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CHARLESTON -- Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients jumped up 26 while COVID-19 active cases slightly decreased between the Monday and Wednesday pandemic updates by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The department reported 1,325 active cases, a drop of 18 cases since the Monday update when 1,343 cases were reported. The state also reported on Wednesday that 703 new cases of the virus have been received since the Monday update.
Thirty cases of the virus were reported in Wood County, up 12 since Friday.
Current active cases in local counties (previous report) are: Calhoun 2 (5), Doddridge 1 (0), Gilmer 3 (0), Jackson 6 (7), Pleasants 2 (6), Ritchie 1 (0), Roane 1 (5), Tyler 0 (3), Wetzel 3 (2) and Wirt 0 (1).
Four deaths were reported since the last update on Monday. The death count since the pandemic started more than two years ago was 6,886 as of Wednesday.
The department confirmed the death of an 82-year-old man from Marshall County. Three more deaths were reported from the Bureau for Public Health's data reconciliation with the death certificates, a 90-year-old woman from Marion County, a 69-year-old woman from Fayette County and a 69-year-old woman from Kanawha County. The deaths occurred in March and April.
Twelve counties are yellow on the County Alert System Map that is based on infection rates. Fifteen were yellow, second lowest, on Monday.
All counties in the region and the rest of the state are green, lowest level.
The department reported a roughly 26 percent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations from Monday to Tuesday. Cases were 127 on Wednesday and 101 on Monday.
Of the patients in a hospital, 70 are unvaccinated. Twenty-seven patients are in an intensive care unit, 16 unvaccinated, and 13 patients are on a ventilator, eight unvaccinated.
Five pediatric cases were reported.
Seventeen staff and 16 inmates were infected in penal facilities, the Division of Corrections reported.
Of the 5,791 West Virginans who died from COVID-19 after vaccines became available, 853 people were fully vaccinated, about 15%, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources on Wednesday.