WHEELING-OHIO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, February 5, 2021 (10:30pm)
Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department is announcing nineteen (19) new cases of COVID-19 in Ohio County for 2/5/21. Currently, the health department reports a total of 3615 cases, including sixty-four (64) deaths. Case surveillance, contact tracing, and monitoring continue for many of the reported cases. During the community testing today (2/5/21) the health department performed 30 COVID-19 tests on Ohio Valley residents.
Starting Monday, February 8th, and running until February 12th, the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department will hold a free COVID-19 testing clinic at the following location:
Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department
COVID Testing
11:00am – 4:00pm
Wheeling Island Fire Station, Station 5, 11 North Wabash Street
The free clinics are for those with or without symptoms and no insurance is needed. Participants need to bring a driver’s license, photo ID or other proof of address. No residency restrictions. Patients under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. This is a drive-up testing clinic and participants will be tested either in their personal vehicles or at a walk-up location near the testing sites. This special clinic is being hosted by the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department and the Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management Agency. For more information call the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department at (304) 234-3682.
Starting Monday, February 1st the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department will begin to move all vaccination efforts to a community vaccination center. This community vaccination center will be utilized by the health department and other healthcare partners for future vaccinations. Appointments are necessary for all COVID-19 vaccinations. The COVID-19 community vaccination center at the Highlands will be located in the old Michaels Craft Store/Spirit Halloween Store. The address is 550 Cabela Drive, Triadelphia, West Virginia 26059.
All West Virginians over the age of 16 are encouraged to pre-register through the West Virginia COVID-19 Vaccine Registration System. Pre-registration offers West Virginians the opportunity to receive real-time updates on vaccine availability and schedule an appointment when available as vaccine supplies allow. West Virginians who need assistance with registration for any reason should call our COVID-19 Vaccine Info Line for help at 1-833-734-0965. The info line is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We are dedicated to ensuring that all residents of Ohio County and West Virginians have access to a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. The initial focus of West Virginia’s vaccine distribution is to take care of the most vulnerable in our state. Vaccines will be in limited supply at the beginning, so the first phase will be distributed to individuals in high-risk settings such as healthcare, first response, long-term care facilities, and education. This approach is imperative to preserve critical infrastructure, such as making sure our healthcare system can meet our state’s needs. We understand that there are questions regarding when the COVID-19 vaccine will be available, and we are urging patience for all those waiting.
The Health Department is reminding residents that the county is currently ORANGE in the daily WVDHHR County Alert Map. Travel sports teams are prohibited from participating in games, practices, or other types of competition within counties designated as gold, orange, or red in the alert map. The restriction does not apply to teams that play in defined, relatively small geographic areas, such as within a single county or a few counties in the state. In addition, all purely social gatherings are limited to 10 individuals. The limitation does not apply to any activity, business, or entity that has been deemed essential, such as religious services, weddings, or group meetings, conferences, or other special events held for essential businesses and operations. Consult your local health department for more details.
Ohio County and Ohio Valley residents are advised to limit public contact, implement social distancing, work at home where possible, wear a face-covering when out in public, indoors, or at work, wash your hands frequently, and contact your personal physician if you become ill with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.
The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department is reminding Ohio Valley residents that if you are tested for COVID-19 that you are to remain in home isolation until you receive negative test results. Individuals who test positive will be contacted by a county health department and receive further instructions in regard to care and monitoring.
If positive, you should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care. Do not go to work, school, or public areas. If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19 prior to arriving at the facility. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
The off-site Wheeling Hospital COVID-19 testing clinic continues operations. Ohio Valley residents who are interested in being tested at this location should call the on-call number at (304) 221-3995. Testing is also available at Doctor’s Urgent Care, call (304) 232-0725 for more information; MedExpress is also testing for COVID-19, for more information call (304) 242-4228; Wheeling Health Right is offering testing, call (304) 233-9323 for more information.