CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Eight West Virginia county school systems will be on remote instruction the final week of October.
The state Department of Education School Alert Map released Saturday evening puts Wyoming County in the “red” category for continued substantial community transmission of COVID-19.
Also on remote instruction next week will be Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Mingo, Monroe, Wayne and Wirt counties. Those counties were “orange” on Saturday evening’s map.
The “gold” category includes Doddridge, Braxton, Kanawha, Logan, Morgan, Pendleton and Webster counties. In-person instruction is permitted but with additional mitigation including face masks for all students grades 3-12. Gold counties can only play schools within their own counties in extra-curricular activities OR schools in other gold counties.
Update: The October 24, 2020, Saturday Education Map is below. You can also view at https://t.co/lSu7Fi4R58.
For more info: https://t.co/6z6NSURcmY. We thank you for your patience as the WVDE website may load slowly for some visitors. pic.twitter.com/alhcpwm14Q
— WV Dept of Education (@WVeducation) October 24, 2020
A state review panel does not consider COVID-19 case numbers after midnight Thursday.
The panel said it made a handful of changes after its review including:
Doddridge County: Moved from orange to gold due to data validation as a result of lab updates with correct county of residence.
Kanawha County: Moved from yellow to gold due to four cases updated to confirmed status and lab updates with correct county of residence.
KCS is Gold on the Saturday map for this coming week. In person students will attend 5 days, except at Alum Creek, Edgewood & Capital (check school info). Athletic in-county or with other gold only. Read full update at: https://t.co/JZ3w1lrOt2.
— Kanawha County (@KCBOE) October 24, 2020
Lewis County: Moved from green to yellow due to data validation as a result of lab updates with correct county of residence.
Wirt County: Moved from gold to orange due to data validation as a result of lab updates with correct county of residence.
Several high school football games in Week 9 removed from schedule due to COVID metrics map: https://t.co/wncWxmbpZ7 pic.twitter.com/GUffBFj7eI
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) October 24, 2020
The use of the COVID-19 school alert map by the Justice administration’s COVID-19 task force was upheld by a Kanawha County circuit judge Friday follow a challenge by the West Virginia Education Association.