CHARLESTON — Two more West Virginia counties turned from green to yellow Friday on the County Alert System map as active cases of COVID-19 cases hovered just above 2,000, according to the Department of Health. Health and Human Resources.

Despite additional counties in the map’s yellow tier, second lowest based on infection rates, 47 counties, including Wood County, remain in the lowest tier of green.

Two of the seven yellow counties in the state are from this area, Ritchie and Calhoun. The others are Braxton, Upshur, Nicholas, Mingo and Hardy counties.

Webster County is the only gold-bearing, mid-level county on the map. No counties are orange and red, the highest alert levels on the map.

State health officials are hopeful the pandemic is on the wane and may soon be called an epidemic, though they warn that things may change depending on the virus. Vaccinations and boosters are always recommended by the state.

Thirteen more people died from the virus between Thursday and Friday, according to the state.

The death toll is 6,440, more than 100 times the initial projection of deaths in the state.

The confirmed deaths were in Mercer, Berkeley, Fayette, Marion, Logan, Cabell, Upshur and Preston counties.

“Each reported death is a solemn reminder of the seriousness of this disease,” said DHHR Secretary Bill J. Crouch. “Together we can end the transmission of this deadly virus by choosing to be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.”

Active cases in West Virginia were at 2,088 on Friday, 39 more than Thursday. The state also reported that 578 new cases had been received since Thursday’s pandemic update.

The number of active cases in local counties is Calhoun 14, Doddridge 8, Gilmer 2, Jackson 25, Pleasants 10, Ritchie 14, Roane 12, Wetzel 18, Wirt 6 and Wood 83.

Hospitalizations were 424, 20 less than Thursday, with 256 unvaccinated patients. The state reported 107 patients in an intensive care unit with 80 people unvaccinated and 57 people on ventilators, including 46 unvaccinated.

Ten pediatric patients have been reported including one in an intensive care unit.