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CHARLESTON -- Six more deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus were confirmed Thursday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The department reported the deaths of an 83-year-old woman from Boone County, an 80-year-old woman from Mingo County, a 62-year-old man from Summers County, a 79-year-old man from Ohio County, a 78-year-old woman from Randolph County and a 94-year-old woman from Kanawha County.
"As a state, we share in the sorrow of all who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 and promise to continue striving toward ending this pandemic," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "We send our deepest condolences to these families as they navigate the loss of their loved ones."
The death toll from the virus since the pandemic started about 30 months ago was at 7,121 residents as of Thursday.
In Wood County, 355 residents have died from the virus, the fourth highest total by county in West Virginia, according to the department statistics. Kanawha County leads the state with 754, followed Cabell with 390 and Raleigh with 369.
Wirt, Doddridge and Gilmer are among the counties with the least deaths, 25, 18 and 19, respectively. Eighteen deaths have been logged in Fayette County and 22 in Pendleton.
Deaths in other counties in the region are 136 in Jackson, 87 in Wetzel, 38 in Pleasants, 32 in Tyler, 31 each in Roane and Ritchie.
Seven counties in the state, one fewer than on Wednesday, are green, the lowest level, on the County Alert System Map. Jackson and Wirt counties are green in this region where all others are yellow, second lowest.
McDowell County is the only mid-level gold county in the state.
Hospitalizations were at 299 on Thursday, 143 unvaccinated. Forty-one patients are in an intensive care unit, 20 unvaccinated, and 14 are on ventilators, two unvaccinated.
The state defines vaccinated as receiving the initial one or two doses, depending on the type of vaccine, but does not take into account recommended booster doses.
Twelve pediatric patients are in the hospital with four in an ICU.
The Division of Corrections reported 73 staff and 135 inmates are infected. Twenty are at the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County.
Active cases statewide have surpassed 3,200, the state said.
The state reported 3,221 active cases with 1,013 new cases received in the 24-hour period between the Thursday and Wednesday morning pandemic updates, the department said.
Cases were last over 3,000 in February.
Current active cases in local counties Thursday were (previous day): Calhoun, 8 (6); Doddridge, 8 (6); Gilmer, 13 (11); Jackson, 43 (37); Pleasants, 13 (14); Ritchie, 11 (12); Roane, 27 (30); Tyler, 9 (11); Wetzel, 30 (35); Wirt, 3 (1); Wood, 161 (141).