The U.S. state of West Virginia reported its first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 17, 2020, becoming the last state to do so.[6] The patient had shown symptoms for several days prior.[7] On March 29, 2020, the state reported its first COVID-19 death.[8]
As of April 2022 West Virginia had 498,890 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6,794 deaths from the disease.[9] The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that between 99 and 434 excess deaths have occurred in the state through May 9, 2020.[10] West Virginia has administered 1,189,041 COVID-19 vaccine doses, equivalent to 660 doses per 1000 people.[11] 65% of the population have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 57% are fully vaccinated.[12]
Timeline
2020
By March 16, 2020, West Virginia had tested 84 suspected cases of COVID-19.[13] The state announced its first case, in Shepherdstown, on March 17.[14][15][16] On March 18, the second case was announced. Also on that date, 148 West Virginians had been tested for the virus.[17] On March 20, West Virginia had confirmed 8 cases of COVID-19.[18] And on March 22, there were 16 confirmed cases.[8]
West Virginia's first death occurred on March 29 in Marion County.[19] The state's first death due to COVID-19 was an 88-year-old woman.[20] At the end of March, there were 4,143 persons in West Virginia tested, of which 162 were positive and 3,981 were negative, alongside this one death. Counties with the highest number of positive cases were in Kanawha and Monongalia counties.[21]
At the end of April 2020, there were 44,700 COVID-19 lab results received in West Virginia, of which 1,125 were positive. The death tally stood at 44.[22]
At the end of May 2020, there were a total of 97,622 COVID-19 laboratory results received, of which 2,010 were positive. The death tally stood at 75.[23]
At the end of June 2020, there were a total of 171,663 COVID-19 laboratory results received, of which 2,905 were positive. The death tally stood at 93.[24]
On July 1, 2020, the cumulative COVID-19 positive test rate was 1.69 percent.[25]
On July 25, Doddridge County became the last county in the state to report a positive COVID-19 case.[27]
2021
Additional information needed
2022
On January 11, Governor Jim Justice said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and felt "extremely unwell". He had been vaccinated and boosted.[28]
Government responses
On March 13, Governor Jim Justice announced all schools across the state would close indefinitely beginning on March 16, 2020, as a proactive measure.[29]
On March 15, the mayor of Charleston, West Virginia, declared a state of emergency.[30] Then, March 16, the Governor declared a state of emergency.[31]
On March 17, Justice ordered restaurant dining rooms, bars, and casinos to close until March 31.[15]
By March 21, several Mid-Ohio Valley counties had closed their courthouses to the public or limited access.[32]
By March 22, Justice urged West Virginians to stay home as much as possible.[33] Justice was joined by Dr. Clay Marsh, vice president of West Virginia University and executive dean for Health Sciences. Marsh said that New York was being hit by "a tsunami wave of coronavirus cases" and if West Virginians could stay home as much as possible for the next few weeks, the "tsunami wave" can become more "like a stream" for West Virginia.[33]
Clay Marsh, vice president of West Virginia University and executive dean of Health Sciences, stated: "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."[33]
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.[34][35]
On March 25, WV held a statewide Day of Prayer, a 45-minute service dedicated to the people affected with Coronavirus disease.[36] It was held by Governor Jim Justice and moderator Dr. Dan Anderson.[37]
On April 30, Justice announced "West Virginia Strong: The Comeback", a lifting of the present stay-at-home order that would transition to a safer-at-home plan. Specific sector businesses would be allowed to re-open over a month and a half after May 3, 2020, if certain parameters of COVID-19 testing were met. West Virginia's stay-at-home order would be lifted at 12:01a.m. Monday, May 4 and be replaced with a safer-at-home program, which would strongly encourage residents to stay home but not make it mandatory to do so.[39]
On May 14, the WV Governor and Dept. of Health and Human Resources announced plans to increase testing among minorities and otherwise vulnerable populations in counties with large populations and evidence of transmission.[40] The next day, they announced free testing in WV counties that were medically underserved.
