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CHARLESTON -- The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources on Friday reported another 11 residents have died from the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The deaths were the first to be attributed to the virus in two weeks and include two residents from Wood and Jackson counties.
The state also reported 344 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations with 53 patients in an intensive care unit. Sixteen are on a ventilator. Hospitalizations haven't been this high since August and the peak number of hospitalizations was nearly 1,100 in January.
Also reported on Friday were nine pediatric patients with four in an ICU and one on a ventilator.
It's been two weeks since the department reported deaths from the virus. With the 11 confirmed fatalities reported on Friday, the death toll was at 7,672 residents since the pandemic started nearly three years ago.
The department has confirmed the deaths of a 68-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 62-year-old woman from Lincoln County, an 88-year-old woman from Wood County, a 71-year-old woman from Cabell County, a 59-year-old woman from Brooke County, a 72-year-old man from Mercer County, an 85-year-old woman from Jackson County, a 71-year-old man from Berkeley County, a 64-year-old man from Marion County, a 75-year-old man from Kanawha County and a 99-year-old womnan from Putnam County.
Condolences were expressed by Dr. Jeffrey H. Coben, interim secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources.
"As we close out 2022, we send our condolences to all West Virginia families grieving the loss of a loved one," Coben said. "Please start the new year in a healthy manner by scheduling a COVID vaccine or booster."
Statewide active cases were at above 1,503 on Friday. The state also reported 547 new cases of the virus have been received since the last pandemic report on Thursday.
Current active cases in local counties, (previous day) are: Calhoun 4 (4), Doddridge 7 (5), Gilmer 4 (2), Jackson 30 (21), Pleasants 1 (2), Ritchie 14 (16), Roane 11 (8), Tyler 8 (7), Wetzel 15 (14), Wirt 0 (0), Wood 73 (63).
Thirty-seven of the 55 counties are yellow on the County Alert System Map, second lowest to green on the severity scale in terms of infection rate and percent positivity.
Pleasants, Wirt and Gilmer counties in this region are green. All others are yellow.
Wood, Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane and Wirt counties were listed as high on the CDC's COVID Community Level measurement, released weekly on Thursday afternoons. The agency bases the levels on the number of new COVID cases per 100,000 people and hospitalization statistics in the previous seven days.
In counties listed as high, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend masking in indoor, public spaces.
Tyler and Wetzel counties were medium, where the CDC recommends people at greater risk of severe illness consult with their health care provider about precautions such as masking.
Doddridge and Gilmer counties were low, where the CDC recommendations include staying up to date with vaccinations and getting tested if symptoms develop.