Eleven W.Va. Counties Will Be Remote, Virtual School This Week

The West Virginia Department of Education announced that eleven counties will be remote learning-only for the week of Nov. 8. State officials rolled out updated data Saturday, Nov. 7 at 11:20 p.m. — more than six hours later than usual. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources told West Virginia Public Broadcasting the delay was “due to further data validation.”

Hampshire, Jackson, Lincoln, Marshall, Ohio, Putnam, Tyler, Wood and Wyoming counties, which were in the orange zone on the state’s color-coded map, will not be open for in-person instruction this week.

Mineral and Mingo were the only counties in the red category and will also be remote learning-only.

The COVID-19 Data Review Panel also announced that seven counties shifted in their color zones. They included:

• Berkeley County: Moved from orange to gold based on additional testing results received and a reduced positivity rate.
• Lewis County: Moved from gold to yellow due to data validation and three cases being removed due to case status updated and one case removed due to outbreak information being updated.
• Marion County: Moved from green to yellow due to data validation and one case being added due to outbreak information being updated.
• Marshall County: Moved from red to orange due to data validation of 11 nursing home residents excluded and transfer of three cases to correct county of residence.
• Monroe County: Moved from gold to yellow due to data validation and one nursing home resident excluded.
• Morgan County: Moved from yellow to gold due to additional testing results received.
• Randolph County: Moved from gold to yellow due to data validation of ten college students isolating in dorms excluded and transfer of three cases to correct county of residence.

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: Mineral, Mingo

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: Hampshire, Jackson, Lincoln, Marshall, Ohio, Putnam, Tyler, Wood, Wyoming

Gold (Elevated Community Transmission): In-person instruction is permitted with restrictions, including face coverings at all times for grades 3-12. Extracurricular activities are permitted. Competitions can take place against schools within the same county as well as schools in other gold counties. Counties in gold include: Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan, Pleasants, Wetzel, Wirt

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: Boone, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lewis, Marion, McDowell, Monroe, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Upshur, Wayne

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, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Logan, Mason, Mercer, Monongalia, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Webster

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 are usually 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, DHHR reports 27,742 total cases of the virus and 502 deaths — 15 of those deaths were announced on Saturday alone. At least 6,454 cases are considered active, according to DHHR.