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CHARLESTON -- Active COVID-19 cases in West Virginia dropped below 7,000 in Monday's update from the Department of Health and Human Resources, but more people were added to the death toll locally and statewide.
The deaths of three Wood County men -- ages 73, 51 and 72 -- were attributed to the virus in the report, along with a 56-year-old man from Jackson County and a 73-year-old woman from Calhoun County. That brings the number of COVID deaths to 249 in Wood County, 87 in Jackson and five in Calhoun.
They were among 24 deaths reported by the state Monday, ranging in age from a 47-year-old Putnam County man to an 89-year-old Raleigh County woman.
"As we express our deepest sympathies to these families, we must continue doing our part to combat further spread of this disease," DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "Please schedule your COVID-19 vaccine today to prevent further loss of life."
No counties in the area were red, representing the highest level of spread based on infections per 100,000 people over a one- or two-week period depending on population size or the percentage of positive tests, on the County Alert System Map. Wood County was orange, the second-highest level and the same category as Calhoun, Gilmer, Jackson, Roane and Wetzel counties. Ritchie and Wirt counties were yellow, the second lowest, while Doddridge, Ritchie and Tyler counties were green, the lowest.
There were nine red counties on the state map Monday, 25 orange, nine gold, six yellow and six green.
Active case totals in local counties Monday (Friday) were: Calhoun, 43 (48); Doddridge, 50 (96); Gilmer, 38 (31); Jackson, 84 (83); Pleasants, 15 (18); Ritchie, 17 (17); Roane, 88 (75); Tyler, 11 (13); Wetzel, 65 (86); Wirt, 16 (15); Wood, 286 (280).
People 12 and older are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination sites can be located online at vaccinate.wv.gov or by calling 1-833-734-0965.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department has scheduled Moderna booster clinics for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week at the former Suddenlink building and future Wood County 911 facility at 980 Altman Ave. off Core Road in Parkersburg. Only people 18 and older are eligible to receive the Moderna vaccine.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved using Moderna as a boost regardless of whether the person initially received two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, as long as it has been six months since the second dose. Moderna has also been approved as a boost for people who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months prior, said Carrie Brainard, threat preparedness coordinator for the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department.
A Moderna booster clinic is also planned for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, at the Pleasants County Library, 101 Lafayette St., St. Marys.
Appointments for those clinics can be made at https://tinyurl.com/movhdcuremd. Cell phone access is required to register. More information is available at 304-420-1449.