West Virginia officials report 17 more COVID deaths

Ritchie County gold on county alert map

CHARLESTON -- Seventeen additional deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 in West Virginia, pushing the total since the start of the pandemic nearly three years ago to 7,704.

The deaths announced Thursday by the state Department of Health and Human Resources ranged in age from a 46-year-old Cabell County woman to a 95-year-old Fayette County man. Among them were an 87-year-old woman from Wirt County, a 72-year-old man from Pleasants County and two women from Jackson County, ages 80 and 91.

"This loss of life not only impacts loved ones and friends but also the many health care workers who continue to treat and save West Virginians battling COVID-19," Interim DHHR Secretary Dr. Jeffrey H. Coben said. "Let's make it a priority in 2023 to do everything we can to prevent future deaths by staying current on vaccines and boosters."

There were 1,491 known active cases around West Virginia Thursday, up slightly from 1,439 Tuesday and Wednesday. There were 591 new cases reported Thursday with other cases moving off of active status. Just over 23% of COVID tests reported Thursday came back positive.

Active cases in local counties Thursday (Wednesday) were: Calhoun, 2 (1); Doddridge, 2 (2); Gilmer, 2 (3); Jackson, 15 (15); Pleasants, 3 (2); Ritchie, 17 (5); Roane, 8 (9); Tyler, 9 (7); Wetzel, 11 (10); Wirt, 1 (1); Wood, 54 (57).

Ritchie County, which posted a dozen more active cases Thursday than Wednesday, was the only one in the state at gold on the County Alert System map. That's the middle of the five-tiered, color-coded scale measuring spread of the virus based on new cases per 100,000 people or percentage of positive tests in the previous seven days, whichever is lower. It was the latter measure that landed Ritchie County on gold; the percent positive rate was in the highest range of red.

Thirty-one of the state's 55 counties were yellow, the second-lowest category, including Pleasants, Roane, Wetzel and Tyler. Among the green counties were Wood, Wirt, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer and Jackson.

Hospitalizations declined from 360 on Wednesday to 342 Thursday. There were 51 patients in intensive care units and 16 on ventilators Thursday, compared to 56 and 17, respectively, on Wednesday. Confirmed pediatric hospitalizations totaled seven on Thursday, with three in ICUs.