CHARLESTON — Active cases of the coronavirus in West Virginia have again increased, according to the Friday pandemic update from the Department of Health and Human Resources.

Active cases of the COVID-19 virus on Friday were reported at 7,673, an increase of 560 cases from Thursday’s 7,113. Active cases of the virus have generally trended upward since the first of November while the pandemic high was set at 29,744 on Sept. 16.

The state also reported 1,244 new cases of the virus were received in the 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday mornings. The daily percent positivity rate was 9.32 percent and the cumulative was 6.25 percent.

Active cases of the virus in Wood County were 368, another increase of 10 percent in new infections from 335 on Thursday.

Other counties in the region with the exception of Doddridge had increases in new cases from Thursday to Friday. Active cases in local counties (previous day): Calhoun 41 (37); Doddridge 29 (30); Gilmer 22 (17); Jackson 84 (69); Pleasants 34 (29); Ritchie 41 (35); Roane 61 (59); Tyler 29 (28); Wetzel 90 (77); Wirt 31 (29).

Seventeen more confirmed deaths were reported Friday, raising the death toll since the pandemic began in spring 2020 to 4,962 residents.

Friday’s confirmations include a 22-year-old woman from Hardy County and a 31-year-old woman from Marshall County. Other deaths were reported in Pendleton, Lincoln, Lewis, Kanawha, Ohio, Morgan, Harrison, Berkeley, Jackson and Preston counties.

“As we remember these families, we also remind anyone over the age of 18 and at lease six months from the last dose of their Moderna or Pfizer vaccination or at least two months from Johnson & Johnson vaccination that they are due for a booster shot,” department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said.

Twenty-five counties are now red in the County Alert System Map, the highest level of infection. Among those are Wood, Wirt, Jackson, Wetzel, Calhoun and Ritchie counties.

Pleasants, Doddridge, Calhoun and Gilmer are orange, second highest on the map. Tyler is gold, mid-level.

Only one county is green, the lowest level, Tucker.

Of the 583 people hospitalized with COVID complications in West Virginia, 455 are unvaccinated. The state reported 192 people are in an intensive care unit, 164 of those unvaccinated. Of the 97 people on a ventilator, 84 are unvaccinated.

State health officials have said the latest surge in the pandemic has been fueled by the more-infectious delta mutation of the virus and the unvaccinated.

About 11 percent of the 3,853 deaths since vaccinations started are vaccinated residents, the remainder are unvaccinated.

Information about the coronavirus, testing and vaccinations is available at coronavirus.wv.gov.