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CHARLESTON -- Monday marked the third straight week that the number of coronavirus cases in West Virginia decreased, though state officials are still watching hotspots of community spread.
According to data released Monday by the state Department of Health and Human Resources, the number of positive cases of COVID-19 over the last 14 days between Aug. 10 and Aug. 23 was 1,541, which is a 10-percent decrease in positive cases from the previous 14 days. As of Sunday, in the most recent data available, the state reported 40 new cases over a 24-hour period.
The total numbers of tests over the last 14 days was 71,643 which was a 13-percent increase in testing compared testing conducted between July 27 through Aug. 9. Last week, the state broke a record for the number of test results reported in one day with 7,971 test results reported on Aug. 19.
Justice credited the reduction of cases with his executive order on July 6 mandating the wearing of face masks in public indoor places when social distancing cannot be maintained. According to a chart Justice provided, it shows a decrease in 14-day average daily percent of positive tests and a decrease in the seven-day average of daily percent of positives tests since the mask order went into effect.
"For the most part, overwhelmingly West Virginia you stepped up and did exactly what the executive order was to do," Justice said. "In either line, when we made that order we were going through the roof, and that order saved a ton of lives. That's all there is to it."
Active COVID-19 cases, the number of infected people in self-quarantine or hospitalized, was 1,748 as of Monday, a 10 percent decrease from 1,941 cases on Aug. 17. Active cases have increased in 14 out of 55 counties, while cases in 28 counties have decreased and nine counties have seen no changes in case numbers. Five counties have no positive coronavirus cases.
"Look how we have declined in our daily positive rates," Justice said. "It's because we took action and you all did exactly what you should have done."
The state reported 179 total COVID-19 deaths as of Monday. Deaths are up by 8 percent over the last 14 days with 39 deaths between Aug. 10 and Aug. 23. In the last seven days, the state saw 19 deaths attributed to the coronavirus, with the most recent death reported Monday of a 59-year-old man from Lincoln County.
Hospitalizations are up to 141 as of Sunday. The average number of hospitalizations between Aug. 10 and Aug. 23 increased by 27 percent over the average number of hospitalizations the previous 14 days. There are 47 infected people in intensive care units, down from 50 as of Aug. 16; and 23 people on ventilators, up from 19 since last week.
West Virginia's Rt number, the rate that shows how quickly the virus is spreading in the community, was .86 as of Monday and the fourth best rate in the nation. The Rt number for the state last week was .95, which was the 13th best rate in the nation at the time.
"It wasn't very long ago when we were the worst in the country," said Dr. Clay Marsh, the state coronavirus czar. "This can move very fluidly and it's important to recognize that it's not only the hard work of everybody who is in our state in taking care of themselves and their families and taking care of all of our families by wearing a mask and staying appropriately physically distances and washing hands, but also, as the governor showed – the executive order for mask-wearing or face coverings has really made a dramatic positive improvement."