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CHARLESTON -- Three Wood County residents were among the confirmed deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus reported on Wednesday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The state reported the deaths of a 51-year-old man, an 89-year-old woman and a 99-year-old man from Wood County in the 24-hour period from Tuesday to Wednesday morning.
Twelve deaths were reported in the 24-hour period, raising the count since the pandemic began to 2,707. Other deaths from the virus were confirmed in Cabell, Hancock, McDowell County, Raleigh, Berkeley, Kanawha and Logan counties, according to the Wednesday morning pandemic report.
With the three deaths reported on Wednesday, the death count in Wood County was 168, the most of any county in the region. Deaths in other counties as of Wednesday are: Jackson 61; Wetzel 29; Ritchie and Pleasants 11; Tyler 10; Roane 8; Doddridge 6; Gilmer 5; Wirt 3; Calhoun 0.
Active cases as of Wednesday was at 7,199, the state said. New cases received in the 24-hour period were 405.
Cases of the UK, South Africa, California and Brazil mutant strains in local counties are: Gilmer, Ritchie and Tyler, 0; Calhoun, Doddridge and Pleasants, 1 UK; Roane 2 UK; Wirt 3 UK; Wetzel 4 UK, 1 California; Wood 3 UK, 4 California; Jackson 10 UK, 1 California.
Across the state 904 cases of the UK variant, five South Africa, three Brazil and 224 California cases have been found, the state said.
Active cases in local counties (previous day) are: Calhoun, 18 (13); Doddridge, 23 (20); Gilmer, 49 (43); Jackson, 90 (95); Pleasants, 19 (25); Ritchie, 20 (19); Roane, 27 (27); Tyler, 28 (26); Wetzel, 136 (128); Wirt, 30 (32); Wood, 113 (109).
"We're still not out of the woods," Gov. Jim Justice said during Wednesday's online pandemic briefing, adding the average age of the person testing positive is 34 in West Virginia.
The Food and Drug Administration may issue an emergency use authorization within a week for the Pfizer vaccine application to younger residents, said Dr. Clay Marsh, COVID-19 director for the state. Canada has authorized the use of the Pfizer vaccine for use on 12-15-year olds, he said.
Herd immunity is possible by reaching the younger population and immunizing 70 to 80 percent of the total population, Marsh said.
Wirt, Wayne and Berkeley counties remained in the red zone in the County Alert System based on spread of the virus, the most severe of categories.
Jackson, Wetzel and Gilmer counties were orange, the second-highest category. Pleasants and Doddridge are yellow, the second-lowest.
Other counties including Wood are green, the least severe.
The state has fully vaccinated 604,859 residents with 718,926 people with at least one shot.
The total number of vaccinations and percent of population 16 and older who have been fully vaccinated per local county are: Calhoun, 1,627, 22.9; Doddridge, 3,307, 39.1; Gilmer, 1,908, 24.4; Jackson, 8,944, 31.3; Pleasants, 2,275, 30.5; Ritchie, 2,825, 29.6; Roane, 3,962, 28.9; Tyler, 2,288, 26.6; Wetzel, 5,178, 34.4; Wirt, 1,513, 26; Wood, 24,968, 29.9.
Vaccinations are available to residents 16 and older who pre-register through the Vaccine Registration System at www.vaccinate.wv.gov or call 833 734-0965. Some clinics are walk in, too.
Today
* Gilmer County, 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m., Gilmer County Health Department, 809 Medical Drive, Suite 3, Glenville.
* Jackson County, 1-6 p.m., Jackson County Armory, 8832 Point Pleasant Road, Millwood.
* Wetzel and Tyler counties, 9 a.m.-noon, United Methodist Church, 10 Howard Jeffers Drive, New Martinsville.
* Wood County, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., WVU-Parkersburg Early Learning Center, 300 Campus Drive, Parkersburg; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center, 705 Garfield Ave., Parkersburg (second doses).
Friday
* Calhoun County, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Calhoun Community Vaccination Clinic, 186 Hospital Drive, Grantsville.
* Gilmer County, 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m., Gilmer County Health Department, 809 Medical Drive, Suite 3, Glenville.
* Wood County, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., South Parkersburg Baptist Church, 1655 Blizzard Drive, Parkersburg.
Saturday
* Roane County, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., City of Spencer Armory, 207 E. Main St., Spencer.