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WV COVID-19 deaths edge toward 3,300

Jessica Patterson

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources says 35 more West Virginians have died in connection to COVID-19, bringing the state to 3,296 deaths related to the virus since the pandemic began. According to the WV DHHR, seven of those who died were ages 50 or under, including a 29-year-old.

Health officials confirmed the deaths of a 62-year old male from Harrison County, a 74-year old male from Preston County, a 46-year old male from Upshur County, an 87-year old male from Mineral County, a 47-year old female from Cabell County, a 61-year old male from Berkeley County, a 71-year old female from Pleasants County, a 79-year old male from Harrison County, an 88-year old male from Mingo County, a 79-year old male from Randolph County, an 80-year old male from Tyler County, an 81-year old male from Mineral County, a 72-year old male from Harrison County, a 75-year old female from Cabell County, a 50-year old female from Kanawha County, a 69-year old male from Hancock County, a 47-year old male from Cabell County, a 73-year old female from Calhoun County, a 46-year old female from Harrison County, a 69-year old female from Mineral County, a 73-year old male from Jefferson County, a 29-year old male from Berkeley County, a 54-year old male from Kanawha County, a 58-year old female from Wirt County, a 58-year old female from Monroe County, a 44-year old male from Raleigh County, a 71-year old female from Monongalia County, a 58-year old male from Mingo County, a 55-year old male from Monongalia County, an 80-year old male from Kanawha County, a 58-year old male from Lewis County, a 67-year old female from Raleigh County, an 82-year old male from Kanawha County, a 77-year old male from Logan County, and an 87-year old female from Logan County.

WV COVID-19 data for Sept. 15, 2021 (Photo Courtesy: WV DHHR)

The WV DHHR also reported 1,805 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state to 214,984 cases throughout the pandemic. Of these cases, 27,674 are currently active.

Health officials say the Mountain State is now reporting 1,783 Delta variant cases, 2,510 U.K. (Alpha) variant cases, eight South African (Beta) variant cases and 36 Brazillian (Gamma) variant cases.

The state has received a total of 3,624,248 confirmatory lab results for COVID-19 with a current daily percent positivity rate of 10.85% and a cumulative rate of 5.57%. A total of 184,014 West Virginians have recovered from the virus.

Hospitalizations are again at a new record high of 879 West Virginians currently hospitalized with COVID-19. ICU admissions and patients on ventilators also remain high with 267 West Virginians in the ICU, staying at a record the state reached yesterday, and 158 people on ventilators.

WV County Alert System map for Sept. 15, 2021. (Photo Courtesy: WV DHHR)

For the first time in several weeks, West Virginia again has a county on in green on the County Alert System map. Tucker County dropped to green with a current positivity rate of 2.61%.

The map also lists Pocahontas County in yellow and Gilmer county in gold.

Counties in orange include Roane, Pleasants, Ohio, Lewis, Webster, Randolph, Pendleton, Barbour and Taylor counties.

The remaining 43 of the state’s 55 counties are in red.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists all 55 West Virginian Counties as having a high risk for community transmission of COVID-19.

Health officials say 74% of eligible West Virginians have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 59.9% are now fully vaccinated. West Virginians 12 and older can get a vaccine. For more information on the COVID-19 vaccines or to find a vaccination site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965. Those in the Mountain State who are 12 and older and have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can register for the second Do it for Babydog: Save a life, Change your life vaccine sweepstakes by visiting doitforbabydog.wv.gov.  

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 per county include:

Barbour (2,207), Berkeley (15,490), Boone (2,804), Braxton (1,538), Brooke (2,657), Cabell (12,223), Calhoun (730), Clay (946), Doddridge (910), Fayette (4,795), Gilmer (1,090), Grant (1,699), Greenbrier (3,964), Hampshire (2,464), Hancock (3,347), Hardy (2,012), Harrison (8,097), Jackson (2,932), Jefferson (5,740), Kanawha (19,943), Lewis (2,150), Lincoln (2,164), Logan (4,368), Marion (5,979), Marshall (4,473), Mason (2,906), McDowell (2,192), Mercer (6,879), Mineral (3,722), Mingo (3,698), Monongalia (10,976), Monroe (1,769), Morgan (1,626), Nicholas (2,721), Ohio (5,265), Pendleton (959), Pleasants (1,183), Pocahontas (904), Preston (3,735), Putnam (6,996), Raleigh (9,297), Randolph (4,171), Ritchie (1,077), Roane (1,011), Summers (1,122), Taylor (1,725), Tucker (804), Tyler (1,101), Upshur (3,188), Wayne (4,359), Webster (842), Wetzel (2,025), Wirt (636), Wood (10,468), Wyoming (2,905).

Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in the following counties:

For additional free COVID-19 testing opportunities across the state, please visit the WV DHHR website.