Daily COVID-19 Update

Slanesville Elementary School in Hampshire County will again be doing remote instruction today Tuesday, Nov. 17.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Beginning today, Monday, November 16, 2020, and until further notice, Flintstone Elementary School will not be serving breakfast or lunch. Parents/students can go to any other ACPS school location to pick up a meal during the scheduled food distribution times.

Calvary Christian Academy has no active COVID-19 cases at this time. In light of the circumstances, they are voluntarily taking precautionary measures. This week, the students’ will attend school through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be virtual education days. Thursday will be Zoom meetings and Friday will be an at-home workday. More details for the week will be coming soon. Thanksgiving week will be vacation days for all students and faculty. On Monday, November 30th the faculty will be returning for a workday. In-person classes will begin on December 1st at regular school hours, unless notified otherwise via official school notification system. Calvary Christian Academy Administrator Dan Thompson talks about the impact the pandemic has had on the school. He also says the cases are changing every day and he will continue to monitor them with our nurse. Please note that this is not a decision based on active COVID cases in the school. This is a voluntary, precautionary measure.

Reminder for Allegany County Transit Customers, although all regular bus service is discontinued if you need a ride you can call 301-724-1255 and the transit service can still pick you up

The Allegany County Health Department reports 147 new cases of COVID-19 in Allegany County since Friday, bringing the county’s total cumulative case count to 1,617. The majority of new cases in recent weeks have been in individuals over age 30, with the highest concentration in those between the ages of 30 and 59.

As of November 15, Allegany County’s seven-day average case rate was 112.6 per 100,000 population compared to the state average of 28.2 per 100,000. Allegany County’s current percent positive rate is 12.57%, while the statewide average is about half that at 6.45%.

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise statewide and around the country, and many health officials attribute the increased case rate to what has been called “COVID fatigue.” This is defined as communities becoming lax in practicing social distancing, mask-wearing, and recommended sanitization activities, leading to a surge in COVID-19 transmission throughout the population.

Health officials are urging the public to continue to avoid group gatherings of any size. Even smaller gatherings pose a risk for transmission of COVID-19.

The Garrett County Health Department received 90 additional positive COVID-19 results since the last report on Friday, November 13th, bringing the current county total positives to 357.

“Our entire region is currently experiencing a huge spike in COVID-19 cases,” said Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens. “It is critical that we all stop exposing ourselves to the virus. At this point, the virus is all around us and we need to keep our guard up. Donot have family and social gatherings or attend high risk events where you cannot have social distance. It is a fact that this virus spreads when there is a break in protective measures. Although removing a face covering for eating and drinking is allowed in public settings, it is nonetheless risky to yourself and others.”

The new positive COVID-19 cases for Garrett County include:

• 1 male and 1 females age 0-9

• 3 males and 2 female age 10-19

• 6 males and 8 females in their 20s

• 7 males and 7 females in their 30s

• 8 males and 6 females in their 40s

• 10 males and 10 females in their 50s

• 8 males and 3 females in their 60s

• 3 male and 6 females in their 70s

• 1 male in his 80s

The three counties in Western Maryland have the highest 7-Day Case Rates Per 100,000 in the state. Compared to Maryland’s rate of 28.2, Allegany’s is 112.6, Garrett’s is 61.05, and Washington’s is 40.29. Because of the spike in the region and across the country, Health officials continue to urge the public to avoid gatherings big or small, wear a mask in all public places, and maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times. Frequently wash and disinfect hands and frequently touched surfaces, and stay home if you are not feeling well. Visit garretthealth.org for the most up-to-date COVID-19 information.

In Mineral County there are a total of 642 positive cases, 313 are active, 4 current probable cases, 325 recovered 4 total deaths

Mineral County Health Department Administrator AJ Root talks about the overwhelming amount of new cases of COVID-19 in the county, the impact that has on the Health Department and how everyone can do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19. To hear the interview click here https://soundcloud.com/…/mineral-county-health…

Grant County is in the Yellow Metric today which means there is increased Community Transmission. Grant County does have multiple cases and contacts.

