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CHARLESTON -- Active COVID-19 cases have creeped up to 500 in West Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Resources reported on Thursday.
While 500 cases haven't been seen since the early days of the pandemic, the number of cases has risen in about the last two weeks. The pandemic high in the last surge of the omicron variant was more than 21,700 in January.
The state reported 459 active cases on Wednesday. Active cases in Wood County were at 15 on Thursday, three less than on Wednesday.
Current active case numbers for other counties in the region (previous day) are: Calhoun 9 (2), Doddridge 0 (0), Gilmer 1 (1), Jackson 1 (1), Pleasants 0 (0), Ritchie (2), Roane 2 (1), Tyler 2 (1), Wetzel 1 (1), Wirt 0 (0).
The department also reported 174 new cases of the virus were received since the last report on Wednesday.
Another 15 residents also were confirmed as deaths from the virus in the 24-hour period between Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Fourteen of the deaths are from the data reconciliation by the Bureau of Public Health with death certificates.
Deaths included an 82-year-old woman from Calhoun County and a 66-year-old man from Wetzel County. Other deaths were residents of Fayette, Randolph, Greenbrier, Raleigh, Kanawha, McDowell, Logan, Berkeley, Pendleton, Summers and Marshall counties.
The death toll since the pandemic began more than two years ago was at 6,822 on Thursday.
"Each death reported is a solemn reminder of the seriousness of this disease," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said.
All counties remained green, the lowest level on the County Alert System Map based on infection rates.
Two staff and 13 inmate cases were reported by the Division of Corrections. Eight were in the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County.
Seventy-eight patients are in a hospital, 41 unvaccinated. Twenty-two are in an intensive care unit, seven unvaccinated, with 11 on a ventilator, five unvaccinated.
One pediatric patient was reported in the hospital.
West Virginians 5 and older are eligible for a vaccination. First booster shots are recommended for those 12 and older and second booster shots for those 50 and over who are four months or more from their first booster.