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CHARLESTON -- Active cases of the coronavirus in West Virginia again fluctuated to just over 8,000 on Friday, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources.
The state reported 8,076 active COVID-19 cases with 2,121 new cases received in the 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday morning.
Active cases have been generally trending downward as health officials believe the omicron variant surge has plateaued. Active cases were reported at 7,589 on Thursday and 8,339 on Wednesday.
The last time active cases were around 8,000 was the first week of December. The most cases of the virus in the latest omicron surge was 21,717 on Jan. 22. The most cases during the delta variant surge was 29,744 on Sept. 16.
Active cases in local counties (previous day) are: Wood 303 (281); Wirt 25 (27); Wetzel 58 (51); Tyler 34 (29); Roane 52 (61); Ritchie 35 (37); Pleasants 16 (14); Jackson 68 (45); Gilmer 25 (23); Doddridge 26 (30); Calhoun 43 (40).
The total number of deaths as of Friday was 5,992 residents since the pandemic began.
Locally, the department reported the death of a 79-year-old woman from Wood County. Another a 92-year-old woman from Wood County was added to the count after the data reconciliation with death certificate by the Bureau of Public Health.
Deaths also were confirmed in Raleigh, Mason, Marion, Nicholas, Harrison, Hardy, Preston, Fayette, Mineral, Lincoln and Mercer counties.
The reconciled deaths occurred from January to February with one in April 2021.
The youngest was a 39-year-old woman from Kanawha County.
"Today we remember the unique burden the pandemic has placed upon children who have suffered loss of a family member or caregiver," DHHR Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "I urge you to choose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot."
Two counties are now red, the highest level of spread, on the County Alert System map, Mingo and Wyoming in Southern West Virginia.
Wood, Wirt, Tyler, Wetzel, Ritchie, Doddridge and Calhoun counties are mid-level gold. Pleasants, Jackson, Roane and Gilmer are yellow, second lowest.
Four counties are green, the lowest level, Hancock, Brooke, Pendleton and Morgan counties.
Outbreaks in long-term care facilities and in prisons and jails are updated on Friday.
The state reported 446 positive cases among staff and 650 positive cases of residents in long-term care facilities. In the Division of Corrections and Rehbilitation, there are 196 active staff cases and 884 active inmate cases.
Hospitlizations dropped from Thursday to Friday and were listed at 884 on Friday, 21 less than Thursday, 588 of those, or 66.5 percent unvaccinated. The number of patients in an intensive care unit was 197 on Friday, 151, of 76.6 percent, unvaccinated, and the number of cases on a ventilator were at 106, 86, or 81.1 percent, unvaccinated.
Seventeen pediatric cases were in state hospitals, three of whom were in an intensive care unit and two on a ventilator.