There were seven (7) new cases today. There are also many contacts to these positive cases that are quarantined and are being monitored.

There was one case reported at Petersburg High School and SBVTC. This person has been isolated at home, contacts have been notified and have been instructed on quarantine.

Everyone must do their part to prevent the continued spread of this virus. Social Distance by always maintaining 6 feet distance from everyone not in your household, avoid crowds, WEAR that mask, and practice good hand hygiene.

255 Total COVID Cases

• 217 Confirmed Positive COVID cases

• 38 Probable COVID cases (Probable cases are those that have a positive test from a rapid antigen test).

• 200 Total Recovered

• 42 Active Cases. Three are hospitalized.

• 13 Deaths, of these: 9 Deaths listed as COVID related (6 from GRCC).

Call Grant Memorial Hospital (304) 257 1026 and press 5 to speak to an ER nurse or Grove Street Health Center at 304-257-2451 to help determine if testing is indicated and instructions how to proceed if you develop symptoms, (loss of taste or smell, fever, cough, muscle aches, cough, shortness of breath, headache or diarrhea). Remain isolated from others until you receive your test result and are cleared to discontinue isolation.

The Hampshire County Health Department has received 11 (9 confirmed and 2 *probable) cases today. Case investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

*Probable case – case identified through rapid testing. Rapid tests are not a confirmatory test with the state.

Hampshire County’s current case count is 205 confirmed, 19 probable, 47 active, 1 death and 4 hospitalizations.

Free testing available at Hampshire Memorial Tuesday-Friday 9a-1p.

Care for your community and wear your mask!

REMINDER! Free COVID-19 testing in Hardy County this week, starting tomorrow. Please bring an ID and a parent or guardian for any children on site. This testing is available to anyone.

November 17th, 19th, and 20th.

8am – 12pm

Hardy County Ambulance Authority

17940 SR 55

Baker, WV

1pm – 4pm

National Guard Armory

167 Freedom Way

Moorefield, WV

On Thursday the 19th, the Armory testing site will stay open until 5pm for those that need a later schedule.

For a complete state testing schedule, see https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard, highlighting  a seven-day case increase of 26,215 cases, statewide percent positivity of 9.6%, and a concerning 59 counties with substantial transmission status. 

The update includes the following:

  • Level of community transmission as a basis for the recommendations for Pre-K to 12 schools to determine instructional models.
  • Data on cases among 5-18-year-olds.
  • Cases that reported visiting a business among potential locations where exposures may have occurred.
  • Updated travel recommendations.

The dashboard is designed to provide early warning signs of factors that affect the state’s mitigation efforts. The data available on the early warning monitoring dashboard includes week-over-week case differences, incidence rates, test percent-positivity, and rates of hospitalizations, ventilations and emergency room visits tied to COVID-19. This week’s update compares the period of November 6 – November 12 to the previous seven days, October 30 – November 5.

“The significant increase in cases and percent positivity across much of the state is cause for concern,” Gov. Wolf said. “We need all Pennsylvanians to take a stand and answer the call to protect one another. We need Pennsylvanians to be united in wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, washing our hands and avoiding gatherings. It is only by working together that Pennsylvanians can prevent the spread of the virus.”

As of Thursday, November 12, the state has seen a seven-day case increase of 26,215 cases; the previous seven-day increase was 16,646 cases, indicating 9,569 more new cases across the state over the past week compared to the previous week.

The statewide percent-positivity went up to 9.6% from 6.8% last week. Every county in the state has a concerning percent positivity above five percent except the following counties: Forest (1.8%); Cameron (2.1%); Union (3.2%), Wayne (3.7%) and Susquehanna (4.6).

“This week’s data, in terms of case increase, percent positivity and other factors is concerning,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. We know COVID-19 does not discriminate. It is affecting all Pennsylvanians, no matter your race, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status or whether you live a rural, suburban or urban area. We need all Pennsylvanians to take the steps they can take to protect one another.”

