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CHARLESTON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice joined West Virginia health leaders and other officials today for his latest daily press briefing regarding the State’s COVID-19 response.
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OVER TWO-THIRDS OF WEST VIRGINIANS AGE 65+ FULLY VACCINATED
During Wednesday’s briefing, Gov. Justice announced that, at his direction, the Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) has collaborated with WVU to provide a more accurate picture of how many West Virginians have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine.
With the help of the White House, WVU researchers went directly to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and manually analyzed their data to get a truly accurate number.
“We have now reached the threshold where we have now exceeded two-thirds of West Virginia residents age 65 and over who are fully vaccinated,” Gov. Justice said, adding that over 77% of West Virginians in this age range have now received at least one dose of the vaccine.
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The latest data also shows that the total vaccine eligible population of West Virginia is 1.47 million. Of the number of eligible West Virginians, 50.9% have received at least one dose, while 37.8% are fully vaccinated.
“So we’ve still got a way to go,” Gov. Justice said. “We need your help. We’re doing good. But we need your help to do even better.
“We’ve got to get our kids on board and we’ve got to get that 16-35 age range on board, and then we’ll start moving this 50.9% of people who have received at least one dose, and start heading toward 70%,” Gov. Justice continued. “When we get to 70%, we hope that these masks will be a memory. That’s what we want to strive for. Help me out, West Virginians. I really need you to encourage the kids, our college students, all the young who are around you; get vaccinated.”
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VACCINE DISTRIBUTION UPDATE
Additionally Wednesday, Gov. Justice announced that West Virginia has now successfully administered 1,179,328 vaccine doses after receiving a total allotment of 1,352,250 doses from the federal government to date; an overall administration rate of 87.2%.
To date, 687,045 West Virginians have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 520,206 West Virginians have been fully vaccinated.
West Virginia COVID-19 Dashboard (Click “Vaccine Summary” tab)
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Vaccinations are now available to all West Virginians age 16 and older. However, West Virginians who are age 65 and older will continue to be prioritized first until all state residents in this age range who desire the vaccine have been vaccinated.
At the Governor’s direction, the JIATF has established three fixed-location vaccination clinics in Berkeley, Kanawha, and Monongalia counties to ensure that every West Virginian age 65 and older has access to a vaccine.
All West Virginians age 65 and older are urged to pre-register for an appointment by visiting vaccinate.wv.gov or calling the West Virginia Vaccine Info Line: 1-833-734-0965. The info line is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Vaccinations also continue to be made available at Walgreens locations, the Med Shoppe/Leader network of pharmacies, Walmart locations, and additional independent pharmacies throughout the state as part of the federal pharmacy partnership in West Virginia.
West Virginians can go to vaccinefinder.org for assistance in locating and securing an appointment at one of these federal pharmacy partners.
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The JIATF continues to reach out to manufacturers and businesses across the state to increase vaccine access for employees and their families choosing to be vaccinated by organizing vaccination clinics at these facilities.
Additionally, church leaders are still being urged to contact the JIATF for help organizing vaccination clinics for interested members of their congregations.
Anyone interested in organizing one of these vaccination clinics is asked to contact the West Virginia Vaccine Info Line: 1-833-734-0965.
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GOV. JUSTICE REMINDS WEST VIRGINIANS THAT AN EXEMPTION HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE INDOOR FACE COVERING REQUIREMENT
Also, Gov. Justice took time to remind West Virginians that, on Monday, he signed Executive Order 12-21, clarifying which previous executive orders pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic remain in effect and which do not, while also updating certain regulations.
As part of his executive order, Gov. Justice announced that an additional exemption has been added to the Statewide Indoor Face Covering Requirement so that, if you are actively engaged in physical activity like indoor sports, you do not need to wear a face covering.
The Governor’s executive order also removed the limitation on the number of people permitted to gather for purely social purposes, among several other adjustments to COVID-19 regulations.
