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CHARLESTON -- A third county in the region turned yellow Friday on the County Alert System Map that is based on infection rates, according to the the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources on Friday.
Tyler County joins Pleasants and Ritchie counties as the only yellow counties in the region.
Nine counties in the state are now yellow on the map. The rest are green.
Statewide, the department reported 809 active cases with another 209 positive cases received in the 24-hour period between the Thursday and Friday morning pandemic reports from the state.
Active cases in Wood County rose by nine from Thursday to Friday, from 33 to 42.
Active cases in other local counties on Friday (Thursday) were: Calhoun, 2 (2); Doddridge, 3 (2); Gilmer, 5 (5); Jackson, 8 (6); Pleasants, 5 (4); Ritchie, 7 (6); Roane, 6 (7); Tyler, 5 (2); Wetzel, 8 (6); and Wirt, 1 (1).
Among the 12 deaths reported on Friday were a 90-year-old man from Gilmer County and an 87-year-old woman from Roane County.
Other confirmed deaths were an 89-year-old man from Clay County, a 94-year-old woman from Brooke County, a 73-year-old man from Berkeley County, a 71-year-old man from Harrison County, a 50-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 100-year-old woman from Cabell County, a 69-year-old man from Kanawha County, an 89-year-old man from Raleigh County, a 54-year-old woman from Raleigh County and a 70-year-old woman from Jefferson County.
"This is an incredibly difficult time for the families and friends of these West Virginians, especially during the holiday season," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "We offer our sympathies to each and every person connected to these individuals."
The death count since the pandemic started in early 2020 was at 7,581 residents on Friday, according to the department.
The state reported 126 patients are in a hospital with 20 in an intensive care unit and eight on a ventilator. Three pediatric cases were reported with two on a ventilator.
Every Mid-Ohio Valley county was classified as "low" on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID Community Level scale. Released weekly, it takes into account the number of new cases per 100,000 people and hospitalizations in the preceding seven days.
A low designation means people are advised to keep up on vaccinations and get tested if they show symptoms. Masks are recommended for indoor, public places on "high," and people at risk for serious illness are advised to discuss masking and other precautions with their health care provider on "medium."