Religious entities have been excluded from the virus closures in the state. The WV Dept. of Health and Human Resources reported on June 13, a fifth outbreak at churches in the state had occurred. This time it was in Greenbrier County, which followed prior outbreaks at churches in Boone, Hampshire, Jefferson and Marshall counties.[41] The Graystone Baptist Church in Greenbrier County had some 33 COVID-19 cases.[42]
By July 1, some 115 COVID-19 cases were reported across West Virginia, the Governor stated, which were traced to residents traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. "I strongly urge anybody that's been to Myrtle Beach to please get tested" Justice said.[25] In a July 1 press release,[25] Justice reported testing over 10,000 inmates and 4,000 employees in the state's correctional system showed one active COVID-19 case in an inmate at the Huttonsville Correctional Center and Jail and two employees.
On July 2, Justice announced that he was considering making masks mandatory in indoor spaces where social distancing isn't possible.[43] He issued an order on July 6 mandating masks in indoor public spaces outside of the home to reduce the spread of COVID-19.[44]
On December 11, the governor announced that Pfizer vaccine will come soon for West Virginia. The vaccine deployment would be prioritized for hospital and long-term care facility workers, teachers, first responders, and essential sector workers in Phase One. Phase Two, planned to begin in March, are for the general populace that wanted to take the vaccine.[45]
Federal response
West Virginia would receive $5.6 million of federal money to fight COVID-19.[46]
On July 1, 2020, in his press release,[25] Justice reported that West Virginia had been awarded over $24 million through the federal CARES Act.
The governor's reopening plan required the state's cumulative positive test rate for COVID-19 to stay below three percent for three days, in contrast to the prior benchmark of having cases decline for two weeks.[49]
The Associated Press[50] reported over 250,000 unemployment claims were processed in West Virginia since the pandemic shutdown in March. Workforce West Virginia surpassed $1 billion in unemployment benefits to West Virginia residents.[51] The unemployment rate in the state fell two points to 12.9 percent in May[52] as the state started its reopening. West Virginia received over 35,000 fraudulent pandemic claims in June.[49]
Justice, in his July 1 press release,[51] announced "historic revenue surplus" in West Virginia for fiscal year 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He also stated that overall consumer spending in the state returned to pre-pandemic levels in June, according to a state-by-state analysis he said was conduced by the Harvard-based research group Opportunity Insights.[51]
The West Virginia Strong—The Comeback plan to restart the state's economy saw July 1 reopenings include fairs, festivals, amusement parks, and rides, along with outdoor open air concerts.[51]
Note: On April 5, 2022, a reverse death reconciliation process was completed for 2021 which reduced the total fatality count by 122. On October 11, 2023, the West Virginia Department of Health discontinued reporting fatality data. Fatalities continue to be reported to the CDC. Case counts discontinued on April 26, 2024.
The first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States was announced by the state of Washington on January 21, 2020. Washington made the first announcement of a death from the disease in the U.S. on February 29 and later announced that two deaths there on February 26 were also due to COVID-19. Until mid-March, Washington had the highest absolute number of confirmed cases and the highest number per capita of any state in the country, until it was surpassed by New York state on April 10, 2020. Many of the deceased were residents of a nursing home in Kirkland, an Eastside suburb of Seattle in King County.
The COVID-19 pandemic in California began earlier than in some other parts of the United States. Ten of the first 20 confirmed COVID-19 infections in the United States were detected in California, and the first infection was confirmed on January 26, 2020. All of the early confirmed cases were persons who had recently travelled to China, as testing was restricted to this group, but there were some other people infected by that point. A state of emergency was declared in the state on March 4, 2020. A mandatory statewide stay-at-home order was issued on March 19, 2020; it was ended on January 25, 2021. On April 6, 2021, the state announced plans to fully reopen the economy by June 15, 2021.
The first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. state of New York during the pandemic was confirmed on March 1, 2020, and the state quickly became an epicenter of the pandemic, with a record 12,274 new cases reported on April 4 and approximately 29,000 more deaths reported for the month of April than the same month in 2019. By April 10, New York had more confirmed cases than any country outside the US. As of August 11, 2023, the state has reported 131.3 million tests, with 6,722,301 cumulative cases, and 79,960 deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic reached Colorado on March 5, 2020, when the state's first two cases were confirmed. Many of the early COVID-19 cases in Colorado occurred in mountain resort towns such as Crested Butte, Aspen, and Vail, apparently brought in, and sometimes taken home, by international ski tourists.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Texas is a part of the ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The state of Texas confirmed its first case on February 13, 2020, among U.S. nationals evacuated from China to Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland beginning in early February; however, retrospective analyses have suggested a much earlier origin than previously thought. The first documented case of COVID-19 in Texas outside of evacuees at Lackland was confirmed on March 4 in Fort Bend County, and many of the state's largest cities recorded their first cases throughout March. The state recorded its first death associated with the disease on March 17 in Matagorda County.
