A West Virginia judge who had been pushing hard for trials in asbestos lawsuits has now delayed one set for next month, citing the "frightening" numbers of COVID-19 cases in several of the state's counties.

"The troubling question is: Should I now permit the trial to take place on that date since the coronavirus cases in Hancock, Brooke, and Ohio County are increasing at a frightening frequency each day, and I have witnessed the increasing nervousness of those around me," wrote First Judicial Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson in a notice on Wednesday to the lawyers.