FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Like many counties in our area, Fayette County has recently seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.
In the past 8 days, Fayette County’s COVID-19 total has gone up 11 cases to 66 total.
Fayette County Health Officer Dr. Anita Stewart says the first few were all those who had returned from trips, but now the suspected causes of the newer cases are all across the board.
“Those have been related to outbreaks, travel, people who have had visitors come in, and we’ve had a couple community transmissions, so kind of the whole, you know, group of different types of ways you can get COVID,” she said.
The health department continued their community testing effort on Monday. This time, it was in Ansted as they teamed up with Rainelle Medical Center to test 96 people.
Now, the health department has conducted a community-wide testing event in about every corner of the county, so from here, it will be based on community need and how the virus will continue to behave.
The goal for the health department is to continue to empower their local partners like Rainelle Medical Center, New River Health and Montgomery General to do the testing.
“And that is the goals for both us at the Fayette County Health Department as well as our partners in our community, so it’s worked quite nicely, and I see that building not only for COVID but for other preventative diseases and things in Fayette County,” Dr. Stewart said.
And although we’ve seen a rise in cases, Dr. Stewart says the basic guidelines still stay the same.
“Remembering where you are to maintain distance as much as you can and minimize the time that you’re with others and always wearing a mask, washing your hands, staying in small groups, you know, knowing your exposure and whoever you’re with’s exposure. I think it’s really important,” she said.
If you wish to be tested, the health department will be at the J.W. and Hazel Ruby West Virginia Welcome Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday and then New River Health will be testing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the old Kmart parking lot in Oak Hill.
