CHARLESTON — Active cases of COVID-19 continued to increase on Wednesday with 17,718 in West Virginia, more than 1,800 new cases since the Tuesday pandemic update by the state Department of Health and Human Resources.

The deaths of 11 people were also attributed to the virus, including three residents from the Mid-Ohio Valley.

The state reported 2,928 new cases of the virus in the 24-hour period from Tuesday to Wednesday. The daily positivity rate was 20.76% on Wednesday, and the cumulative was 6.67%.

Active cases in Wood County spiked upward by 106 cases from Tuesday (513) to Wednesday (619). Active cases in all other local counties increased from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to the state statistics.

The numbers (previous day) were: Calhoun 32 (29); Doddridge 24 (20); Gilmer 35 (34); Jackson 110 (101); Pleasants 42 (33); Ritchie 52 (49); Roane 85 (78); Tyler 39 (37); Wetzel 141 (123); Wirt 27 (23).

Among the 11 new deaths were a 54-year-old woman from Tyler County, an 83-year-old man from Doddridge County and a 47-year-old woman from Doddridge County. Also recorded were deaths in Monongalia, Mason, Kanawha, Cabell, Nicholas, Hampshire and Pocahontas counties. The youngest were 47-year olds from Doddridge and Mason counties.

Condolences were expressed by DHHR Secretary Bill J. Crouch.

“Today is another difficult day in our fight against COVID-19, and we extend our deepest sympathies to these families,” he said. “Please schedule your COVID-19 vaccine or booster today to prevent further loss of life.”

State health officials believe the omicron variant will cause another surge and could over-task hospitals. They encourage vaccinations as most of the patients in the hospital, in an intensive care unit and on a ventilator are unvaccinated.

The state reported 744 people are in a hospital with COVID complications. Of those 576, or 77.4%, are unvaccinated. Of the 198 patients in an ICU, 167, or 84.3% are unvaccinated.

Ventilated patients totaled 117 on Wednesday, of which 107, or 91.5% are unvaccinated.

The highest number of patients hospitalized in the state with COVID was 1,012 on Sept. 24.

The COVID patient census at WVU Medicine Camden Clark on Wednesday was 48, of which 15 patients have been vaccinated. Seven patients are in the ICU, where one is vaccinated. Five patients are on a ventilator, one of whom is vaccinated.

Wood, Jackson, Ritchie and Wetzel counties are red, the highest level of infection on the County Alert System map. Thirty-nine of the state’s 55 counties were red Wednesday.

Tyler, Pleasants, Wirt, Gilmer and Roane counties were orange, second highest. Doddridge was yellow, second lowest, and Calhoun was green, lowest.