As COVID continues to decline, West Virginia confirms another 20 virus deaths
CHARLESTON — Another 20 deaths have been confirmed from the COVID-19 coronavirus in West Virginia, including a resident from Wood County.
Also, all counties are now green, the lowest levels of infection rates, on the County Alert System map.
The Department of Health and Human Resources reported Wednesday an 81-year-old woman from Wood County is among the latest confirmed virus deaths in the state.
The death count since the pandemic started more than two years ago was at 6,680 residents in West Virginia as of Wednesday, the department said.
The latest confirmed death in Wood County raises the total in the county to 339, third highest in the state behind Cabell County at 372 and Kanawha County at 707.
The department on Wednesday reported deaths in Raleigh, Marion, Upshur, Putnam, Kanawha, Harrison, Marshall, Raleigh, Randolph, Fayette, Monroe, Tucker and Berkeley counties.
The youngest were a 42-year-old woman from Putnam County and a 29-year-old man from Berkeley County.
“We are devastated to report these additional COVID-19 related deaths,” department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. “Every life lost to this pandemic is a tragedy. Our thoughts go out to the families.”
State health officials have cautioned deaths and hospitalizations will continue for several weeks after the number of active cases decline. Vaccinations and booster shots are encouraged, particularly with the possible spread of the more-contagious omicron second mutant variant, called BA.2.
Wednesday’s hospital count was 186 people, 114 of those unvaccinated, with 53 in an intensive care unit, 36 unvaccinated, and 33 on a ventilator, 22 unvaccinated.
Three pediatric patients were reported Wednesday with one in an ICU.
Active cases are on a downward trend. At the peak, more than 21,700 active cases were recorded in West Virginia in January.
Active cases on Wednesday were 448, down from 508 on Tuesday. The state reported 145 new cases were received between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Current active cases in local counties (previous day) are: Calhoun 2 (2), Doddridge 2 (2), Gilmer 0 (0), Jackson 5 (5), Pleasants 1 (0), Ritchie 5 (4), Roane 3 (3), Tyler 0 (0), Wetzel 2 (6), Wirt 0 (0), Wood 24 (25).
Webster County on Tuesday was the only yellow county in the County Alert System, second lowest on the map. Webster was green with the rest of the counties on Wednesday.
Five staff cases and 22 inmate cases were reported by the Division of Corrections. Four inmate cases were reported at the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County, one at the Parkersburg Community Corrections and one at the St. Marys Correctional Center.
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Vital Statistics
The West Virginia Department of health and Human Resources Wednesday said 5,581 residents have died since vaccines became available in December 2020. Of those, 769 people were vaccinated. Total deaths are 6,680 residents.