COVID-19 pandemic in West Virginia

As of March 16, the state had tested 84 suspected cases.[7] West Virginia announced its first case, in Shepherdstown, on March 17, 2020.[8][9][10]

As of March 18, the second case was announced. Also on that date, 148 West Virginians had been tested for the virus.[11]

As of March 20, West Virginia had confirmed 8 cases of COVID-19.[12] On March 22, there were 16 confirmed cases.[1]

A March 22 Washington Post article described efforts to implement social distancing in Grant County.[13]

The state's first death occurred on March 29 in Marion County.[14]

On March 13, Governor Jim Justice announced all schools across the state would close indefinitely beginning on March 16, 2020, as a proactive measure.[15]

On March 15, the mayor of Charleston, West Virginia, declared a state of emergency.[16]

On March 16, Governor Justice declared a state of emergency.[17]

On March 17, Justice ordered restaurant dining rooms, bars, and casinos to close until March 31.[9]

By March 21, several Mid-Ohio Valley counties had closed their courthouses to the public or limited access.[18]

By March 22, Justice urged West Virginians to stay home as much as possible.[19] Justice was joined by Dr. Clay Marsh, vice president of West Virginia University and executive dean for Health Sciences. Marsh said that New York is being hit by a tsunami wave of coronavirus cases and if West Virginians can stay home as much as possible the next few weeks, the tsunami wave can become more like a stream for West Virginia.[19]

"We are faced with a pandemic by a virus that we have no immune system that responds to, so we can’t fight it ... If we do these things, we’ll continue to be the leaders. We have demonstrated how we too, as a state pulling together, can protect each other and protect our health care workers. Once this window of opportunity is gone, it won’t matter what we do then."[19]

On March 23, Governor Justice ordered non-essential businesses to be closed immediately, and issued a stay-at-home order effective March 24 at 8 p.m.[20][21]

On March 25, WV Statewide Day of Prayer, a 45-minute service dedicated to the people affected with Coronavirus disease.[22] It was held by Governor Jim Justice and moderator Dr. Dan Anderson.[23]

On April 30, Governor Justice announced "West Virginia Strong: The Comeback", a lifting of the present stay-at-home order that will transition to a safer-at-home plan. Specific sector businesses will be allowed to re-open over the month and a half after May 3, 2020, if certain parameters of COVID-19 testing are met. West Virginia's stay-at-home order will be lifted at 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 4 and will be replaced with a safer-at-home program, which will strongly encourage residents to stay home but not make it mandatory to do so.[24]

On March 12, the National Collegiate Athletic Association cancelled all winter and spring tournaments, most notably the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, affecting colleges and universities statewide.[26] On March 16, the National Junior College Athletic Association also canceled the remainder of the winter seasons as well as the spring seasons.[27]

• Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
• COVID-19 pandemic in the United States – for impact on the country
• COVID-19 pandemic – for impact on other countries

Wikimedia Commons has media related to COVID-19 pandemic in West Virginia.

• Information from the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources