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CHARLESTON -- A woman from Jackson County and 25 other residents of the state were confirmed as deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported Monday morning.
The state reported the death of a 64-year-old woman from Jackson County, raising the death toll in the county since the pandemic began in spring 2020 to 88.
Twenty-six additional deaths were confirmed since the last update, raising the number of COVID-related fatalities in West Virginia to 4,636 people. They ranged in age from a 32-year-old Kanawha County man to a 94-year-old man from Harrison County.
"We send our sincere condolences to these families for their profound loss," said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR cabinet secretary. "The COVID vaccine is safe, effective, readily available and free. Please schedule your COVID vaccine or booster today."
Active cases as of Monday were at 6,436, down about 300 from Friday's update. The state also reported 486 new cases of the virus were received since the last update.
The transmission rate value Monday was 0.95 and is nearing 1, when there will be an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, according to James Hoyer, director of the interagency task force on vaccines.
Active cases in local counties on Monday (Friday's number) were: Calhoun 31 (36); Doddridge, 9 (6); Gilmer, 13 (8); Jackson, 77 (88); Pleasants, 15 (14); Ritchie, 19 (22); Roane, 69 (96); Tyler, 18 (14); Wetzel, 64 (69); Wirt, 16 (11); Wood 207 (232).
Jackson County remains the only red county in the region on the County Alert System map. Red is the highest level of infection rate, based on new cases per 100,000 people in a designated period or percentage of positive tests.
Wood and Wetzel are orange, second highest. Pleasants, Doddridge and Gilmer are green, the lowest level.
Tyler, Ritchie and Wirt are yellow, second lowest. Roane and Calhoun are gold, mid-level.
Twelve counties in the state are red, a drop of two since Friday.
The state reported 529 people are in a hospital with COVID complications, of which 383 or 72.4 percent are unvaccinated. The number of patients in an intensive care unit on Monday was 171, of which 140 or 81.9 percent are unvaccinated. Eighty-nine people are on ventilators, of which 76 or 85.4 percent are unvaccinated.