Community Transmission
As of Friday’s data, Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York counties were in the substantial level of community transmission. The departments of Education and Health will speak with school district representatives in these counties to discuss the implications of this level of transmission.

For the week ending November 12, three counties were in the low level of transmission, five counties in the moderate level, with 59 with substantial transmission:

  • Low – Cameron, Forest, Sullivan
  • Moderate – Fayette, Pike, Susquehanna, Warren, Wayne
  • Substantial – Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York

Cases Among 5-18-Year-Olds
The Department of Health is providing weekly data on the number of statewide cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 19,805 total cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds. Of that total, 3,198 occurred between November 6 – November 12. For the week of October 30 – November 5, there were 2,077 cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds.

Cases by demographic group is available on the DOH website.

Business Visits
The Department of Health is providing weekly data on the number of individuals who responded to case investigators that they spent time at business establishments (restaurants, bars, gym/fitness centers, salon/barbershops) and at mass gatherings 14 days prior to the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.

Of the 20,985 confirmed cases reported between November 1 and November 7, 16 percent (3,327) provided an answer to the question as to whether they spent time at a business establishment.

Of those who did provide an answer, 16 percent, or 535, answered yes, they visited a business establishment 14 days prior to onset of symptoms:

  • 53 percent (284) of those who said yes reported going to a restaurant;
  • 26 percent (140) of those who said yes reported going to some other business establishment;
  • 12.5 percent (67) of those who said yes reported going to a bar;
  • 11 percent (60) of those who said yes reported going to a gym/fitness center; and
  • 7 percent (39) of those who said yes reported going to a salon/barbershop.

Of the 20,985 confirmed cases, 16 percent (3,335) answered the question as to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event. Of the 16 percent, 18.4 percent (615) answered yes to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event 14 days prior to onset of symptoms.

Compared to data reported on November 9, this week’s data saw a decrease for people who reported going to a restaurant (53 percent vs. 55 percent last week), going to a gym/fitness center (11 percent vs. 12 percent last week), going to a salon/barbershop (7 percent vs. 8 percent last week), and going to a bar (12.5 percent vs. 13 percent last week). Numbers remained the same for those going to some other business (26 percent vs. 26 percent last week. The number of those who attended a mass gathering or other large event decreased slightly to 18.4 percent from 19 percent last week. 

The numbers above highlight business settings and mass gatherings as possible sites for transmission. With less than half of those asked about what types of businesses they visited or if they attended a mass gathering responding to the question, the department is reminding Pennsylvanians that it is essential that people answer the phone when case investigators call and to provide full and complete information to these clinical professionals.

Travel Recommendations
Also today, the Department of Health updated its travel recommendations, originally announced on July 2, adding Virginia to the list of states recommended for domestic travelers returning from to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. In addition, the state added two neighboring states (Delaware and Maryland) to a list of bordering states in which non-essential travel is highly discouraged.

It is important that people understand that this recommendation is in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. A concerning number of recent cases have been linked to travel, and if people are going to travel, we need them to take steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community, and that involves quarantining.

Gov. Wolf continues to prioritize the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians through the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvanians should continue to take actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, regardless of in what county they live. This includes wearing a mask or face covering anytime they are in public. COVID-19 has been shown to spread easily in the air and contagious carriers can be asymptomatic.

Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens talks about the surge in COVID-19 cases around the region, the impact that has had on local health officials and how we can all do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19. To hear the interview click here  https://soundcloud.com/amanda-mangan/garrett-county-health-officer-bob-stephens-2-for-pht

Frostburg State University President Dr. Ronald Nowaczyk and Dr. Jeff Graham Pandemic Planning Committee chair discuss the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on FSU, the response and plans moving  forward. To hear the interview click here https://soundcloud.com/amanda-mangan/president-dr-ronald-nowaczyk-and-dr-jeff-graham-pandemic-planning-committee-chair-for-pht