh said Thursday that for the first time the number of people recovering is more than the number of new cases.
“So we’re now seeing more people recovering that we are seeing new people active,” Marsh said.
Eighty-one people are hospitalized, 33 are being treated in intensive care. Eighteen of those patients are on ventilators.
Confirmed cases per county include:
Barbour (5), Berkeley (145), Boone (3), Braxton (2), Brooke (3), Cabell (42), Fayette (13), Gilmer (2), Grant (1), Greenbrier (3), Hampshire (7), Hancock (10), Hardy (5), Harrison (30), Jackson (130), Jefferson (79), Kanawha (160), Lewis (4), Lincoln (2), Logan (13), Marion (45), Marshall (12), Mason (12), McDowell (6), Mercer (10), Mineral (17), Mingo (2), Monongalia (102), Monroe (5), Morgan (11), Nicholas (6), Ohio (27), Pendleton (3), Pleasants (2), Pocahontas (2), Preston (13), Putnam (25), Raleigh (8), Randolph (4), Roane (6), Summers (1), Taylor (6), Tucker (4), Tyler (3), Upshur (4), Wayne (85), Wetzel (3), Wirt (3), Wood (38), Wyoming (1).