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CHARLESTON -- Unvaccinated residents remain the majority of COVID-19 patients in West Virginia hospitals, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources on Wednesday.
The department reported 1,043 patients are in a hospital with COVID-19, which surpassed the previous record of 1,012 on Sept. 24. More than 68%, 712 patients, are unvaccinated, the state said.
On Sept. 24, 296 people were in an intensive care unit and 195 were on a ventilator.
James Hoyer, leader of the state's joint interagency task force, said Wednesday that 92% of the 107 West Virginia COVID-19 patients now on ventilators are unvaccinated. During the online COVID-19 briefing, he and Gov. Jim Justice urged more people to get booster shots, with the governor noting 82% of residents age 50 and older were fully vaccinated but only 51% have received boosters.
"Tell me how that makes sense," Justice said.
Patients in an ICU in West Virginia totaled 225 on Wednesday, 187 unvaccinated.
Of the hospitalizations, 15 are pediatric cases with three of those in an ICU.
Fully vaccinated residents who also have booster shots can still get the virus, but their chances of becoming infected, going to the hospital and dying are greatly reduced, according to Dr. Clay Marsh, coronavirus leader and adviser in West Virginia.
At WVU Medicine Camden Clark, 69 COVID-related patients have been admitted, 25 of those vaccinated. Seven patients, none vaccinated, are in the ICU and six people are on ventilators, none vaccinated.
Another 24 residents from Tuesday to Wednesday have died from the COVID-19 coronavirus, including three people from the region, the Department of Health and Human Resources said.
The confirmed deaths include an 80-year-old woman from Ritchie County, a 59-year-old woman from Wood County and a 75-year-old woman from Wetzel County, the department said.
The death toll as of Wednesday stands at 5,674 people since the pandemic began two years ago.
Also confirmed on Wednesday were the deaths of residents from Mercer, Barbour, Boone, Lincoln, Cabell, Kanawha, Fayette, Putnam, Berkeley, Harrison, Ohio and Barbour counties. The youngest was a 48-year-old man from Mercer County.
DHHR Secretary Bill J. Crouch encouraged residents to get vaccinated and get booster shots.
"Our hospitals and healthcare workers work tirelessly to help West Virginians recover from this deadly virus," Crouch said. "To prevent further illness and loss of life, please schedule vaccines and booster shots for all eligible members of your family."
Jackson County is gold on the County Alert System map, mid level in severity based on infection rates. Pleasants County is orange, second highest.
Wood, Wirt, Wetzel, Tyler, Ritchie, Doddridge, Calhoun, Gilmer and Roane counties are red, the highest level of alert.
Forty counties are red. One county is green, lowest level, Tucker.
Active cases were at 18,149 as of Wednesday, a decrease from the 19,277 cases on Tuesday.
The state received 4,003 new cases of the virus between Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The daily positivity rate is 22.01 percent and the cumulative is 7.85 percent.
Active cases in local counties (previous day) are: Wood, 756 (767); Wirt 58 (73); Wetzel 130 (156); Tyler 109 (122); Roane 150 (163); Ritchie 89 (81); Pleasants 51 (46); Jackson 127 (120); Gilmer 73 (83); Doddridge 105 (90); Calhoun 81 (59).