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CHARLESTON -- Active virus cases rose over 400 from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The state reported 8,737 current active cases, up from 8,304 reported in the Wednesday morning pandemic update. Cases have been trending upward while the pandemic high was 29,744 on Sept. 16.
Active cases in Wood County were at 332 on Thursday, slightly up from 328 on Wednesday. Cases in other local counties (previous day) on Thursday are: Wirt, 22 (25); Wetzel, 44 (46); Roane, 86 (76); Ritchie, 42 (41); Pleasants, 22 (22); Jackson, 71 (55); Gilmer, 24 (15); Doddridge, 39 (33); Calhoun, 57 (59.)
The state also reported 1,279 new cases received in the 24-hour period from Wednesday to Thursday morning.
No deaths were reported on Thursday since the last report on Wednesday. Deaths remain at 5,142 since the pandemic began in spring 2020.
Roane County is the only red local county in the County Alert System map based on rates of infection. Fourteen counties in the state are red, the highest level. The county was orange until the percent positivity elevated to 8.63 percent. Rates above 8 percent is a criterian for the red level.
Tyler County is the only green county in the region, the lowest level on the alert map. The other green county in the state is Tucker County.
Wood, Jackson, Wirt, Ritchie, Doddridge, Jackson and Calhoun counties are orange, second highest alert level.
Pleasants is yellow, second lowest, and Wetzel is gold, mid level.
The state reported 623 people are in a hospital with COVID complications in West Virginia. Of those, 506, or 81.2 percent, are unvaccinated. Intensive care unit admissions were a 196 with 86.7 percent, or 170 people, unvaccinated. Of the 117 people who are on a ventilator, 100, or 85.5 percent are unvaccinated.
Hospitalizations peaked at 1,012 on Sept. 24. Cases are primarily the delta strain.
Dr. Clay Marsh, coronavirus leader in West Virginia, announced during the governor's pandemic briefing that the state just received notification from the Centers for Disease Control that its surveillance programs have identified the omicon infection in West Virginia.
State officials knew the variant had to be in West Virginia, but the issue was when the mutation would be discovered.
"It's not good news, but we knew it was coming, did we not," Justice said.
Omicron is faster spreading than delta, Marsh said.
Unrelated to the briefing announcement, citing the emergence of the omicron mutation, Memorial Health System announced a walk-in vaccination clinic 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday at the Marietta Memorial Hospital Strecker Building Level G where all three vaccines are available, including boosters.