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West Virginia’s active COVID cases double stats from early July

CHARLESTON — Active cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus again increased by more than a hundred in West Virginia in the 24-hour period from Tuesday to Wednesday morning, the Department of Health and Human Resources reported Wednesday morning.

Active cases were at 1,758 on Wednesday morning, up from 1,656 on Tuesday. The number of active cases has more than doubled since July 9 when there were 882, according to the state numbers.

Infections have been decreasing until last week and nearly all the new cases are of unvaccinated residents, state officials have said. Active cases were 1,753 on June 24.

The state also reported 196 new infections since the last update on Tuesday morning. The daily positivity rate was 3.62 percent and the cumulative was 4.93 percent.

Three deaths also were reported on Wednesday, the first time in about a week. The state confirmed the deaths of an 87-year-old man from Webster County, an 87-year-old woman from Fayette County and a 54-year-old man from Logan County.

“We mourn the loss of these West Virginians and send our deepest sympathies to their loved ones,” department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. “I urge you to schedule your COVID vaccine today.”

Another county has turned orange, the second highest level on the County Alert System map based on infection rate and percent positivity. Marshall and Webster counties are orange.

More counties also are gold, mid level on the chart, and more counties are yellow, a step up from the lowest level of green.

Harrison and Ohio counties were joined by Taylor, Putnam and Wyoming in the gold group.

The 17 yellow counties are Hancock, Brooke, Wetzel, Tyler, Wood, Berkeley, Jefferson, Jackson, Braxton, Mason, Pocahontas, Nicholas, Mingo, Wayne, Cabell, Boone and Kanawha.

No counties are red, the most severe level.

Also increasing are the number of people in the hospital, to 127 on Wednesday from 111 on Tuesday. Fifty-three people are in an intensive care unit, up from 47 on Tuesday, and 20 patients are on ventilators.

Information about vaccinations is available at vaccinate.wv.gov or by calling at 1-833-734-0965.

Vaccination clinics without an appointment are scheduled noon to 4 p.m. Friday at the Mid-Ohio Valley Transit Authority on Juliana Street and 1-3 p.m. today at the City Park Pavilion.

Winners also were announced in the Do It for Babydog sweepstakes. Vaccinated residents and those with at least one shot of the two-shot vaccines are eligible and can register at doitforbabydog.wv.gov.

Among the five people winning a custom hunting shotgun were Jacqueline Boatright of Parkersburg, Beverly Casto of Kenna and Tomela Paden of Sistersville. Winning a state park weekend getaway was William Dent of Washington, W.Va. Twenty-five people won a getaway.

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