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CHARLESTON -- West Virginia's active COVID-19 cases resumed their climb Thursday.
According to Thursday's report from the state Department of Health and Human Resources, there were 1,496 active cases, up from 1,325 in Wednesday's update.
Active cases in local counties Thursday (Wednesday) were: Calhoun, 1 (2); Doddridge, 5 (1); Gilmer, 3 (3); Jackson, 5 (6); Pleasants, 1 (2); Ritchie, 1 (1); Roane, 3 (1); Tyler, 6 (0); Wetzel, 3 (3); Wirt, 1 (0); Wood, 28 (30).
Seven deaths were attributed to the virus, six of them added through the Bureau for Public Health's ongoing data reconciliation with official death certificates. Among those was a 72-year-old Wirt County man.
Those deaths occurred in March and April, except for one in September. The youngest was a 39-year-old woman from Wayne County and the oldest a 98-year-old man from Mercer County.
"COVID-19 continues to be a threat to West Virginia," DHHR Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "We must renew our dedication to safety and prevention measures, including vaccination and booster shots, and support those grieving losses because of this terrible disease."
Hospitalizations of people with COVID-19 decreased from 127 Wednesday to 119 Thursday. Sixty-two of those individuals were unvaccinated, while 57 were vaccinated, according to the DHHR.
There were 25 patients in intensive care units and 11 on ventilators. In each category, one more patient was unvaccinated than vaccinated.
State officials have said the label of "vaccinated" means an individual received both Moderna or Pfizer shots or one Johnson and Johnson shot but does not take into account whether they have received recommended boosters.