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Gov. Jim Justice's order for schools to remain closed until Dec. 3 came on the heels of a decision by Brooke County school officials to close the county's schools and cancel all extracurricular activities for about two weeks.
It was spurred by the discovery that 10 individuals in the school district had tested positive for the coronavirus and 34 staff members and 115 students in multiple schools had been instructed to quarantine due to possible exposure to the 10.
Stephanie Zimmer, spokesperson for Brooke County Schools, said in addition to a desire to protect everyone's safety, the move to temporarily close all schools was spurred by concerns about having sufficient substitute teachers to fill in for the affected staff.
Hancock County school officials had called for all Weirton schools to be closed on Thursday and Friday and canceled all extracurricular activities, citing multiple students and staff testing positive or being exposed at the three schools.
On Thursday they reported three students at Oak Glen High School had tested positive but hadn't moved for it to be closed prior to Justice's order.
While the schools' Thanksgiving break falls within the closing period, school officials have stressed it shouldn't be seen as an extended break for students.
Zimmer said teachers and students have been prepared to work from home and through the internet.
This summer the school boards of both counties authorized the purchase of iPads or Chromebooks for students to use at home and "hot spots" outside school buildings for students without Internet access.
Public health officials in both counties have seen a rise in cases in recent weeks.
Mike Bolen, administrator of the Brooke County Health Department, confirmed cases have been reported at three local nursing homes and a living facility occupied by multiple people.
Bolen said while the number of cases at most of them hasn't been high, each has been treated as an outbreak because either the affected population is more at risk or the risk of spread to others is higher.
He said response to a case at a congregate living facility usually includes testing everyone and closing common areas such as dining and activity rooms.
The Brooke County department has reported 49 active cases and 39 probable cases, the latter comprised of people who tested positive through the less reliable rapid test after displaying symptoms common to the disease.
Bolen said the latter group must at least initially be treated as positive, with those individuals instructed to self-isolate, to prevent potential spread of the virus.
He said between the two types, "We've seen as many as 18 to 20 in one day."
"Unfortunately, this isn't going away and is likely to spike in the next couple of months,"Bolen added.
The Hancock County Health Department earlier this week added 29 individuals to the county's 99 active cases which represent nearly every age group, from age 14 to 81.
The department also has reported the death of an 86-year-old man linked to the virus, the county's third since the pandemic began.
It also has recorded 240 recoveries from COVID-19, while Brooke County has tallied 6 deaths and 209 recoveries.
Bolen said initial symptoms are similar to those of the flu or seasonal alergies, but those who experience them shouldn't take them lightly and should avoid close contact with others and take other precautions.
He said while not all individuals will die from the virus, its spread can have an economic impact as even milder cases can result in massive absences in the workforce and affect businesses' ability to function.
Public health officials have maintained that wearing masks and practicing good hygiene aren't guaranteed to prevent spread of the disease, they can help to reduce it.
Asked about community events and social gatherings, Bolen said, "In the overall picture, gatherings spread the disease. When you cut back on them, it certainly mitigates the number of cases."
"Our end goal is to protect as many people as possible," he said.
(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)