CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 5:00 p.m., on April 17, 2020, there have been 19,088 laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 775 positive, 18,313 negative and 16 deaths.
The additional three deaths are an 85-year old woman from Wood County and a 74-year old woman and 91-year old woman, both from Wayne County. “As this pandemic continues, it doesn’t get any easier to report the deaths of our residents. Our sincere condolences are extended to these families,” said Bill J. Crouch, Cabinet Secretary of DHHR.
These are considered official numbers reported to the state, which will in turn, be reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medical providers and laboratories are required to report positive test results to DHHR.
Delays may be experienced with the reporting of cases and deaths from the local health department to the state health department. It’s not uncommon for the local level to report case numbers first and then officially report it to the state.
CONFIRMED CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (4), Berkeley (106), Boone (2), Braxton (1), Brooke (3), Cabell (28), Fayette (4), Grant (1), Greenbrier (3), Hampshire (6), Hancock (7), Hardy (3), Harrison (28), Jackson (40), Jefferson (60), Kanawha (104), Lewis (2), Lincoln (1), Logan (8), Marion (42), Marshall (8), Mason (10), McDowell (6), Mercer (8), Mineral (8), Mingo (2), Monongalia (83), Monroe (2), Morgan (8), Nicholas (3), Ohio (22), Pendleton (2), Pleasants (1), Preston (6), Putnam (14), Raleigh (7), Randolph (4), Roane (2), Summers (1), Taylor (5), Tucker (4), Tyler (3), Upshur (4), Wayne (74), Wetzel (3), Wirt (2), Wood (29), Wyoming (1).
As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested.
A dashboard is available at www.coronavirus.wv.gov with West Virginia-specific data, including information on the health status of COVID-19 positive patients. A Frequently Asked Questions document has been developed regarding case counts and can be found here.
