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CHARLESTON -- Statewide active COVID-19 cases in West Virginia slightly rose from Thursday to Friday, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources said.
The state reported 1,726 active cases, up 67 from Thursday morning's pandemic update. Another 473 new cases of the virus were received in the 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday morning.
Active cases in local counties on Friday (previous report) were: Calhoun 4 (3), Doddridge 3 (5), Gilmer 5 (5), Jackson 20 (23), Pleasants 1 (1), Ritchie 4 (5), Roane 16 (14), Tyler 8 (11); Wetzel 11 (10), Wirt 2 (6), Wood 58 (56).
Twenty-three counties are green, the lowest level on the County Alert System Map based on infection rates. All other counties are yellow, second lowest.
Previously at the lowest-level green on Thursday, Wood on Friday was the only yellow county in the region. All others were green.
Three are counties moved down on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID Community Levels, which are updated weekly based on the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the previous seven days and hospitalizations.
Wetzel County had been on "high," the level in which the agency recommends people wear masks in indoor, public spaces. Wetzel moved all the way to low, where masks are only recommended on public transportation. Gilmer and Tyler counties went from high to medium, where masks are recommended indoors for people who are at greater risk for serious illness.
Other counties remained at the same levels as last week: Calhoun, Jackson, Roane and Wirt on high; Doddridge, Pleasants, Ritchie and Wood on medium.
No deaths were reported in the 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday. The death count remains at 7,382.
Statewide hospitalizations were 278 on Friday. Forty-five patients are in an intensive care unit and 14 are on a ventilator. Nine pediatric cases with one in an ICU were reported.