Liz McCormick Published

Most W.Va. Counties May Allow In-Person Schooling This Week

WVDE Covid Map - Sept 26 2020_revised.jpg

Updated on Sept. 27, 2020 at 12:07 a.m.

The West Virginia Department of Education announced that two counties will be remote learning-only for the week of Sept. 27. State officials rolled out updated data Saturday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m.

Kanawha and Wayne counties will not be open for in-person instruction this week.

There are no counties in the red category at this time.

Red (Substantial Community Transmission): Remote-only learning mode. No extracurricular competitions or practices are permitted. Staff may report to their schools, as determined by the county. Essential support services, including special education and meals, will continue. Counties in red include: None

Orange (Heightened Community Transmission): Remote-only learning mode. Extracurricular practices may occur, however, competitions may not. Staff may report to their schools, as determined by the county. Essential support services, including special education and meals, will continue. Counties in orange include: Kanawha, Wayne

Gold (Elevated Community Transmission): In-person instruction is allowed with restrictions including face coverings at all times for grades 3-12. Extracurricular activities are permitted and competitions can take place against schools within the same county as well as schools in other gold counties. Counties in gold include: Fayette, Logan, Mingo, Summers

Yellow (Increased Community Transmission): School may be held for in-person instruction. Extracurricular practices and competitions may occur. Health and safety precautions include, at a minimum, face coverings at all times for grades six and above. Please refer to your county for specific face covering requirements. Counties in yellow include: Berkeley, Boone, Doddridge, Jackson, Marshall, Mineral, Morgan, Putnam, Wirt, Wyoming

Green (Minimal Community Transmission): School may be held for in-person instruction. Extracurricular practices and competitions may occur. Health and safety precautions include, at a minimum, face coverings in grades three and above when students are outside of core groups and in congregant settings and on school buses. Please refer to your county for specific face covering requirements. Counties in green include: Barbour, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Monongalia, Monroe, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Webster, Wetzel, Wood

All schools, both public and private, are expected to adhere to the WVDE’s re-entry map to guide in-person instruction and extracurricular activities.

Updates to the map will be announced each Saturday at 5 p.m. and will be in effect until the following Saturday at the same time, according to the WVDE. The only exception would be if a county turns red during the week.

If this happens, the change would be made immediately to the map, according to the WVDE, and all in-person instruction and extracurricular and athletic activities would be suspended.

As of Saturday morning, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports 15,158 total cases of the virus and 332 deaths. 3,705 cases are considered active.

**Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story listed Marshall County in the gold category. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources later amended this action on Saturday at 9:30 p.m., placing Marshall in the yellow category.