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CHARLESTON -- A dozen more deaths have been attributed to COVID-19, according to Monday's update from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The agency announced the deaths of a Jackson County woman and Roane County man, both 64, as well as 10 other state residents ranging in age from a 59-year-old woman from Greenbrier County to a 94-year-old woman from Nicholas County.
"To honor the lives of these West Virginians and to prevent further deaths, I ask that you stay current on your COVID vaccines and boosters," DHHR Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "Our deepest sympathies are extended at this time of grief."
There have been 7,334 COVID-related deaths in the state since the start of the pandemic in early 2020.
Active cases dipped below 3,000 Monday with 2,932, with 1,883 reported since Friday's update.
Active case totals in local counties Monday (Friday) were: Calhoun, 5 (7); Doddridge, 7 (11); Gilmer, 14 (15); Jackson, 25 (25); Pleasants, 8 (12); Ritchie, 4 (10); Roane, 50 (55); Tyler, 13 (10); Wetzel, 40 (48); Wirt, 5 (1); Wood, 92 (93).
West Virginia's County Alert System map illustrates the level of COVID-19 spread in a county with one of five colors ranging from green (lowest) to red (highest). The color is determined by the infection rate -- new cases per 100,000 people -- or percentage of tests coming back positive in the previous seven days, whichever is lower.
The number of counties on the middle level, gold, decreased from nine Friday to six Monday, with Roane County still among them. Other Mid-Ohio Valley counties were green (Wood, Wirt, Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants and Ritchie) or yellow (Doddridge, Gilmer, Tyler and Wetzel), the second lowest.
There were 300 patients with COVID in West Virginia hospitals Monday, with 58 in intensive care units and 13 on ventilators. While the overall number was down slightly from Friday, the ICU and ventilator totals each increased by one.
There were also nine pediatric hospitalizations, with two in ICU and one on a ventilator.
During Gov. Jim Justice's online briefing Monday, Dr. Clay Marsh, the state's coronavirus czar, urged people who get a negative rapid COVID test result to seek out a more accurate PCR test, for which results take longer, if their symptoms persist.
"It's possible that you could have COVID and still have a negative rapid test," he said. "The PCR test is much, much more able to detect smaller amounts of COVID."