KINGWOOD, W.Va. — The COVID-19 case count in Preston County tied to Myrtle Beach travel has ballooned to 26 and officials are concerned that number will continue to rise this week.
“Total of 26 positive cases, we do also have another 11 probable cases,” Preston County Health Department administrator V.J. Davis said Monday. “That arose from those and most of those are contacts of those individuals after they came back to Preston County.”
Davis said none of the 26 positive cases have been hospitalized and symptoms among them widely vary.
“We have people that have tested positive that do not have any symptoms and have not had symptoms,” Davis said. “All the way up to they’re sick, not hospital sick, but they have flu-like symptoms and anywhere in between.”
Davis said over the next 10 days the scope of spread will become clearer.
“And we probably won’t see maybe those people starting to come in positive maybe later this week. We do know some of the people we’re monitoring in the community are starting to develop some symptoms, so we’re almost positive we’ll have some community spread,” he said.
Travelers are urged to assume you will encounter the virus and take precautions, use good hygiene and when you return continue to be vigilant.
“Limit their contact with people to the absolute bare minimum, wear a face covering,”Davis said. “Try to protect friends, neighbors and family when they return so we don’t have community spread.”