WEEK 1 PHASE OF
REOPENINGS SET TO BEGIN
On Wednesday, Gov. Justice announced that, for the third consecutive day,
the statewide cumulative rate of positive test results remained below 3
percent, meaning that the Governor’s six-week plan to reopen the state – “West Virginia
Strong – The Comeback” – is officially underway.
View the latest
COVID-19 testing data at Coronavirus.wv.gov
The “Week 1” phase of reopenings will begin tomorrow, Thursday, April 30,
2020, at 12:01 a.m.
“We have witnessed a miracle and the miracle has been you, West
Virginians. You’ve listened, you’ve responded, you’ve kept your distance,
you’ve absolutely pushed all the right buttons as we’ve gone along, and
you’ve produced numbers that are unprecedented,” Gov. Justice said. “Now
we’ve got to bring our state back to life.”
In Week 1, outpatient health care operations may resume for facilities
regulated by Licensing Boards contained in WV Code Chapter 30, including:
- Acupuncture Professionals
- Chiropractors
- Counselors
- Dentists
- Dietitians
- Hearing-Aid Dealers and
Fitters
- Licensed Practical Nurses
- Medical Imaging and
Radiation Therapy Professionals
- Doctors of Medicine and
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine
- Occupational Therapists
- Optometrists
- Pharmacists
- Physical Therapists
- Psychologists
- Registered Professional
Nurses
- Respiratory Professionals
- Social Workers
- Speech-Language
Pathologists
Also in Week 1, daycare services across the state will be able to resume,
provided that enhanced testing procedures are put in place at each of
these facilities.
These reopenings are in addition to the resumption of elective medical
procedures at hospitals across West Virginia, as ordered by Gov.
Justice last week. During his remarks, Gov. Justice
announced that the DHHR has approved applications for 39 hospitals and
five ambulatory surgical centers across the state.
Hospitals seeking to resume elective procedures must have adequate
inventories of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a plan to respond
if there is a surge of COVID-19 patients in the future. Each hospital has
the discretion to determine the best time to apply to restart elective
medical procedures at their facility.
“We’re going now to another level,” Gov. Justice said. “We can’t sit back
and not reopen. We can’t sit on our hands and just dwindle away because
bad things will happen then as well.
“As we move forward, we can and will move safely. But we need you, West
Virginians, to step up again and keep doing what you’ve done to keep
everyone as safe as possible.”
The “Week 2” phase of reopenings are scheduled to begin this coming
Monday, May 4, 2020. This includes small businesses with 10 or fewer
employees, restaurants with takeaway service or outdoor dining options, religious
entities and funeral homes, and professional service businesses such as
hair salons, nail salons, barbershops, and pet grooming.
Reopening
guidelines for businesses included in the Week 2 phase are now available
Several additional types of businesses will be permitted to reopen from
Weeks 3-6. The opening schedule for these businesses will be based upon
the recommendations of state medical experts and upon testing data
available at that time. The Governor’s Office will announce which of
these businesses will be able to reopen at least one week in advance of
its respective reopening date.
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