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CHARLESTON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice and members of the West Virginia COVID-19 pandemic response leadership team held another news briefing today to update the public on the state’s latest pandemic response and vaccine distribution efforts.
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MOUNTAINEER RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UPDATE
During Friday’s briefing, Gov. Justice was joined by Erica Boggess, Director of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund, to provide an update on the Mountaineer Rental Assistance Program.
The program provides financial assistance to renters who have lost their job, had their income reduced or suffered a significant cost or financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Landlords with tenants who are struggling with rent or utility payments due to COVID-19 may be eligible for rental assistance as well.
“We know that there are people that are out there that are still hurting, and that’s why we want to make sure that we’re getting these dollars out to West Virginians in need,” Gov. Justice said. “We all need to pull the rope together and get everyone on board so this program can be a success.”
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“To date, we’ve distributed $53.7 million, helping almost 13,000 households for an average of $4,100 per household, tax-free to the renters. Once the applications are here, we’re seeing that 96% of applicants are receiving funding, but we need more people to apply,” Boggess said. “West Virginia has among the highest homeownership rates in the country. The U.S. Treasury has begun to recapture funds that aren’t being used. So for us to preserve as much of this funding as possible and use it in West Virginia, we really need to spread the word and get more and more people to apply.”
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To learn more about the program and whether you qualify for assistance, CLICK HERE.
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UPDATE ON VACCINE MANDATE WAIVER REQUEST FOR RURAL HEALTHCARE WORKERS
Gov. Justice once again provided an update on his announcement last week that he and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin sent a joint letter to the U.S. Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, calling on CMS to grant a limited waiver of its vaccination requirement at rural or state-run facilities due to severe staffing shortages.
Yesterday, United States Senator Joe Manchin announced in a statement that he spoke with CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, saying of their conversation: “Administrator Brooks-LaSure told me that the goal of CMS is to help hospitals get their staff vaccinated, not kick them out of the Medicare program.”
Sen. Manchin went on to say: “She assured me that facilities will not be kicked out of the Medicare program if their entire staff isn’t fully vaccinated, as long as facilities are making a good faith effort to vaccinate staff and implement best safety practices.”
“We’ll take it,” Gov. Justice said during his briefing Friday. “We’ve got to do everything we can to make sure that our rural hospitals can stay up and running without us – God forbid – having to end up shutting something down.”
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GOV. JUSTICE OFFERS WELL-WISHES TO SENATOR CAPITO AFTER POSITIVE COVID TEST
Gov. Justice also took time to offer his best wishes to United States Senator Shelley Moore Capito, following her announcement yesterday that she tested positive for COVID-19. In her announcement, Senator Capito noted that she is asymptomatic.
“I want to send out my super-well-wishes to Shelley,” Gov. Justice said. “She’s a great friend and an incredible Senator and servant of this state. Cathy and I are saying our prayers that everything will go well and that she’ll be fine and dandy before long.”
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BOOSTER SHOTS NOW AUTHORIZED FOR ALL WEST VIRGINIANS AGES 12 AND OLDER
COVID-19 booster shots are now authorized and encouraged for all West Virginians ages 12 and older.
Booster shots are available for free to all eligible West Virginians. The waiting period for those who received initial series Pfizer shots has been shortened to five months. Read more about booster eligibility at CDC.gov.
West Virginians can go to any location offering COVID-19 vaccines with their vaccination card to receive their booster. If your card has been lost, you can request a new one from the DHHR.
Initial series vaccinations remain available for free for all West Virginians ages 5 and older.
West Virginians interested in being vaccinated or having their children vaccinated are encouraged to visit Vaccinate.wv.gov or call the West Virginia Vaccine Info Line: 1-833-734-0965.
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CASE NUMBERS & HOSPITALIZATIONS UPDATE
On Friday, Gov. Justice reported that there are now 8,076 active cases of COVID-19 and 884 COVID-related hospitalizations statewide.
