CHARLESTON — Hospitalizations of COVID-infected patients decreased again in West Virginia, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources on Friday.

The state reported 1,038 patients in the hospital with 699 of those, or 67.3 percent unvaccinated. Hospitalizations were at 1,061 on Thursday and with the most so far in the latest surge at 1,100 on Tuesday.

The state also reported 232 patients are in an intensive care unit, 179 unvaccinated, and 122 patients on a ventilator, 101 unvaccinated.

WVU Medicine Camden Clark reported its lowest COVID-19 census since the end of January.

Sixty-two confirmed COVID patients are in the hospital, 18 of whom are vaccinated, with seven in ICU, two vaccinated, and five on ventilators, one vaccinated.

Another 17 confirmed deaths of residents were reported between Thursday and Friday. The death count was 5,846 as of Friday since the pandemic began two years ago.

The deaths include a 74-year-old woman from Jackson County and an 80-year-old man from Wood County,

Other deaths were confirmed in Brooke, Mingo, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Marion, Nicholas, Cabell, Morgan, Raleigh, Fayette, Wayne, Fayette and Logan counties.

“Each life lost to this disease is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to grieving families and friends,” department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said.

Crouch encouraged vaccination and booster shots.

Active cases also continued to decline to 11,116 cases as of Friday. The state reported 2,911 new cases were received since Thursday.

Active cases in Wood County were at 401, up from 381 on Thursday. Other counties in the region also tracked upward.

Statistics from other counties (previous day) are:

Calhoun 81 (75); Doddridge 53 (45); Gilmer 54 (45); Jackson 87 (65); Pleasants 26 (27); Ritchie 66 (59); Roane 71 (71); Tyler 45 (39); Wetzel 90 (83); Wirt 26 (22).

Active cases in correctional facilities were 230 staff and 927 inmates. The state reported 676 infected staff and 749 infected residents of long-term care facilities.

Ritchie and Calhoun counties are the only red counties in the region on the County Alert System map based on infection rates. Red is the worst.

Wetzel, Tyler, Doddridge, Roane and Gilmer are orange, second highest. Wood, Wirt and Jackson are gold, mid level. Pleasants is yellow, second lowest.

No counties are green. Seventeen counties are red.