MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Monongalia County Health Officer Dr. Lee Smith says the county’s current rate of positive coronavirus cases is enough to qualify it as one of the country’s hot spots.
Smith addressed the rise in cases in a recent meeting with local and state leaders, in which his declaration is based on a scale developed by the Harvard Global Health Institute.
According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, 633 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Monongalia County and 385 cases are active.
The Harvard Global Health Institute describes an area with at least 25 cases over seven days as posing the highest risk to public health, and stay-at-home orders are necessary.
Smith added the county average from July 1 through July 7 was 27 cases per 100,000 people, and 31 cases per 100,000 people between July 8 and July 14.
“That is enough to qualify Monongalia County to qualify to be one of the true hot spots in the country,” Smith said.
Around 75% of the locally reported cases involve people who are 29 years old or younger.
“Two hundred or so are known to be WVU students, so we can’t blame everything on the university because they are less than half,” Smith said. “We’re getting some large numbers of community-acquired illness.”
Smith said contract tracing has been limited because people with confirmed cases do not answer phone calls from health officials and fail to isolate themselves.
“They’re are supposed to be observing quarantine, meaning that they should not be out running around spreading this disease,” he said. “It’s difficult to break this cycle of infectiousness.”
Smith told MetroNews affiliate WAJR-AM that while people may be annoyed by having to wear face masks, it is still important to be diligent so the virus’ spread can be controlled.