Click here to read more
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COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS UPDATE
Additionally Wednesday, Gov. Justice reported that the current number of active cases in the state is now 7,293, down from 7,388 as of his previous COVID-19 briefing on Monday.
The number of active hospitalizations in West Virginia is now 249, up from 232 on Monday. Of those currently hospitalized, 79 are in the ICU, up from 60 on Monday.
The cumulative percent of positive cases is now 5.20%, down from 5.21% on Monday.
Click here to view the latest COVID-19 data
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WEDNESDAY MAP UPDATE
Also on Wednesday, Gov. Justice provided a look at West Virginia’s latest mid-week County Alert System map update.
The map is updated live on the DHHR’s COVID-19 Dashboard (Click "County Alert System" tab) throughout the week.
Red counties: 2
Orange counties: 7
Gold counties: 8
Yellow counties: 10
Green counties: 28
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OUTBREAK REPORT
Additionally Wednesday, Gov. Justice reported that there are now four active church-related outbreaks in West Virginia, down from five such outbreaks as of his previous COVID-19 briefing on Monday. The active outbreaks are located in Berkeley, Grant, and Nicholas counties and account for a total of a total of 41 cases, down from 60 cases on Monday.
There are now 12 active outbreaks in long-term care facilities across the state, up from 11 such outbreaks on Monday.
The Governor also reported that there are now 102 inmate cases across the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) system, up from 61 on Monday. Meanwhile, there are now nine active staff cases across the DCR system, up from seven on Monday. To view the latest DCR case update, click here.
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AGGRESSIVE TESTING CONTINUES ACROSS STATE
Also on Wednesday, Gov. Justice provided an overview of the 52 counties across the state that have free testing events scheduled through the Governor’s Aggressive Testing initiative.
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This testing is available to all residents, including asymptomatic individuals. Proof of insurance is not required. Attendees should bring identification, such as a driver’s license or proof of address, to help in returning test results. Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
An interactive online map of all free testing locations across West Virginia is available online. Users can filter the map by type of testing site, including daily testing events, recurring testing events, as well as Walgreens and Fruth Pharmacy testing locations. Users can also filter by county. Each location is marked on the map with a pin. After finding a testing location nearby, users are able to click on the pin for more information about that particular testing site, including the specific location and timeframe during which testing will be held.
Click here to view all locations, dates, times, and more details
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ALL BUSINESSES MUST CONTINUE TO FOLLOW COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDELINES
Additionally Wednesday, Gov. Justice took time to provide a reminder that all businesses in West Virginia must continue to follow all applicable COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Click here to view all active guidance documents
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FACE COVERING REQUIREMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT
Also on Wednesday, Gov. Justice provided a reminder that his Statewide Indoor Face Covering Requirement remains in effect.
All West Virginians age 9 and older to wear a face covering at all times inside all indoor public places, regardless of whether or not they are able to maintain proper social distance. The order requires that all businesses and organizations that invite the public into their facilities must post adequate signage advising guests of the requirement and are also responsible for enforcing the requirement to ensure it is being followed.
Click here to read more details about the face covering requirement
Posters are available on the DHHR’s online Face Covering Toolkit for businesses or organizations to print and display. Social media graphics are also available for download and use by the general public.
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DONATE BLOOD AND PLASMA
Additionally Wednesday, Gov. Justice once again encouraged all West Virginians to consider donating blood and plasma through the American Red Cross.
Those fully recovered from a verified COVID-19 diagnosis may have plasma in their blood containing COVID-19 antibodies that can attack this virus. This plasma may be able to be used as a treatment for currently ill COVID-19 patients.
For more information, visit redcross.org or call the local American Red Cross offices at 304-340-3650.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Click here to view all Executive Orders and other actions taken by Gov. Justice to combat the spread of COVID-19 in West Virginia.
For more information about COVID-19 prevention and more, call the State’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-887-4304 or visit Coronavirus.wv.gov.
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Additional media content, including video clips and/or photos from this event, will be posted on the Governor's Office website as they become available. You can find a link on the thumbnail image at the top of this press release.
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