CHARLESTON — The number of hospital patients in West Virginia on ventilators due to COVID has surpassed its January peak, state officials said Wednesday.

James A. Hoyer, director of the state’s Joint Interagency Task Force, reported that, as of Wednesday morning, 109 COVID patients were on hospital ventilators throughout West Virginia. The state previously peaked at 104 on ventilators on Jan. 10, he said.

The most recent numbers on Wednesday indicate there are 670 hospitalized in West Virginia due to COVID, and that about 200 are presently in intensive care units.

“Our peak point (for ICU COVID patients) was 219 on Jan. 6,” Hoyer said. “So we’re almost there.”

Hoyer’s remarks came during Gov. Jim Justice’s virtual briefing with West Virginia reporters on Wednesday.

Justice began the briefing by referencing 32 additional COVID deaths in West Virginia since Monday. This brings the state’s total to 3,106. Justice, though, said he still does not believe West Virginia needs to move toward state-wide mask mandates.

“I do not believe we need to move in terms of a mask mandate right now,” Justice said. “But I highly encourage you — especially if you are 62 or older and going into a building with a big crowd — it would be wise whether you are vaccinated or not to wear a mask.

“I do not fully believe the mask will completely protect you because of all the information the medical community has given me, but it absolutely makes your odds better. … It may pan out the mask will protect you. But what we know right now is the shot won’t hurt. It will make it better, it will give you stronger immunities.”

Twenty-six school districts in the state already have implemented their own mask mandates. As football and fall sports seasons approach, it was suggested to Justice that students from “masked” and “unmasked” schools would be playing against each other and there was a potential for cross-contamination.

He was asked whether he would consider a statewide mask mandate for all school students to avoid this.

“People travel whether they are in athletics or not county to county all the time,” Justice said. ” I still do believe certain areas — and the boards and superintendents in these areas — know their schools better than we do in Charleston.

“To the standpoint of a mandate, I am not a proponent because it would fragment many, many of us. We don’t need that at this point in time.”

Justice said he still believes a policy of not mandating masks is working as people are seeing the outbreaks and moving to wear them. The sports scene “brings another challenge” and students from one school intermingle with those from another.

“Tell me why isn’t every single person on that team not vaccinated?” he asked.

When asked, Justice balked at mandating vaccinations for all state employees.

“I don’t see a need for me to move that way at this time…,” he said. “From the standpoint of mandating … we don’t need to mandate at this time. We need to continue to encourage, and we’re winning that battle.”

Justice had a message for those not yet vaccinated.

“You don’t need to die. And you don’t need to get sick to make a point. Absolutely you do not need to have that happen,” he said.