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Gov. Justice and West Virginia pandemic response leaders held a special Christmas Day briefing Friday to update citizens on the latest information regarding the State’s COVID-19 response. The Governor began the briefing by wishing all West Virginians a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season. The Governor gave special thanks to the men and women on the front lines of the State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic for their tireless work, especially through the holiday.
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During Friday’s briefing, Gov. Justice provided another update on West Virginia's COVID-19 vaccine administration rate, announcing that 28,623 of 60,875 total doses delivered in West Virginia to date have now been administered. This 47.01% vaccination rate is the highest of any state in the nation according to Bloomberg.com, with Maine ranking 2nd in the nation at approximately 28%.
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Gov. Justice announced Sunday that West Virginia is leading the nation in the rate of COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration. As of Sunday afternoon, West Virginia had administered 15,046 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, out of 16,575 doses received, which is a 90.78% administration rate.
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Gov. Justice announced that the second COVID-19 vaccine available in America – created by biotech company Moderna – was scheduled to arrive Monday in West Virginia. The Moderna vaccine received Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late Friday evening. A combined total of 44,300 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are expected to be delivered in West Virginia this week alone.
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On Monday, Gov. Justice reported that the U.S. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met Sunday to discuss recommendations for what groups of people across the country should be vaccinated next.
“In their discussions and recommendations, they outlined that essential workers and those who are 75 years of age and older should be next to receive the vaccine,” Gov. Justice said. “Now doesn’t that sound familiar?”
Last week, Gov. Justice made several adjustments to the state’s vaccine allocation plan to prioritize West Virginia’s oldest citizens first.
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On Monday, Gov. Justice announced that West Virginia continues to lead the nation in distributing COVID-19 vaccines to nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the state. After receiving the additional shipments of COVID-19 vaccines in West Virginia Monday, the Governor announced that officials plan to provide vaccinations to all 160 of the remaining long-term care facilities in West Virginia within the next week.
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On Wednesday, Gov. Justice announced that West Virginia plans to begin utilizing monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 more frequently, following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent emergency authorization of the treatment. West Virginia has 1,400 doses of monoclonal antibodies on-hand, with 600 more doses expected to arrive shortly. Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off viruses.
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On Monday, Gov. Justice was joined by Mercer County Health Department Director Dr. Steven Stefancic, who provided insight as to his organization’s plan to make the COVID-19 vaccine more accessible for various populations across the county.
“We have developed a tentative mobile vaccine plan,” Dr. Stefancic said. “We have partnered with a number of different agencies and we are, essentially, prepared to give the vaccine with no resources available. We have portable electricity. We’ve got portable tents...We are ready for anything.”
Dr. Stefancic added that local health officials offered their first mobile clinic this past week.
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On Wednesday, Gov. Justice announced that he plans to commit “whatever it takes” to continue to fund the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which subsidizes the state’s child care program via the CARES Act. West Virginia originally received $23 million in supplemental funding for the block grant. The funds have allowed West Virginia to provide child care assistance for any parent who has been deemed an essential worker, regardless of income.
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Gov. Justice announced Wednesday that Brian Abraham will become his new Chief of Staff, effective Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. Abraham has served as Gov. Justice’s General Counsel since January 2017. He also serves as Chair of the Joint Staff in the West Virginia National Guard. Gov. Justice announced the retirement of his current Chief of Staff Mike Hall, on Friday, Dec. 18.
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Gov. Justice announced Monday that he has approved the bid award for two Roads To Prosperity projects: the West Virginia Route 2 Proctor to Kent Project in the Northern Panhandle and the Sanderson Bridge Project in Kanawha County. The winning bid for the WV 2 Proctor to Kent project was awarded to A.L.L. Construction Inc. from Mount Storm, WV for a low bid amount of $95,900,000.00. The project, approximately 5.25 miles in length, upgrades a two-lane stretch of WV 2 to a four-lane. The low bid for the Sanderson Bridge was $473,000.91 and that project was awarded to Alan Stone Co. Inc. from Williamstown, WV.
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Road crews with the West Virginia Division of Highways were ready for the challenge of an expected 3-6 inches of snow on Christmas Eve, armed with 185 brand-new snowplows. Fueled by Gov. Jim Justice’s massive Roads to Prosperity construction and maintenance program, state highways officials authorized the purchase of more than $40 million in new equipment for Fiscal Year 2020, which began on July 1, 2019. Since July, WVDOH has ordered and received 185 new snowplows. The vehicles include 23 new single-axle Ford F-550 trucks, capable of carrying about 3.5 tons of salt; 60 new mid-sized International trucks, capable of carrying about 7.5 tons of salt; and 102 two-axle Freightliner trucks, each of which can carry about 15 tons of salt. The large Freightliner trucks will be a mainstay of the snowplow fleet, dedicated to keeping West Virginia’s interstate highway system clear.
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Motorists on Interstate 64 are seeing work on a series of Roads To Prosperity projects, between Charleston and Huntington, to widen the interstate and increase public safety. On Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, traffice was slowed near Exit 18, just east of the Gyuandotte River Bridge and will be again on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, for blasting in the area.
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More than 2,000 West Virginia Communities In Schools (CIS) students will have happier holidays this year when toys arrive at their homes as part of the 2020 Dream Tree for Kids project. State Superintendent of Schools W. Clayton Burch announced the success of this year’s project with special recognition of First Lady Cathy Justice. As the First Lady’s primary initiative, CIS is currently operating in 23 West Virginia counties. The program provides integrated supports to remove barriers to learning and improve student outcomes. The impact of CIS has been seen throughout the pandemic as site coordinators have delivered school supplies and meals to their students.
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The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will not be conducting its annual Christmas tree recycling events in January 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sponsored by the WVDEP’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan, in conjunction with the state Division of Natural Resources, the tree recycling event has been a mainstay at Charleston’s Capitol Market for many years and offers residents an environmentally friendly way to dispose of their live Christmas trees.
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