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CHARLESTON -- Another 37 people have died from the virus between Tuesday and Wednesday in West Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Resources said.
More than 340 deaths from the virus have been confirmed so far in the month of February. The death count as of Wednesday was 6,104 residents.
Wednesday's update by the state included the confirmed deaths of a 47-year-old woman from Wirt County, a 63-year-old woman from Jackson County, a 95-year-old woman from Tyler County, a 94-year-old woman from Wood County and a 61-year old male from Wirt County.
Other deaths were confirmed in Kanawha, Mercer, Greenbrier, Lincoln, Mingo, Cabell, Putnam, Mineral, Berkeley, Boone, Marshall, Upshur, Brooke and Harrison counties. Also included in the total deaths was a 50-year-old woman from Boone County in January, a death found during a data reconciliation by the Bureau for Public Health.
The youngest was a 45-year-old woman from Kanawha County.
"We join the families in mourning the passing of these West Virginians," DHHR Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "Make the decision today to protect yourself, your family and your community by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot."
The state reported 5,271 active cases as of Wednesday, a decline of 680 from Tuesday. Active cases have been on the decline, prompting state health officials to believe the omicron surge may have peaked.
New cases received in the 24-hour period from Tuesday to Wednesday totaled 1,279, the state said.
Active cases were at 185 on Wednesday in Wood County, down from 208 on Tuesday.
Active cases in other counties on Wednesday were (previous day): Wirt 13 (9); Wetzel 43 (39); Tyler 14 (20); Roane 39 (38); Ritchie 24 (23); Pleasants 13 (11); Jackson 42 (46); Gilmer 20 (21); Doddridge 27 (18); Calhoun 17 (18).
Fifteen counties are now green on the County Alert System map, the lowest level on the map based on infection rates. In this region, Tyler, Pleasants, Jackson and Calhoun are green.
Wood, Wirt, Ritchie, Roane, Gilmer and Wetzel counties are yellow, second from lowest. Doddridge is gold, mid level.
While no counties are red, the highest level of alert, Logan and Wyoming counties are orange, second highest.
Hospitalizations were at 792 people, 519 or 65.5 percent of those unvaccinated. Intensive care unit admissions were 193, 147 of those or 76.2 percent unvaccinated, with 118 patients on a ventilator, 96 or 81.4 percent unvaccinated.
Fifteen pediatric covid patients were reported with four in an ICU and two on a ventilator.
Gov. Jim Justice will hold a pandemic briefing at 10:30 a.m. today.