UPDATE Saturday 4:00 p.m. WVU confirms two of the first three variant cases reported in the Mountain State are linked to the university community.
2 WVU students are among the 3 cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 detected in the Morgantown area.
We must continue to protect ourselves and each other to keep our campus and surrounding community safe.
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— WVU Mountaineers (@WestVirginiaU) February 20, 2021
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Department of Health and Human Resources announced Friday night it had confirmed the first COVID-19 variant cases in West Virginia.
The UK Variant has been detected in three cases in north central West Virginia, according to the agency.
The DHHR said he’s been working with WVU and Marshall to conduct whole genome sequencing which is used to detect the UK Variant.
State Health Officer Dr. Ayne Amjad said it’s not surprising that the variant has reached West Virginia because it’s previously been detected in all of the states that surround the Mountain State.
Amjad called the detection a good motivator to double-down on prevention efforts that West Virginians have been practicing.
“Now that we have this confirmation, as Governor Justice always says; it’s not time to be fearful, it’s time to be smart. All West Virginians should continue hand washing, social distancing, proper mask wearing, testing, and everyone should get vaccinated when it’s their turn,” Amjad said in a Friday night statement.
The announcement of the detection comes just hours after Gov. Jim Justice announced a relaxing of several COVID-19 restrictions including restaurant seating, retail and grocery store capacity limits and his desire that the state Board of Education order counties to do away with blended in-person school schedules.
Experts have said that COVID-19 vaccines do work against the variants. Some studies indicate they may not work as well.
West Virginia becomes the 43rd state to report variant cases. The other states have had a total of 1,523 cases.