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CHARLESTON -- Active cases are around 750 while another nine deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus were confirmed Monday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The department reported 753 active cases statewide Monday morning with another 545 new cases received since the last pandemic report on Friday. Fluctuating up and down for the past several weeks, 897 active cases were reported on Friday.
Current active cases in local counties (previous report): Calhoun 0 (1), Doddridge 3 (1), Gilmer 0 (0), Jackson 16 (9), Pleasants 0 (1), Ritchie 4 (8), Roane 4 (3), Tyler 0 (0), Wetzel 2 (2), Wirt 0 (1), Wood 21 (21).
Seven counties in the state are yellow, second lowest level to green on the County Alert System Map based on infection rate and percent positivity. All other counties are green.
Doddridge is the only yellow county in this region.
The state reported 229 patients are in a hospital with COVID complications, 29 of those in an intensive care unit and 11 on a ventilator. Four pediatric cases with one in an ICU and one on a ventilator were reported.
The nine confirmed deaths raise the count to 7,876 people since the pandemic started more than three years ago.
Confirmations were a 75-year-old woman from Putnam County, an 82-year-old woman from Greenbrier County, a 95-year-old woman from Berkeley County, a 97-year-old man from Kanawha County, a 70-year-old man from Harrison County, a 63-year-old woman from McDowell County, a 78-year-old woman from Kanawha County, an 85-year-old man from Lewis County and an 81-year-old man from Cabell County.
Dr. Jeffrey H. Coben, interim director of the Department of Health and Human Resources, encouraged vaccinations and boosters.
"Immunity from having COVID-19 can wear off, and previous infection does not give adequate protection against new variants," Coben said. "Find a vaccine location near you by visiting vaccines.gov/search."
West Virginians 6 months and older are eligible for a vaccination. All individuals 6 months and older should receive a primary series of vaccination, the initial set of shots that teaches the body to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. At this time, one Omicron booster shot (bivalent) is recommended for most people 6 months and older who completed the primary series and their most recent COVID-19 shot was at least two months ago.