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WHEELING -- Public health officials said Monday the backlash they received over their decision Saturday to recommend trick-or-treating be canceled was inconsequential compared to the effort to halt community spread of COVID-19.
The decision Saturday came after Ohio and Marshall counties were listed as gold and orange, respectively, on the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources COVID-19 map.
The city of Wheeling canceled trick-or-treating, as did Moundsville, based upon health department recommendations. Other municipalities in the two counties, however, did not.
Despite the orders, trick-or-treaters still went out Saturday throughout both counties, collecting candy. Residents adapted and found safer ways to distribute candy, such as using a long grabber instead of their hands to drop items in bags, while others set an assortment of treats on tables outside so children could help themselves.
Gamble said Monday the announcement was made more as an advisory notice to people, rather than a concerted attempt to stop people from participating.
"We made the recommendation ... to prevent further spread," he said. "It wasn't really a goal that we would crack down. We knew, talking with the Wheeling Police Department and the sheriff, we could only tell them that we're increasing in cases, with more community spread. The best thing to do is not to have trick or treat. But people did.
"In my neighborhood, some neighbors got creative. They set up a table and set the (treats) out. I don't think people fully understand why we (recommended trick or treat be canceled, which is that you have people going from house to house, and you have the ability for one child or one adult to pass it to multiple individuals, or to large groups having an event."
Gamble said the last-minute nature of the decision precluded the opportunity to offer tips on safer ways to celebrate the holiday.
"We just had to move very quickly, due to the number of cases we were seeing," he said. "We heard people who said, 'Well, I'm going to do it anyway!' ... It's not for me to argue and force them, it's to tell them what's going on."
Regarding whether the holiday activities might precede another spike in cases locally, Gamble said he expects to see cases continue to come in regardless, and that the department is "scrambling" to manage new incoming cases already.
"I have a number of (tested and infected) people in the queue who are new, as well as managing people from the three clinics in the county, each day, for six days," he said.
Gamble continued stress that brushing off mild symptoms as seasonal allergies is a risky move.
"They'll say, 'It's just seasonal, I'll be OK,' and that's no longer the norm. Go get tested, because a lot of the cases we see, when we do an interview with them, they start off with, 'I thought it was just an itchy throat, a seasonal allergy,' or 'I don't feel that bad, and then two days ago I was extremely tired and had a runny nose, and now I'm positive.'"
Gamble said he was concerned, as the rising COVID-19 caseload puts more of a burden on the local health care infrastructure, which could have its hands full in the event of another, unrelated public health crisis.
"The number of cases is concerning, and it's not only the cases, but the impact it has on the health care system. Our larger health care system is impacted dramatically, and having this dramatic increase, we can only respond to other events proportional to our everyday effort. If we're tied up with COVID, when we're looking at other issues, we're drained. It's concerning not only individually, but as a community. ... We're going to have problems when we have a lot of people sick who need a lot of care."
Ohio County announced 42 new COVID-19 cases Saturday and Sunday, and another 15 cases Monday. In response, the health department has set free COVID testing clinics every day through Saturday. There are three locations for the testing, which is set to take place from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day at:
— Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department
— West Liberty Volunteer Fire Department
— Wheeling Fire Department, Wheeling Island Station 5
Marshall County also reported large numbers of new cases, with 49 new positives announced Sunday. Many of those were associated with long-term care facilities. The Department of Health and Human Resources website lists 10 cases among residents at the Cameron Nursing Home and 15 cases among staff members.
The health department announced 12 new cases Monday evening in its daily report. Among the cases was a woman in her 60s, who was hospitalized. The other patients reported mild to moderate symptoms. Two other cases were transferred, one to Ohio County and one to Pennsylvania. This brings the county to 424 total cases since the pandemic began.
Marshall County will be providing community testing at the following locations:
— Today
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Limestone Volunteer Fire Department
8 a.m. to noon, Cameron City Building
2-6 p.m., McMechen Volunteer Fire Department
— Wednesday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sandhill Elementary School
8 a.m. to noon, Cameron City Building
2-6 p.m. McMechen Volunteer Fire Department
— Thursday
2-6 p.m., Marshall County Health Department
8 a.m. to noon, McMechen Volunteer Fire Department
2-6 p.m., Cameron City Building
Friday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Marshall County Health Department
8 a.m. to noon, McMechen Volunteer Fire Department
2-6 p.m., Cameron City Building
— Saturday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Marshall County Health Department
8 a.m. to noon, McMechen Volunteer Fire Department
2-6 p.m. Cameron City Building
The health department recommends that those coming to the community testing events go online to wv.getmycovidresult.com and register for an account. The account QR code should be brought to the testing event and will allow those tested to track the test and make it easier to track results, which can be printed out at home.