CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee says changes to the state’s methods of recording coronavirus cases have put people at risk of contracting the virus.
Lee’s remarks on Tuesday’s “MetroNews Talkline” came in light of the West Virginia Education Association filing an injunction in Kanawha Circuit Court on the state Department of Education’s coronavirus map. The union is challenging the state’s methods for determining which school systems can have in-person activities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Jim Justice has defended the alterations, which include placing smaller counties on a 14-day rolling average; having nursing home residents and some college students count as one case; and adding a gold category to allow face-to-face instruction and sporting events.
The union wants an independent panel to review data; Lee noted on “MetroNews Talkline” the coronavirus map from the Harvard Global Health Institute as a foundation.
“Tucker County and Barbour County — two counties that were green or yellow — have to close schools because of a spread,” Lee said.
According to the Harvard Global Health Institute’s map, both counties have a seven-day rolling average of 33 daily coronavirus cases per 100,000, putting the counties in the map’s red category. The state Department of Education’s map, however, has Tucker County at the green rating and Barbour County at the gold level.
“That tells you there’s something wrong with the map,” Lee added.
Tucker County Schools shifted to remote learning on Sept. 30 after three staff members and four students tested positive for the coronavirus. Twenty-five other people were placed in quarantine.
Lee said the Harvard Global Health Institute map accurately shows coronavirus spread.
“I believe we’ve constantly changed the map with the goal of getting students in school full time and getting sports active,” he said. “I believe the constant changes have caused us to put people in an unsafe situation.”
Schools in Boone, Harrison and Upshur counties were the highest-rated counties on the Department of Education’s coronavirus map released Saturday.