Justice Again Says COVID Not Over Yet and State Should Be Mindful of Colder Weather Looming
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on September 21, 2022
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said once again during Wednesday's COVID response press conference that the fight against COVID is not over.
The briefing began by the governor offerning his condolences to the families of the most recent COVID-related deaths. There have been 12 since Monday's press conference, bringing the state's total to 7,379.
"We've lost 12 more great West Virginians. I ask again for your prayers," Justice said. "This thing is not gone but we can live with it."
The governor expressed concern that as we head toward colder weather and are inside more and in closer proximity of one another, the potential for spread of the omicron variant will increase.
Justice again urged everybody eligible for vaccines and boosters who haven't got them yet to strongly consider doing so.
The Department of Health and Human Resources is reporting 594 new cases from the previous 24 hours. The state's cumulative percent positive rate is at 8.56 and the daily percent positive rate is at 7.59.
Active cases are at 1,723 and there have been 588,201 recoveries.
As of Sept. 20 there are 289 hospitalizations with 43 patients in ICUs and 15 on ventilators.
On the daily county alert map, the entire state is either green or yellow. Harrison County is among the yellow.
In long-term care facilities there are 104 outbreaks, there are zero in churches and in the statewide correctional facilties there are 59 cases among inmates and 54 among staff.
Video of Wednesday's press conference can be viewed below.
