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CHARLESTON -- There were 624 active COVID-19 cases in West Virginia Monday, the first update in five days due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
The total was down from 664 on Wednesday, the day of the last report from the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
Active cases in local counties Monday (Wednesday) were: Calhoun, 2 (2); Doddridge, 3 (0); Gilmer, 1 (4); Jackson, 10 (10); Pleasants, 3 (6); Ritchie, 0 (3); Roane, 7 (7); Tyler, 5 (3); Wetzel, 10 (6); and Wirt, 2 (1); Wood, 29 (28).
No deaths were attributed to the virus in Monday's report, although there can be a delay in those being added to the total, which stands now at 7,594 since the start of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2020.
Most areas of the state remained green on the County Alert System map. That's the lowest of five categories based on the rate of new cases per 100,000 people or percentage of tests coming back positive in the previous seven days, whichever is lower.
Statewide there were eight counties on yellow, the second-lowest level, including Doddridge, Pleasants, Tyler and Wetzel in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Hospitalizations with COVID increased by nearly 40 since Wednesday's total of 116. There were 153 in Monday's update, with 24 in intensive care units and eight on ventilators. Those numbers in Wednesday's update were 22 in ICU and 11 on ventilators.
There were five pediatric hospitalizations reported Monday, with one in ICU. On Wednesday, there were four pediatric hospitalizations with one in ICU.
All West Virginia counties in the area remained "low" on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID Community Levels released last week. The guidelines make recommendations on precautions like masking based on new cases per 100,000 people and hospitalization statistics in the preceding seven days.
Under a low classification, it's recommended that people keep up with vaccinations and get tested if they develop symptoms.