CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Coronavirus Czar Dr. Clay Marsh says West Virginia is seeing “a clear descending trend” in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in West Virginia.
“We do anticipate that the deaths will lag and we may even see an increase in the deaths, but for this surge, at least immediately, it does look like we’re on the downhill side,” Marsh said during Wednesday’s coronavirus media briefing.
Active cases on Wednesday dropped to 3.574, the lowest number since last summer.
Hospitalizations fell below 600 for the first time since Dec. 7, 2021.
Gov. Jim Justice said the state crossed another milestone by getting more shots in arms to people 65 and older.
“We now have 90 percent of those folks vaccinated with at least one shot,” Justice said.
In just one month, total active cases statewide have decreased by more than 83 percent. Overall hospitalizations are down 46 percent since the most recent peak, while ICU patients and patients on ventilators are down 43 percent in the same time frame.
Even though Marsh previously indicated a transition from a pandemic to an endemic is coming soon, he said it’s important not to let our guard down yet.
“We still need to make sure to protect ourselves as we’re older because these are the people who are still the most vulnerable to the most significant consequences to COVID-19,” Marsh said.
Justice said the declining numbers are encouraging, but more work needs to be done to get booster shots administered.
“We’re continuing to move the needle little by little, but I wish we would absolutely be able to move it faster,” he said.
Currently there are 348 members of the West Virginia National Guard responding to staffing shortages at 38 hospitals across the state.
As for the future COVID-19, Marsh predicts West Virginia will reach herd immunity with the possibility of an annual vaccine.
“This virus is probably going to be with us for the very long future beyond our lifetimes almost certainly. As part of that, we will likely need to continue to create the right immune function to protect us from any more severe consequences,” Marsh said.
More than two dozen counties are now in the “green” on the state DHHR’s COVID-19 County Alert Map.