COVID-19 Dashboard | Coronavirus.wv.gov
To date, 326 West Virginia National Guard members have been authorized to deploy to 36 medical facilities across the state as part of the WVNG’s mission to provide staffing support to West Virginia hospitals.
An updated breakdown of the West Virginia County Alert Map is as follows:
Red (2) | Orange (14) | Gold (24) | Yellow (11) | Green (4)
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GOV. JUSTICE ANNOUNCES OMNIS BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES TO BUILD $40M FACILITY, CREATE 150-300 JOBS IN BLUEFIELD
Also on Friday, Gov. Justice took time out of his remarks about COVID-19 to announce that Omnis Building Technologies will build a $40 million, 150,000-square-foot facility in Bluefield to manufacture housing materials that will revolutionize the future of residential construction, creating 150-300 jobs in the process.
Omnis Building Technologies is a manufacturer of energy-efficient, pre-engineered, home building systems made up of Concrete Insulated Building Units (CIBU) that are shipped then assembled on-site to make pre-designed homes. Once delivered, these patented turn-key homes are easily constructed and move-in ready in just a few days.
The company will be breaking ground in the near future and plans to be in operation by the end of 2022. The site is located off Exit 1 of Interstate 77 on John Nash Boulevard in Bluefield, WV.
“This state is really cooking in a positive way. This is the fourth major economic development project that we’ve been able to announce in less than a month,” Gov. Justice said. “I don’t want you to become numb to the big fish that we’re catching over and over. We’re going to keep bringing more and more great companies to West Virginia.”
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MISSING WORLD WAR II SOLDIER HONORED
Additionally, Gov. Justice took time to echo an announcement earlier this week by the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency that U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Richard W. Horrigan, 24, of Chester, WV, who was killed during World War II, was accounted for on Aug. 19, 2021.
Horrigan was a fighter pilot serving in Germany. During an armed mission on April 19, 1945, he crashed while strafing enemy planes parked at the airfield, likely due to anti-aircraft fire. Because the airfield was behind enemy lines, Horrigan could not be recovered.
After decades of recovery efforts, Horrigan’s remains were finally confirmed using DNA analysis.
Horrigan will be buried in his hometown of Chester. The date has yet to be determined.
“This was a wonderful, wonderful young man who gave his life in defense of our state and our nation, and we want to honor and respect him in every way,” Gov. Justice said. “Please take to heart everything that he gave us and everything that all of our brave military members and Veterans give us every day.”
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CLEARWAY WIND FARM NOW OPERATIONAL
Also on Friday, Gov. Justice took time to echo Clearway Energy Group’s announcement today that they have now reached commercial operations on Black Rock; a 115-megawatt wind farm that spans Grant and Mineral counties.
The wind farm will increase the state’s wind energy generation by 15%.
“This is an incredible opportunity and we want to congratulate this company in every way,” Gov. Justice said. “I can never say enough about the great job our gas and coal people do. But we want West Virginia to be a state that embraces all forms of energy creation. So this is another great announcement.”
Gov. Justice announced the start of construction with Clearway CEO Craig Cornelius in January 2021.
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GOV. JUSTICE: STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA NAMED TO FORBES LIST OF AMERICA’S BEST EMPLOYERS 2022
Gov. Justice also took time to announce that yesterday the State of West Virginia was named to the Forbes list of America’s Best Employers 2022.
The list includes businesses from all industries – not just state governments.
West Virginia was one of only two states to crack the list’s top 250.
“Think about all the different employers all across the country, so this is a special honor,” Gov. Justice said. “I want to salute all of the hard work that our wonderful state employees have done, especially the past couple of years during the pandemic. They have run to the fire over and over. So this is a testament to their courage.”
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The Governor also went on to congratulate the town of Harpers Ferry for being named one of the 30 Most Charming Small-Town Downtowns in America by HGTV.
“I love all these accolades. We just want to keep them coming one after another,” Gov. Justice added. “We just continue to rub it in the face of people who have doubted West Virginia. We have proven them wrong over and over.”
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