The first confirmed case of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. state of Connecticut was confirmed on March 8, although there had previously been multiple people suspected of having COVID-19, all of which eventually tested negative. As of January 19, 2022, there were 599,028 confirmed cases, 68,202 suspected cases, and 9,683 COVID-associated deaths in the state.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii affected all aspects of life in the state, demolishing its economy, closing its schools and straining its healthcare system, even though it experienced far less spread than other US states.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S. state of Illinois on January 24, 2020, when a woman in Chicago, who had just returned from the pandemic's place of origin in Wuhan, Hubei, China, tested positive for the virus. This was the second case of COVID-19 in the United States during the pandemic. The woman's husband was diagnosed with the disease a few days later, the first known case of human-to-human transmission in the United States. Community transmission was not suspected until March 8, when a case with no connection to other cases or recent travel was confirmed.
The COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S. state of Indiana on March 5, 2020, and was confirmed on March 6. As of July 12, 2021, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) had confirmed 757,904 cases in the state and 13,496 deaths. As of July 3, 2020, all 92 counties had reported at least 10 cases with Pike County being the last to surpass this threshold.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Missouri in March 2020. A university student who had recently been to Italy, was the first index case for COVID-19 in Missouri. She was treated at Mercy Hospital St. Louis. As of February 8, 2021, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has confirmed 502,432 cumulative cases and 7,562 deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Montana on March 14, 2020. As of June 4, 2021, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MDPHHS) has reported 112,260 positive cases and 1,632 deaths in the state.
The COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire is part of an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The first confirmed case was reported on March 2, 2020. A state of emergency was declared March 13, which included a ban on gatherings of 50 or more people. A small group filed a lawsuit claiming the order infringed on their right to assemble and worship; a judge dismissed the suit. On March 26, all nonessential businesses were closed and Governor Chris Sununu advised people to only leave home for essential necessities. That stay-at-home order was extended several times before being allowed to expire on June 15. Through November 22, a total of 74 emergency orders had been issued by Sununu. Sununu lifted the mask mandate as of April 16, 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Tennessee on March 5, 2020. As of June 5, 2022, there are 2,023,815 confirmed cases, 26,103 deaths, and 12,825,885 reported tests.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first confirmed case was reported on March 7, 2020, in Fort Belvoir, and the first suspected case arrived in Virginia on February 23, 2020, which was a man who had recently traveled to Egypt. In response to the spread of COVID-19, the state mandated a stay at home order from March 18, 2020, until May 12, 2020, when the state began a four-phased reopening plan that lasted through July 1, 2020. From May 31, 2020, until May 28, 2021, the state enforced a mask mandate, being one of the first states in the nation to enforce a statewide mask mandate. The state remained relatively stagnant in COVID-19 cases through November 2020, until there was a large surge in COVID-19 cases during the winter of 2020–21, as part of a nationwide surge in cases. Cases gradually subsided to summer and fall 2020 numbers by March 2021, with numbers falling to early pandemic numbers by June 2021.
The first case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho was confirmed on March 13, 2020, when a Boise woman tested positive. As of February 15, 2023, there have been 517,540 confirmed cases and 5,389 deaths within Idaho, while 975,583 people have been fully vaccinated.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota is part of an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the state of Minnesota. The first confirmed case was reported on March 6, 2020.
The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States during 2020.
The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts.
The government of Texas's initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the state consisted of a decentralized system that was mostly reliant on local policies. As the pandemic progressed in Texas and throughout the rest of the country, the Texas government closed down several businesses and parks, and it eventually imposed a statewide stay-at-home order in late May. Then, between May and June 2020, the state government initiated a phased reopening, which was viewed as controversial. The reopening was phased back in June and July 2020 following a new surge of COVID-19 cases in the state. In March 2021, as COVID-19 vaccines began to be administered throughout the U.S., the Texas government reopened the state again.
↑ "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)". Page 5 of 6, Health Status of COVID-19 Positive Patients, Top 5 Counties by Total Numbers(Microsoft Power Bl): West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved September 8, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
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