Trending
CHARLESTON -- Seventeen more deaths from the COVID-19 virus including a man and woman from Wood and Wetzel counties were reported Wednesday in WestVirginia by the Department of Health and Human Resources.
The additional 17 raises the state's death toll from the virus to 7,223 people. The department noted that of the 6,128 people who died after vaccines became available, 5,078 were not fully vaccinated.
Deaths confirmed on Wednesday were a 73-year-old man from Wood County, an 86-year-old woman from Wetzel County, an 89-year-old man from Putnam County, a 76-year-old woman from Putnam County, an 87-year-old woman from Kanawha County, a 97-year-old woman from Ohio County, a 92-year-old man from Kanawha County, an 80-year-old man from Berkeley County, a 74-year-old woman from Raleigh County, a 74-year-old man from Clay County, a 76-year-old woman from Ohio County, a 64-year-old woman from Barbour County, a 73-year-old woman from Raleigh County, an 87-year-old man from Harrison County, a 71-year-old man male from Marshall County, a 95-year-old man from Ohio County and an 88-year-old man from Kanawha County.
"Today is another hard day as West Virginians cope with the loss of mothers, fathers, grandparents, brothers, and sisters," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "Our deepest condolences go out to the families who have lost loved ones in this pandemic."
Active cases of the virus slightly dropped on Wednesday to 2,731 from 2,754 on Tuesday. The state received 981 new cases between the Tuesday and Wednesday reports from the department.
Current active cases in local counties (previous day) are: Calhoun 4 (4), Doddridge 13 (12), Gilmer 6 (7), Jackson 26 (24), Pleasants 3 (5), Ritchie 14 (14), Roane 22 (24), Tyler 8 (9), Wetzel 8 (11), Wirt 9 (8), and Wood 135 (139).
One county is gold, mid-level, and nine counties are green, lowest level, on the County Alert System Map based on infection rates.
Wetzel, Pleasants, Jackson and Gilmer are green in this region. All other counties are yellow, second lowest.
Hospitalizations rose 36 to 376 patients statewide, 200 unvaccinated, the department said. Hospitalizations were 340 on Tuesday.
Fifty-three people, up seven from Tuesday, were in an intensive care unit, 29 unvaccinated, with 16 on a ventilator, seven unvaccinated.
There were 17 pediatric patients, five more than Tuesday, with two in an ICU.
Fifty-five staff and 80 inmates have the virus as of Wednesday, the Division of Corrections said. Twenty-two are in the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County and two are in the St. Marys Correctional Center.