CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nearly 1,200 state residents turned out Friday for a new open coronavirus testing program at four locations across the state.
It was the first day of the testing program targeted in 10 counties over the next three weeks. The program was announced Thursday by state Herbert H. Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, state DHHR and the West Virginia National Guard.
The testing is free to all residents in the selected counties even if they are showing no symptoms of the virus. Counties chosen have shown higher numbers of positive COVID-19 cases including among minority communities.
According to the DHHR, Friday’s testing included 435 individuals in Berkeley County; 367 in Jefferson County; 177 in Mercer County; and 195 in Raleigh County. Testing will take place Saturday at the same locations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Test results are expected in the near future.
The testing heads to Cabell, Kanawha, Marion, and Monongalia counties on May 22-23. It will be held in Fayette, Kanawha and Mineral counties on May 29-30.
.@WV_DHHR reports as of 5:00 p.m., on May 15, 2020, there have been 71,682 laboratory results received for #COVID19, with 1,447 positive, 70,235 negative and 64 deaths. #SaferAtHomeWVhttps://t.co/ss5Wle1s0K pic.twitter.com/afk9x01xRI
— WV DHHR (@WV_DHHR) May 15, 2020
New Covid Numbers
Meanwhile, the state DHHR reported only six additional positive COVID-19 cases Friday evening after more than 700 additional tests.
The agency is reporting two more COVID-19 deaths including a 76-year-old Wayne County woman and a 68-year-old Kanawha County man. The virus has claimed 64 lives in the Mountain State. Half of those, 32, were residents of nursing homes.
“I’m deeply saddened to report the loss of two more West Virginians,” state DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch said. “We send our sincere condolences to their families.”
Kanawha County has recorded 15 deaths and Wayne County has recorded nine.
The state’s positive test rate heading into the weekend is 2.02 percent.
It’s not listed yet in the state numbers, but Calhoun County reported its first positive coronavirus case Friday.
The DHHR is reporting 499 active cases with 55 people hospitalized. Thirteen residents are in ICU and six patients are on a ventilator.
Confirmed cases per county include:
Barbour (7), Berkeley (205), Boone (9), Braxton (2), Brooke (3), Cabell (55), Clay (2), Fayette (38), Gilmer (8), Grant (6), Greenbrier (8), Hampshire (12), Hancock (12), Hardy (25), Harrison (34), Jackson (138), Jefferson (96), Kanawha (197), Lewis (4), Lincoln (5), Logan (14), Marion (46), Marshall (23), Mason (15), McDowell (6), Mercer (12), Mineral (26), Mingo (3), Monongalia (114), Monroe (6), Morgan (17), Nicholas (9), Ohio (38), Pendleton (5), Pleasants (2), Pocahontas (2), Preston (15), Putnam (29), Raleigh (10), Randolph (5), Ritchie (1), Roane (8), Summers (1), Taylor (8), Tucker (4), Tyler (3), Upshur (6), Wayne (96), Wetzel (7), Wirt (3), Wood (45), Wyoming (2).