KINGWOOD — Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the first active case of COVID in Preston County.
In an update to commissioners, VJ Davis, director of the Preston County Health Department, said the county has had a total of 2,665 cases and 42 deaths. In the past week, the county has had 42 new cases and is in the yellow.
“We’re averaging six cases a day,” Davis said.
Davis said during the past month, 6,000 vaccinations have been given, adding that 12,708 doses have been dispensed. That equals 38% of the county’s population.
He said with the help of the Preston County Office of Emergency Management, many of the homebound county residents have also received their vaccinations.
“This week, 1,300 doses will be given out,” he said. “We’ll be doing that number each week.”
Davis said the health department could receive doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If that’s the case, they will go to the remaining 48 homebound individuals.
In other business, the OEM showed off its new Mud Trax Machine.
Justin Wolfe, assistant director of OEM, said the $64,911 machine is a one of a kind, as it was custom-made by Greg Nielsen of LiteTrax, and the only one in the country with a medical bed.
“It will help us get into places that are difficult to access,” he said. “If there is a bad snowstorm and no access, we will be able to get in.”
Wolfe said the machine will also be a valuable tool during brush fires and other emergencies, and is amphibious and can float in standing water.
Wolfe said the Trax was bought with money from a grant, plus $11,101 from the OEM budget.
According to the LiteTrax website, the company specializes in vehicles that are designed to traverse snow, ice, mud and water. The vehicle can be used for a wide range of difficult duties, including snow removal, towing, cross-country ski trail grooming, tubing hill grooming, ski hill grooming, transport, and search and rescue.
TWEET@DominionPostWV
