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CHARLESTON -- Wood County was downgraded Thursday on the County Alert System Map, going from the lowest level of green to second lowest of yellow, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The alert system is based on the lower of the measurements for infection rate and percent positivity.
Also, active cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus jumped above 1,300 in West Virginia, the Thursday morning pandemic update from the department said.
Wood County previously was green on the map as was Wirt and Wetzel counties. Wood, Wirt and Wetzel join Pleasants, Tyler, Roane, Calhoun and Gilmer counties as yellow.
Ritchie, Doddridge, Gilmer and Jackson counties remain green.
Thirty counties were yellow on Thursday.
The map is based on five levels from least to worst severity of spread of the virus and a county's designation is based on the lower of the percent positivity or infection rate measurement.
Wood County falls in the red zone, the highest level, for percent positivity. Doddridge is in the yellow for infection rate. Pleasants is at mid-level gold for percent positivity. Ritchie is at yellow for infection rate. Roane is at red for percent positivity. Wetzel is orange, second highest, for pecent positivity. Wirt is in gold for percent positivity.
Statewide, active cases of the virus were reported at 1,326, up from 1,224 reported on Wednesday, the department reported. Another 497 new cases were received in the 24-hour period between Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Cases, which have been fluctuating, were above 1,300 last week. State officials believe the actual number of cases is higher because more residents are testing at home, which doesn't appear in any counts.
Active cases in Wood County between Wednesday and Thursday increased about 40%, from 56 on Wednesday to 78 on Thursday.
Current active cases in local counties are (previous report): Calhoun 2 (3); Doddridge 1 (1); Gilmer 1 (2); Jackson 11 (12); Pleasants 5 (4); Ritchie 5 (4); Roane 26 (27); Tyler 5 (5); Wetzel 12 (8); Wirt 2 (1); Wood 78 (56).
No deaths were reported for the fourth consecutive update. The last deaths were reported on Dec. 16.
The death toll remains at 7,661 since the pandemic began nearly three years ago.
Statewide hospitalizations were at 224, 11 less than on Thursday, with 32 in an intensive care unit and eight are on a ventilator.
Eight pediatric patients with one in an ICU and on a ventilator were reported.