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CHARLESTON -- Deaths from the COVID-19 virus have exceeded 7,000 in West Virginia where active cases have dropped below 2,000, but hospitalizations are slightly up Monday, the Department of Health and Human Resources said.
Two confirmations of deaths related to the virus were reported in the Monday morning pandemic update, raising the total to 7,001 since the pandemic started more than two years ago in West Virginia. It took about four months to go from 6,000 deaths in mid-February to 7,000 in June.
"That's a milestone that none of wants to celebrate in any way," Gov. Jim Justice said during his Monday morning briefing.
The deaths were a 75-year-old man from Cabell County and a 53-year-old man from Cabell County.
"We send condolences to these families and to all who are grieving on this somber morning," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "Together, we can end transmission of this deadly virus by choosing to be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19."
The department reported 1,989 active COVID-19 cases statewide, a drop over the weekend of 209 since the last report on Friday. Cases were last below 2,000 on May 13 when 1,875 were reported.
The state also said 1,306 new cases were received since the last update on Friday.
Current active cases in local counties (previous report): Calhoun 4 (6), Doddridge 5 (7), Gilmer 11 (17), Jackson 7 (11), Pleasants 1 (5), Ritchie 8 (11), Roane 20 (25), Tyler 7 (11), Wetzel 21 (26), Wirt 1 (1), and Wood 70 (66).
Eighteen counties are yellow, two of which are from this region, Tyler and Ritchie counties, on the County Alert System Map that is based on infection rates. Yellow is second lowest to green and all other counties in the state are green.
Thirty-three staff and 202 inmates have the virus, the Division of Corrections said. More than half of the inmate cases, 122, are at the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County.
Hospitalizations totaled 217 on Monday, of which 118 are unvaccinated, the department said. The total increased by nine since the Friday report.
Twenty-five patients are in an intensive care unit, 13 unvaccinated, and three people are on a ventilator, all vaccinated.
Six pediatric cases, three in an intensive care unit, were reported.