Trending
CHARLESTON -- Active cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus again increased in West Virginia in the 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday morning, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources.
The number of cases rose by 355, from 8,735 on Thursday to 9,092 on Friday, the department said in its Friday morning pandemic update. Generally, active cases were last this high around mid-October.
State health officials have predicted cases would increase when colder weather arrived and people would spend more time indoors.
A slight increase in active cases occurred in Wood County in the 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday, from 332 on Thursday to 340 on Friday. The most active cases in Wood County was 1,510 in mid-September.
Case numbers in other local counties (previous day) are: Wirt, 17 (22); Wetzel, 39 (44); Roane, 85 (86); Ritchie, 39 (42); Pleasants, 19 (22); Jackson, 73 (71); Gilmer, 29 (24); Doddridge, 38 (39); Calhoun, 48 (57.)
The delta variant is the majority of cases. State officials announced Thursday one case of the omicron mutation, a variant more infectious than delta with perhaps with less-severe complications. The omicron infection was in Marion County, the state said.
Twenty-two more deaths were confirmed from Thursday to Friday, raising the death toll since the pandemic began to 5,164. The confirmations include 82-year-old and 56-year-old women from Jackson County.
Also confirmed dead were residents from Berkeley, Hardy, Monroe, Putnam, Brooke, Hampshire, Harrison, Cabell, Ohio, Raleigh, Hancock, Randolph, Monongalia and Lewis counties. The youngest was a 47-year-old man from Hardy County while nine of the deaths were residents younger than 60.
"As we share this sad news, we pause to remember each West Virginian lost," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "Protect your loved ones by scheduling a COVID vaccine or booster."
Jackson County is now red with Roane County on the County Alert System. Red is the highest level.
Wood, Doddridge and Calhoun counties are orange, second highest. Wetzel, Wirt, Ritchie and Gilmer are gold, mid level. Tyler and Pleasants are green, lowest level based on infection rates. The other green county in the state is Tucker.
The number of COVID-related patients in state hospitals was at 623 on Friday, 502 or 80.6 percent unvaccinated. COVID patients in intensive care units were at 197 with 172 of those, or 87.3 percent, unvaccinated. COVID patients on ventilators was at 115 on Friday, 100 of those who are unvaccinated.
The most COVID patients in the hospitalization was 1,012 on Sept. 24.