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CHARLESTON -- Ten people from the region are among the 39 COVID-19 deaths reported on Wednesday while active cases statewide dropped to 8,339, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
Five deaths were from Wood County, according to the department's pandemic update.
The state reported the deaths in Wood County of a 66-year-old man, a 52-year-old man, a 91-year-old woman, a 92-year-old man and a 65-year-old man.
Other local deaths were an 87-year-old woman from Wirt, a 93-year-old woman from Wetzel, a 50-year-old woman from Calhoun, a 76-year-old woman from Wetzel and a 64-year-old man from Wetzel.
The death toll from the virus as of Wednesday was 5,939 residents.
Deaths also were confirmed Wednesday in Cabell, Barbour, Harrison, Mason, Kanawha, Monongalia, Nicholas, Putnam, Jefferson, Upshur, Fayette, Preston, Mercer, Barbour and Marshall counties.
The youngest were a 20-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman from Kanawha County.
The listing included the death of an 87-year-old woman from Kanawha County in January that was found during the data reconciliation with death certificates by the Bureau for Public Health.
Department Secretary Bill Crouch encouraged residents to get vaccinated.
"The COVID vaccine is safe, free and available in every county across our state," Crouch said. "I urge all West Virginians who are eligible for the vaccine or booster shot to schedule an appointment today."
Active cases have been on the decline, an encouraging sign according to state health officers who cautiously believe the state may have reached the plateau of the latest surge fueled by the more-infectious omicron strain of the virus.
The drop from Tuesday to Wednesday was 717 cases, although 2,266 new virus cases have been received since the Tuesday report.
Active cases were last around 8,000 during the first week of December. Cases were over 11,000 last week.
"Slowly but surely, our numbers are getting a little bit better," Gov. Jim Justice said during the Wednesday pandemic briefing. "But I still feel that if you aren't vaccinated, or if you are but you haven't gotten your booster shot, you're making a great big mistake."
Wood County reported 284 active cases as of Wednesday, a drop from the 312 on Tuesday.
Case totals have fluctuated, such as in Jackson County where there were 30 cases on Tuesday and 44 on Wednesday. Cases in Gilmer County dropped to 23 on Wednesday from 33 on Tuesday. Cases in Ritchie County dropped by 23 from 49 on Tuesday to 23 on Wednesday.
A nearly 50 percent drop was reported in Pleasants County, 10 on Tuesday compared to 19 on Monday.
Cases in other counties in the region (previous day) are: Calhoun 28 (45); Doddridge 31 (38); Roane 53 (64); Tyler 39 (43); Wetzel 72 (90); Wirt 22 (24).
Hospitalizations were at 944 on Wednesday, 50 less than on Tuesday. The unvaccinated comprised 617 patients, or 65.4 percent.
The state reported 221 patients in an intensive care unit,173 of those unvaccinated, and 111 patients on a ventilator, 89 of those unvaccinated.
Ten pediatric cases were in the hospital with four in an ICU and three on ventilators.
WVU Medicine Camden Clark reported 66 COVID patients, 18 of those vaccinated, with 10 in the ICU, three vaccinated, and six on ventilators, two vaccinated.
Only three counties in West Virginia, Mingo, Fayette and Mercer, are red on the County Alert System map, the highest level based on infection rates.
Wood, Wetzel, Tyler, Doddridge, Wirt and Gilmer counties are at mid level gold. Ritchie and Roane are yellow, second lowest. Pleasants, Jackson and Calhoun are green, the lowest level.