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CHARLESTON -- Deaths from the virus have remained high in West Virginia because of the more potent delta variant and the waning benefits of the initial vaccinations, state officials said Friday.
That makes getting vaccinated and those who are vaccinated to get a booster shot important, they said.
Friday marked the 621st day of the COVID pandemic. James Hoyer, director of the state's interagency task force on vaccines, reported Friday statistics showing how the number of deaths from COVID in West Virginia has dramatically increased in recent months despite COVID vaccines being readily available.
During the first 310 days of the pandemic, 1,780 died in West Virginia from the virus. In the second 311 days, there were 2,946 deaths with 1,753 passing in the last 100 days, according to Hoyer.
"West Virginians, the pandemic is not over," he said.
Hoyer also said West Virginia's transmission rate for COVID was back up to 0.99 and expected to hit the 1.0 mark this weekend prior to Thanksgiving.
The 1.0 rate typically means higher rates of hospitalizations, patients in intensive care units and patients on ventilators.
"We have gone up in our number of active cases and have hit 1,363 today," Hoyer said. "In addition to that, we have plateaued and we have yet to drop below 500 in our hospitals. We know that we are going to see a significant increase moving forward. We're going to be challenged again in our hospitals.
"The only way we are going to address those issues is for fellow West Virginians to get vaccinated, and for those over 50 to as quickly as possible get the booster to protect yourselves," he said.
Gov. Jim Justice reported 28 additional COVID deaths in West Virginia since Wednesday, bringing the state's total number lost to COVID to 4,726. Justice said 26 percent of the 551 people hospitalized due to COVID have been fully vaccinated.
"And that's a problem," he added. "They have been vaccinated, and a great many of them have just failed in getting their booster shot. They need to get their booster shots, and they need to get them quickly."
Justice said many people aren't getting their booster shot because they don't believe they qualify.
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration and later the Centers for Disease Control gave their approval for all persons over age 18 to receive booster shots.
"For all practical purposes, everybody now qualifies," Justice said. "Get your booster shot, and you will help us take the pressures off the hospitals."
One briefing will be held next week because of Thanksgiving, Justice said. The briefing will be held on Wednesday.