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PARKERSBURG -- After weeks of rising COVID-19 infections that forced its schools to temporarily switch to remote learning, Calhoun County is back in the green.
The county moved to green, the color designating the lowest tier on West Virginia's County Alert System map, as of Tuesday morning's update from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. The map gauges the spread of COVID based on the lower of two metrics: percentage of COVID tests coming back positive and new cases per 100,000 people over a 14-day period.
While the county is still classified as red, the highest level, in infection rate, its percent positivity was 2.48, the green level, on rthe department's daily COVID dashboard.
The state Tuesday reported 10 deaths attributed to the virus, including a 43-year-old man from Wood County. That brings the county's death toll from the virus since the start of the pandemic in spring 2020 to 205 after a 30-year-old man's death was reported Monday.
Statewide, 3,578 deaths have been attributed to the virus.
"We extend our sincere condolences to these grieving families," DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "The COVID vaccine is free, safe and effective. Please take time to schedule an appointment today."
Active cases in Calhoun County peaked at 247 on Sept. 17. On Tuesday, they were down to 35.
Active case totals in other local counties on Tuesday (previous day) were: Doddridge, 63 (69); Gilmer, 35 (43); Jackson, 244 (276); Pleasants, 78 (81); Ritchie, 107 (116); Roane, 118 (124); Tyler, 113 (118); Wetzel, 149 (159); Wirt, 69 (68); Wood, 684 (706).
Statewide, total active cases decreased again, moving to 13,542 in Tuesday's update after tallying 14,534 Monday.
But even as people recover and move off the active case count, hospitalizations are not decreasing at the same rate.
The state cited 995 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to Tuesday's update, with 82.1% of those individuals unvaccinated. Of those hospitalized, 297 were in intensive care units and 194 were on ventilators.
Locally, WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center on Tuesday reported 88 COVID-positive patients, 76 of whom were fully vaccinated. There were 22 in the ICU, just two fully vaccinated. Nineteen were on a ventilator, including two fully vaccinated individuals, according to the post on the hospital's Facebook page.
Memorial Health System said 71 COVID-19 patients are in the hospital. Fourteen of the 15 patients in the ICU are unvaccinated and 12 of the 13 on ventilators are unvaccinated.
Calhoun was one of three green counties in West Virginia, along with Pocahontas and Tucker. There were two yellow counties, the second-lowest level. Gilmer was one of two counties in the middle of the scale on gold.
Doddridge, Ritchie, Roane and Wetzel counties were at the second-highest level, orange, while Wood, Wirt, Jackson, Pleasants and Tyler counties remained red, the highest.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department will hold a Pfizer booster dose clinic 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Pavillion at City Park by appointment only. Recipients must have received the Pfizer vaccine, the second dose before April 1 and born before Oct. 1, 1956.
The health department from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday will hold a drive thru and walk up free COVID testing event at the DuPont Employee Rec Center, 252 Downey Road, Washington, W.Va.
Free testing also will be held 1-4 p.m. today in Ritchie County at 140 S.Penn Ave., Harrisville. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required.