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CHARLESTON -- No deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus were reported between Tuesday and Wednesday, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources said Wednesday.
The death count since the pandemic started in 2020 is at 7,018 residents. Two deaths were reported on Tuesday.
A reason for the recent low number of deaths can be connected to the National Health Statistics Center for a two-week period ending Monday was not coding all the COVID-19 deaths, Dr. Ayne Amjad, state health officer, said during the governor's pandemic briefing Wednesday morning. The center was updating software.
"I don't know if we'll see an uptick (in deaths after the 21st)," she said.
The state reported 1,882 active cases as of Wednesday, down from the 1,905 reported on Tuesday. The department also reported it has received 612 new cases of the virus since the last report on Tuesday.
"We got to live with this We know we got to live with it," Gov. Jim Justice said during the briefing.
Current active cases in local counties (previous day) were: Calhoun 15 (9), Doddridge 1 (2), Gilmer 12 (11), Jackson 16 (20), Pleasants 7 (9), Ritchie 6 (7), Roane 53 (39), Tyler 5 (6), Wetzel 24 (24), Wirt 5 (5), and Wood 82 (82).
Roane County, which was at mid-level gold on the County Alert System Map that is based on infection rates, was green, the lowest level, on Wednesday.
Five counties in the region are yellow, second lowest: Wood, Pleasants Ritchie, Calhoun and Gilmer.
Twenty-four counties are yellow in the state. All other counties are green.
Statewide hospitalizations were at 187 on Wednesday, up three since Tuesday. Of those, 90 are unvaccinated.
Twenty-two people are in an intensive care unit, four unvaccinated, with five on a ventilator, all unvaccinated.
One pediatric case was reported.
In the Division of Corrections, 21 staff and 134 inmates are infected, the division said. Thirty-eight inmates are at the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County.
The state recommends residents 6 months and older get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Those 5 years and older should receive a booster shot when due. Second booster shots are recommended for those 50 and over who are four months or more from their first booster, as well as for younger individuals over 12 with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.