State COVID cases, hospitalizations still rising

West Virginia continues to see a rising number of active COVID cases and hospitalizations.

On Monday, the DHHR (Department of Health and Human Resources) reported 539 new cases, upping the active case county to 854, a number that had fallen below 200 last early last month.

Hospitalizations due to COVID hit 100 again Monday, after falling to 77 on April 20.

Health officials have been alerting residents the numbers may continue to rise.

Dr. Clay Marsh, state COVID-19 Czar, said last week the BA.2 variant cases “are growing in West Virginia and we can anticipate as we see the variants grow we will see some episodes of increases and decreases in the number of cases.”

Other variants are likely to come along as well, he said, but so far vaccinations stem the number of people who become severely ill.

With the numbers increasing and more variants possibly on the horizon, March emphasized once again the importance of being vaccinated and fully boosted, especially for those over 50 and those with existing medical issues, two groups more vulnerable to COVID.

Of the almost 1 million COVID-related deaths in the U.S. since the pandemic began, about 920,000 were over the age of 50.

Gov. Jim Justice said last week that anyone over age 50 who does not get fully vaccinated and boosted, is playing a “death lottery,” and the chances of someone who is up to date on vaccinations surviving COVID if they contract it is “almost 100 percent.”

“Don’t wait. Don’t let it be too late,” he said.

Justice said the number of people getting vaccinated and boosted in the state keeps rising, but very slowly.

As of Monday, of the 947,319 state residents full vaccinated 456,991 have received a booster shot, or less than 50 percent.

In Mercer County, the only age category that approaches 50 percent for boosters is 65 and above, at 48.6 percent.

The rest of the age categories are below 30 percent.

But more people are getting boosters, though.

“We gave over 200 vaccines last week,” said Bonnie Allen, administrator of the Mercer County Health Department. “Most of them were booster shots.”

Allen also said the county is seeing no large increases in the number of active COVID cases, but the number has risen.

According to the DHHR, Mercer County had 31 active cases Monday, still low compared to past numbers but up from the single digits recorded recently.

Allen said the health department holds a vaccine clinic each Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Princeton Rescue Squad Karen Preservati Education Center.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com