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CHARLESTON -- Active virus cases statewide increased a little more than a thousand between Thursday's and Friday's pandemic report by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The state reported 16,223 active cases on Friday, up from the 15,177 active cases on Thursday.
The number of active cases has dropped since Sept. 17 when a pandemic high of 29,744 was recorded, surpassing the previous high in of 29,257 in January. Health officials believe the state is nearing the peak of the latest surge fueled by the unvaccinated and the more-infectious delta variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Active cases in Wood County on Friday were 758, up from 732 on Thursday. Active cases exceeded 1,500 last week in Wood County.
Other counties in the region also posted higher active case numbers on Friday. Cases in other local counties (previous day) are: Calhoun, 72 (68); Doddridge, 81 (56); Gilmer, 50 (40); Jackson, 238 (216); Pleasants, 97 (80); Ritchie, 141 (138); Roane, 135 (123); Tyler, 135 (109); Wetzel 188 (151); and Wirt, 65 (50).
The state reported 2,685 new active cases received in the 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday mornings. Another 1,477 new cases were received between Wednesday and Thursday.
Thirty-one more deaths were confirmed in Friday's pandemic report, including a 67-year-old man from Wirt County, a 69-year-old man from Tyler County and a 40-year-old woman from Ritchie County,
Deaths also were confirmed in Upshur, Preston, Greenbrier, Lewis, McDowell, Braxton, Taylor, Mecer, Cabell, Hampshire, Berkeley, Putnam, Mingo, Raleigh, Mineral,Marshall and Logan counties. The youngest were a 28-year-old man from Logan County and a 44-year-old woman from Upshur County.
The death toll as of Friday was 3,523 people since the pandemic began.
"As we send sympathies to these families, I urge everyone in West Virginia to do their part to reduce the spread of this virus and prevent further loss of life," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "Please schedule your COVID-19 vaccine today."
The number of COVID patients in hospitals was at 1,008 as of Friday, of which 19.7 percent are unvaccinated, with 289 people in an intensive care unit, of which 15.6 percent were vaccinated, and 187 people on a ventilator, of which 11.2 percent are vaccinated.
The numbers of unvaccinated residents in the hospital indicate the need for the third booster shots to increase protections against the virus, Dr. Clay Marsh, coronavirus czar in West Virginia, said.
Camden Clark Medical Center reported 88 people in the hospital Friday with 76 of those unvaccinated. Eighteen are in the ICU with 16 unvaccinated while 16 people are on a ventilator, 14 unvaccinated.
Memorial Health System in Marietta reported 67 COVID patients in the hospital with 54 unvaccinated, 15 in intensitive care with 14 unvaccinated, and 13 on ventilators, 12 unvaccinated.
Thirty-eight counties are red, the highest level in terms of infection rate and positive tests on the County Alert System map.
Pleasants County, which was orange, second highest on the chart, turned red on Friday, joining Wood, Wetzel, Tyler, Jackson, Wirt and Ritchie counties.
Doddridge, Gilmer and Roane are orange and Calhoun is gold, mid level. Three counties are gold and two are green, the lowest level.
Wood Counthy Schools latest COVID numbers show 98 confirmed cases in schools, the most at Parkersburg South with 15, 11 at Parkersburg High and seven at VanDevender Middle School.