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CHARLESTON -- COVID-19 active cases are one shy of 800, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported on Thursday.
The department reported 799 active cases, an increase of more than 500 in the last several weeks. Active cases were at 719 on Wednesday.
Another 275 new cases of the virus were received between the Wednesday and Thursday pandemic reports, the department said.
Twelve active cases were reported in Wood County, one less than on Wednesday.
Active cases in other counties in the region on Thursday were (previous day): Calhoun 13 (16), Doddridge 2 (2), Gilmer 3 (3), Jackson 2 (1), Pleasants 1 (0), Ritchie 2 (3), Roane 3 (2), Tyler 0 (0), Wetzel 8 (10) and Wirt 5 (5).
Four more people have been confirmed as deaths from the virus through the data reconciliation with death certificates by the Bureau of Public Health. The death toll is at 6,855.
The deaths were an 85-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 91-year-old woman from Kanawha County, a 72-year-old woman from Nicholas County and an 86-year-old woman from Kanawha County that occurred September, February, March and April.
"We must choose to utilize available preventive measures to stop the loss of more West Virginians," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "The families who have lost a loved one due to the COVID-19 pandemic are in our thoughts."
Wirt, Calhoun, Ohio, Pocahontas, Monroe and Lincoln are yellow on the County Alert System Map, three more than Wednesday. Yellow is second lowest and green is lowest.
All other counties are green.
Hospitalizations rose for a second day from 91 on Wednesday to 94 on Thursday. Hospitalizations were 81 on Tuesday.
State health officials expected hospitalizations and active cases to increase due to the omicron strain and its variant, BA2, which is becoming the predominant strain, being much more infectious than previous mutations.
Of the 94 in the hospital, 53 are unvaccinated. Twenty three people, 11 unvaccinated, are in an intensive care unit and 15, eight unvaccinated, are on a ventilator.
Three pediatric patients with one in an ICU and one on a ventilator were reported.
The newest omicron subvariant of the virus, BA.2.12.1, has been detected in three West Virginia counties -- Monongalia, Pocahontas and Upshur. It was initially reported there had been six cases detected in the state, but a DHHR spokeswoman said Thursday one of those was a duplicate, so the number is five.