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CHARLESTON -- Gov. Jim Justice remained critical Wednesday of President Joe Biden's comment on "60 Minutes" that the pandemic is over.
Active cases continued to decline statewide in West Virginia, according to Wednesday's pandemic update from the Department of Health and Human Resources.
"This thing is not gone. I don't care what in the world our president, who seems like a ball lost in the high weeds at times, comes up with," Justice said during his Wednesday morning pandemic briefing. "This thing's not gone, but we don't have to fear it non-stop like we were."
The state on Wednesday reported 1,723 active cases, down 59 from 1,782 on Tuesday. The state also reported 594 new cases of the virus have been received in the 24-hour period between Tuesday's and Wednesday's reports.
Another nine people died from the virus between Tuesday and Wednesday, raising the death count since the pandemic started to 7,379, the department said.
Confirmed Wednesday were the deaths of a 76-year-old man from Lewis County, a 96-year-old woman from Lewis County, a 62-year-old woman Mineral County, a 78-year old male from Taylor County, a 73-year old male from Lincoln County, a 72-year old male from Boone County, a 64-year old female from Logan County, an 82-year old female from Putnam County, and an 83-year old female from Hancock County.
"As we honor those we have lost, I urge all West Virginians to do their part to reduce the spread of this virus through vaccination and boosters which will help prevent further loss of life," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said.
Active cases in local counties on Wednesday (previous report) were: Calhoun 3 (6), Doddridge 4 (4), Gilmer 5 (5), Jackson 18 (13), Pleasants 1 (0), Ritchie 7 (8), Roane 18 (10), Tyler 12 (9); Wetzel 10 (7), Wirt 22 (23), Wood 60 (66).
Twenty-two counties are green on the County Alert System Map, one more than Tuesday. Green is the lowest level based on infection rates.
No gold, orange and red counties, the highest of the infection levels, were reported. Wyoming was gold on Tuesday and yellow on Wednesday.
Green counties in this region are Wetzel, Pleasants, Wirt, Jackson Calhoun and Roane. Counties in the yellow level, second lowest, in this region are Wood, Ritchie, Gilmer and Tyler.
Hospitalizations dropped another two to 287 on Wednesday. Forty patients were in an intensive care unit and 14 were on ventilators, also fewer than were reported on Tuesday. Six pediatric cases with two in an ICU were reported.