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CHARLESTON -- A Wood County resident is among the COVID-19 deaths reported on Wednesday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The department reported three deaths from the virus on Wednesday that included the death of a 61-year-old man from Wood County, a 72-year-old man from Preston County and a 72-year-old woman from Berkeley County.
Deaths were at 6,777 in West Virginia as of Wednesday, the department said. The state has confirmed 343 deaths of Wood County residents since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
"Each loss is a heartbreak to a family and to our state," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "I urge you to get vaccinated or boosted to help save the lives of your family, neighbors and friends."
Active cases were at 326 on Wednesday.
Current active cases in local counties (previous day) were: Calhoun 2 (1), Doddridge 5 (4), Jackson 3 (1), Pleasants 0 (1), Ritchie 5 (4), Roane 7 (4), Tyler 0 (0), Wetzel 1 (3), Wirt 6 (8) and Wood 15 (15).
Wirt County was upgraded from gold, mid-level, to yellow, second lowest, on the County Alert System Map. All other counties in the state are green, the lowest level on the alert map based on infection spread.
One hundred patients were reported in a hospital, 53 unvaccinated, with 30 in an intensive care unit, 16 unvaccinated, and 12 on ventilators, seven unvaccinated.
Four pediatric patients with one in an ICU were reported.
West Virginians 5 and older are eligible for vaccination, the department said. After the primary series, first booster shots are recommended for those 12 and older and second booster shots for those 50 and over who are four months or greater from their first booster have been authorized by FDA and recommended by CDC, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a nearby vaccine site, go to vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.