Dr. Sherri Young, executive director and health officer at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, noted Charleston and the Kanawha Valley are heading into the second full week of responding to the Coronavirus.
“The best thing we can do is stay home,” Young said. “Maintaining social distance is the best thing we can do to fight the epidemic.” Young said this weekend’s “Pause in Place” was beneficial and praised individuals who stayed at home to avoid spreading the virus.
Young noted no Coronavirus deaths have been reported in West Virginia and urged residents to continue preventative measures.
Young offered additional direction:
Students returning from college or spring break should isolate themselves. “We don’t want a week of fun to turn into tragedy,” Young said.
For those unfortunate enough to have family members or loved ones die, Young encouraged those mourning to work with funeral directors and others to plan memorial services in the future. “Two of the positive cases we’ve encountered in have been associated with people attending out-of-state funerals,” Young said.
“We aren’t limiting this to funerals,” Young said. “Social distancing and limiting the size of groups is how we’re going to defeat this pandemic.”
Young encouraged anyone with questions to call the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department hotline at 304-348-1088. “We’re experiencing a high volume of calls,” Young said. “Please be patient. We will answer your questions, but our staff is limited.”