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CHARLESTON -- Active cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus increased by less than a hundred from Thursday to Friday in West Virginia, according to the Friday morning pandemic update by the Department of Health and Human Resources.
The department reported 2,377 active cases on Friday, up 81 from 2,256 on Thursday. Active cases have increased more than 2,000 in about a month, but remain far below the peak in January when more than 21,700 active cases were reported.
Also, the state Friday reported 648 new cases have been received since the last update on Thursday.
Current active cases in local counties (previous day) as of Friday were: Calhoun 2 (2), Doddridge 7 (7), Gilmer 3 (3), Jackson 11 (11), Pleasants 4 (4), Ritchie 3 (3), Roane 18 (18), Tyler 3 (3), Wetzel 10 (10), Wirt 5 (5) and Wood 46 (46).
Three more deaths were reported from Thursday to Friday, raising the death toll since the pandemic started to 6,945 people. Confirmed deaths from the virus were a 69-year-old woman from Putnam County, a 62-year-old man from Mason County and an 84-year-old man from Ohio County.
"We must choose to utilize available preventive measures to stop the loss of more West Virginians, including vaccination and boosters," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said.
Twenty-seven counties are yellow, second lowest alert level, on the County Alert System Map. In this region, yellow counties are Wetzel, Doddridge and Roane counties.
All other counties are green, the lowest level on the alert map, in the state.
Ninety-eight staff and 140 residents of long-term care facilities have the virus, the state said. Long-term care statistics are updated on Fridays.
One case in a facility in Wood County was reported.
Thirty staff and 20 inmates are active cases in the corrections system, the Division of Corrections said. Four inmates are infected at the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County.
The state reported 146 patients were in the hospital, 64 unvaccinated. Twenty-six residents were in an intensive care unit, 9 unvaccinated, with 11 on a ventilator, four unvaccinated.
Six pediatric patients were reported with two in an ICU and one on a ventilator.