By Jessi Mancini, The Intelligencer
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state of West Virginia is trying to learn why 168 COVID-19 deaths were not reported, officials said Wednesday.
Gov. Jim Justice during his pandemic briefing said 168 deaths were unreported to the state and most were in hospitals, hospice groups, long-term care facilities and two in the correctional system. The total is 7.2 percent of the 2,330 deaths attributed to the virus in West Virginia since the pandemic began.
Fifteen of those unreported deaths came locally, in facilities in either Ohio County or Marshall County.
Justice, who said he learned of the number of non-reported deaths only 45 minutes before the briefing began Wednesday morning, was upset. He plans to read the entire list of 168 people on Friday during a pandemic briefing.
“It’s just plain awful, awful,” he said…
