The Shadow
WARM SPRINGS — A person in Bath County has been confirmed to have COVID-19. This is the county’s first case, and with the confirmation, COVID-19 has now been reported in every Virginia county and city.
“This is an unfortunate, but inevitable, outcome. It reminds us again of the importance of precautions and personal behavior in limiting the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses, everywhere we go,” said Dr. Laura Kornegay, director of the Central Shenandoah Health District. “It really is up to each of us, and our behavior. What we do individually matters collectively.”
To lower the risk of spreading COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Health is encouraging persons to stay home as much as possible, especially if they are at higher risk of serious illness.
Under an order initiated in June by Gov. Ralph Northam, individuals are required to wear face coverings in public buildings.
“Virginia has seen widespread community transmission of COVID-19 since late March,” said Dr. Kornegay. “And as testing opportunities have become more widespread across the commonwealth, it is inevitable that we will continue to see new cases.”
West Virginia Update
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Friday threatened to reimpose shutdowns if residents do not comply with a mandatory order to wear face coverings in all public buildings.
COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise in West Virginia, with 130 new cases reported on Friday.
Justice said 437 new cases had been confirmed since July 3 and 3.86 percent of tests for COVID-19 are coming back positive for the virus.
“This is the only bullet I’ve got right now,” Justice said while pointing to a mask during a Friday press briefing.
“The next bullet that’s available is to shut our state back down,” he said.
Justice’s mandatory order for persons to wear face coverings in public buildings went into effect Tuesday.
Cases in Greenbrier County continue to stabilize. As of Thursday afternoon, Greenbrier County had 72 cumulative positive cases, three suspect cases, 58 recovered, 14 active cases, two hospitalized and three deaths. There were no hospitalizations.
