A Marion County COVID update

FAIRMONT, W.Va. – According to Marion County Health Department administrator Lloyd White, COVID-19 cases there are on the rise.

“Since the first of July we’ve had 83 cases, just since July 1,” White said,”So, we’re seeing not only in Marion County, Harrison County and Mon County we’re seeing cases increase across the state which is very concerning to me.”

On WAJR’s Talk of the Town White said the Covenant Church there was the site of a packed sanctuary with no one wearing masks or social distancing.

“We just have to continue to do the right thing. I think we’re seeing case increases because people just aren’t doing the right thing,” White said,”Until we see everyone doing the right thing we’re going to see cases, in my opinion, continue to escalate and unfortunately I think we’re going to see deaths that we absolutely could have prevented.”

White believes we’ll see the benefit of mask and face covering policies soon, but there has been enough time or compliance to see any improvement in new case numbers.

“I think it’s a little bit early to really have enough data to say it’s effective, it’s working or is it not,” White said.

Closing the bars in Morgantown didn’t help Marion County at all, according to White. He says when bars open in Marion, Harrison and Preston County people will go there instead.

“I promise you there are folks traveling, contaminating and transmitting disease,” White said,”So yes, it’s a concern that we closed bars in Mon County and didn’t do it in neighboring counties.”

White says masks/face coverings, social distancing and all the guidelines work, but there just aren’t enough people that take it seriously.

“From a public health perspective we have got to be able to prevent this thing,” White said,”The best way to do that is social distancing, masks, cough and sneeze etiquette and hand hygiene-it’s not rocket science, it just takes effort.