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CHARLESTON -- COVID-19 cases continued to fluctuate with an increase of almost 200 cases in West Virginia between Wednesday and Thursday.
However, hospitalizations dropped about 11 percent between Wednesday and Thursday.
Gov. Jim Justice, speaking during his Thursday pandemic briefing, said there has been improvement, albeit slow.
"It's slow, but it's better," Justice said.
The Department of Health and Human Resources reported 2,821 active cases statewide, up from the 2,627 reported on Wednesday. Cases have been fluctuating for the past weeks and were around 3,000 on Aug. 19.
The state also reported 1,052 new cases of the virus were received in the 24-hour period between Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
The increase in cases from the previous day were 23 in Wood County and 12 in Jackson County. Active cases in local counties Thursday (previous day) were: Calhoun, 10 (7); Doddridge, 6 (3); Gilmer, 18 (19); Jackson, 29 (17); Pleasants, 4 (0); Ritchie, 9 (12); Roane, 16 (13); Tyler, 5 (4); Wetzel, 21 (24); Wirt, 4 (3); and Wood, 143 (120).
More counties became yellow, second lowest on the County Alert System Map, since Wednesday. Lincoln is the only gold county, mid level.
Nine counties are green, lowest level, including Tyler, Pleasants, Wirt, Jackson and Roane.
No counties are red or orange, the highest levels of spread and infection.
Hospitalizations declined by 38 to 307 on Thursday.
Forty-four patients were in an intensive care unit, down 12 from Wednesday. Thirteen are on a ventilator.
Twelve pediatric patients were in the hospital with four in an ICU and one on a ventilator.
Another four residents were confirmed as virus-related deaths between Wednesday and Thursday. The death count as of Thursday was 7,261 residents.
Deaths confirmed were an 81-year-old woman from Tyler County, a 76-year-old woman from Greenbrier County, a 94-year-old woman from Kanawha County and a 74-year-old woman from Wayne County.
Vaccines and boosters are recommended by state health officials to prevent serious complications, hospitalizations or death.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control are expected to soon approve the vaccine for the latest variant of the virus, BA.5, Dr. Clay Marsh, COVID-19 coronavirus adviser for the state of West Virginia, said during the governor's pandemic briefing on Thursday morning.
The new vaccines will be available after Labor Day, Marsh said.
While it depends on the guidance from the federal government, the segments of the population to first receive the vaccine could be those in nursing homes, those 65 and older or those with compromised immune systems, Marsh said.
The second wave would be those over 50, he said.
"If the indication is 12 and over for all vaccines, the New York Times did report that, then of course we will accommodate that," Marsh said.
The Division of Corrections reported 43 staff and 127 inmates have the virus. Eleven are at the North Central Regional Jail, two are at St. Marys Correctional Center and two are at the Parkersburg Community Corrections.