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Staff Report
PARKERSBURG -- Statewide active cases of COVID-19 dropped more than 270 in the 24-hour period between Wednesday and Thursday mornings, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources said.
The state reported 2,165 active COVID-19 cases with 549 new cases received since the last report on Wednesday. The last time active cases were at that level was around the end of July.
The least number of active cases this year was 263 the first week of April. Active cases exceeded 29,700 during a peak of the first surge in cases in 2021 West Virginia.
Active cases in local counties on Thursday (Wednesday) were: Calhoun, 12 (6); Doddridge, 3 (3); Gilmer, 13 (13); Jackson, 19 (17); Pleasants, 5 (4); Ritchie, 6 (4); Roane, 31 (33); Tyler, 14 (16); Wetzel, 15 (22); Wirt, 7 (8); and Wood, 50 (57).
On the County Alert System Map based on infection rates, one county is now gold, mid-level, Wyoming County.
Twenty-three counties are green, the lowest level, including Wood, Wetzel, Pleasants, Jackson, Ritchie and Doddridge. Counties in the yellow, second lowest, are Tyler, Wirt, Roane, Calhoun and Gilmer.
Another six residents have died from the virus between Wednesday and Thursday mornings, raising the death count to 7,357 since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
The department Thursday confirmed the deaths of an 89-year-old woman from Marion County, a 51-year-old man from Cabell County, an 80-year-old man from Wayne County, a 76-year-old man from Cabell County, a 65-year-old man from Nicholas County and a 96-year-old woman from Monongalia County.
"Today, we mourn the loss of more West Virginians lost to this pandemic," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "I encourage all West Virginians to become vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19."
Information on where to obtain a vaccination, booster or the vaccine for the latest variant is available at vaccines.gov or vaccinate.wv.gov or by calling 1-833-734-0965.
Hospitalizations were at 297 patients with COVID-19 as of Thursday, with 49 in an intensive care unit and 15 on a ventilator. A dozen pediatric cases with four in an ICU and one on a ventilator were reported.