Office of the Governor > News > Press Releases > 2021 Press Releases > COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice announces West Virginia surpasses 100 percent vaccine administration rate for both first and second doses combined

COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice announces West Virginia surpasses 100 percent vaccine administration rate for both first and second doses combined

2/15/2021

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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.

WEST VIRGINIA SURPASSES 100 PERCENT VACCINE ADMINISTRATION RATE FOR BOTH FIRST AND SECOND DOSES COMBINED During Monday’s briefing, Gov. Justice announced that West Virginia has become the only state in the nation to achieve an overall vaccine administration rate over 100 percent for both first and second round vaccine doses combined. “This is a monstrous achievement,” Gov. Justice said. “For the first time ever, we have been excess of 100 percent. It cannot possibly be any better than that.” “For all those who are out there making this happen, congratulations,” Gov. Justice continued. “I’ve never, in my life, been more proud.”

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West Virginia has successfully administered 391,186 doses after receiving a total allotment of 380,400 doses from the federal government; an overall administration rate of 102.8 percent. This number exceeds 100 percent due to extra doses being extracted from vials of the vaccine. West Virginia COVID-19 Dashboard (Click “Vaccine Summary” tab)

West Virginia boasts a first dose administration rate of 106.2 percent and a second dose administration rate of 97.3 percent. First doses: 250,646 administered / 236,000 allotted Second doses: 140,540 administered / 144,400 allotted “Our goal always continues to be 100 percent,” Gov. Justice said. “We continue to lead the nation because of all of our great partners on the local and community levels, plus the great work of the National Guard, DHHR, and all the medical experts helping us in every way.” As of Monday morning, 7.7 percent of West Virginia's entire population has received both doses of the vaccines. West Virginia’s percentage remains among the highest such rates of fully vaccinated residents of any state in the nation.

“SAVE OUR WISDOM” VACCINATION CLINICS SCHEDULED IN ALL 55 COUNTIES ONCE AGAIN THIS WEEK Gov. Justice went on to announce that free COVID-19 vaccination clinics will be held in all 55 counties across West Virginia once again this week through operation “Save Our Wisdom.” The clinics are currently available for West Virginians who are 65 years of age and older. To date, 136,038 West Virginians age 65 and older have chosen to be vaccinated, including 60,142 who are now fully vaccinated.

Each clinic location has its own, unique schedule. Names are being pulled from the West Virginia COVID-19 Vaccine Registration System to fill out appointments after waitlists are exhausted. All clinics require appointments and walk-ins will not be accepted. West Virginia was the first state in the nation to put a statewide vaccination pre-registration system in place. The new digital tool allows West Virginians to add themselves to a list of people who are interested in being vaccinated, and will notify those who sign up about the availability of vaccine doses to help streamline vaccination efforts. To date, more than 252,000 West Virginians have signed up to be added to the pre-registration list. All West Virginians over the age of 16 are encouraged to pre-register at vaccinate.wv.gov.

Vaccine supplies are limited, so pre-registration does not mean immediate access to vaccination. Pre-registration offers West Virginians the opportunity to receive real-time updates on vaccine availability and schedule an appointment when available as vaccine supplies allow. The vaccine registration system allows people to select their preferences for communication through text, email, or voicemail over regular phone lines. West Virginians who need assistance with registration for any reason should call the COVID-19 Vaccine Info Line for help at 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.

GOV. JUSTICE MOURNS PASSING OF 2ND CORRECTIONS OFFICER TO COVID-19 Also on Friday, Gov. Justice took time to mourn the loss of a long-time West Virginia correctional officer, who passed away from COVID-19 over the weekend. Lieutenant Delmar Dean, who had been with the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation for more than two decades, died Saturday while hospitalized for COVID-19. He had been battling the disease for several months. Dean was 49 years old and was serving at the Northern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility in Moundsville. His death is the second of a West Virginia correctional employee attributed to COVID-19. “Think about his family. Please, please, please keep all of them in your prayers,” Gov. Justice said. “I am so sorry. God bless them in every way.” Click here to read more: W.Va. loses 2nd correctional officer to COVID-19

GOVERNOR URGES CAUTION AMID ONGOING WINTER STORM; CALLS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION TO “HIGH ALERT” With a major ice storm forecast for western West Virginia continuing through today and into tomorrow, Gov. Justice took time out of his remarks on COVID-19 to urge all West Virginians to be extra cautious of the potential dangers posed by severe winter weather. “The traffic conditions are probably not going to be great today, and could be really bad tonight. The I-64 corridor will be particularly hit hard, so we’ve got to watch that,” Gov. Justice said. “We live in West Virginia. It’s wintertime. We all know, when the roads are bad, we should absolutely take all precautions and watch what we’re doing.” The Governor also said that, in addition to dangerous ice that could form on roadways, the storm could cause power outages and poses a risk of producing freezing temperatures. He went on to announce that he has called upon the West Virginia Emergency Management Division to stand by on “high alert” to coordinate a potential response to this storm if the need should arise. The West Virginia Division of Highways is also prepared for the storm, with all of the state’s salt sheds replenished and full. Snow plow drivers will be working 12-hour shifts. Where conditions call for it, roads will be pre-treated. Crews will be on the roads before the storm hits, during the storm, and after the storm until all roads are cleared. Motorists encountering a snow plow should stay back 100 feet to give the driver space and to avoid salt that may be coming from the back of the plow. Highways officials recommend that West Virginians avoid being on the roads when possible during icy conditions. However, all vehicles should be equipped with an emergency kit in case an emergency were to arise. “We’ve had lots of these storms. We’ll get through it, but please be really careful,” Gov. Justice said.

COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS UPDATE Additionally Monday, Gov. Justice reported that the current number of active cases in the state is now 11,683, down from 13,103 as of his previous COVID-19 briefing on Friday last week. The number of daily active cases in West Virginia has now decreased for 30 straight days. The number of active hospitalizations is now 319, down from 348 on Friday last week, with 80 of those patients currently in the ICU. The cumulative percent of positive cases has decreased to 5.56 percent, down from 5.57 percent on Friday last week. Click here to view the latest COVID-19 data

MONDAY MAP UPDATE Also on Monday, 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: 0 Orange counties: 13 Gold counties: 11 Yellow counties: 19 Green counties: 12 Monday’s briefing marked the first since Nov. 13, 2020, in which zero Red counties appeared on the County Alert System map.

OUTBREAK REPORT Additionally Monday, Gov. Justice reported that there remains just one church-related outbreak in all of West Virginia. The outbreak is in Fayette County and accounts for a total of six cases. There are now 28 outbreaks in long-term care facilities across the state, down from 35 such outbreaks as of the Governor’s previous briefing Friday last week. The Governor also reported that there are now 43 inmate cases across the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) system, down from 53 on Friday last week. Meanwhile, there are now 14 active staff cases across the DCR system, up slightly from 13 on Friday last week. To view the latest DCR case update, click here.

AGGRESSIVE TESTING CONTINUES ACROSS STATE Also on Monday, Gov. Justice provided an overview of the 51 counties across the state that have free testing events scheduled through the Governor’s Aggressive Testing initiative. 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. Click here to view all locations, dates, times, and more details

An interactive online map of all free testing locations across West Virginia is available on the state’s COVID-19 website. 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

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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