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COVID-19 Response Weekly Update
May 16 –
May 22
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MONITORING
CONTINUES IN BERKELEY, JEFFERSON COUNTIES
On Friday, Gov. Justice provided an update on the increased
monitoring underway in two Eastern Panhandle counties that recently
triggered the State’s new Heightened Alert System.
On Thursday, the Governor reported that Jefferson County had 20 new
cases, while Berkeley County had 15 new cases over a 24-hour
period.
The Governor ordered the West Virginia National Guard to respond to
the region and Gov. Justice announced that the situation is
believed to be stable at this time.
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EXECUTIVE
ORDER ISSUED THAT WILL OFFICIALLY ALLOW MAY 26 REOPENINGS
Also on Friday, Gov. Justice announced that he has signed the
executive order that will formally allow businesses, currently
scheduled to reopen in the May 26 phase of the Governor’s reopening
plan, to resume operations on that date if they so choose.
Businesses allowed to reopen on May 26, with limitations,
include:
The order will go into effect on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 12:01
a.m.
Click here
to view executive order
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NEW
GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FOR POOLS, BOWLING ALLEYS, LVL’S,
CASINOS, AND MORE
On Friday, several additional guidance documents were made
available for various types of businesses reopening in the Week 5
and Week 6 phases of the Governor’s reopening plan, including swimming
pools, bowling
alleys and other places with indoor amusement, limited
video lottery (LVL) retailers, and casinos.
Additional types of businesses and entities will be allowed to
resume operations over the next several weeks. Further guidance
documents will be provided on The Comeback page of the Governor’s
Office website as soon as they become available.
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UPDATES
COMING TO COVID-19 DATA DASHBOARD
Also on Friday, Gov. Justice and leaders with the West
Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced
that the State’s COVID-19
data dashboard would be updated this
afternoon to display additional information about numbers related
to COVID-19 cases.
The new dashboard features heavily-expanded COVID-19 data on a
county-by-county level, among other changes.
“From the beginning, we have been completely transparent about our
numbers as the pandemic has gone on, we have continued to have more
and more data available on the COVID-19 data dashboard,” Gov.
Justice said.
“I am very excited to have this up and running,” DHHR Secretary
Bill Crouch said. “We wanted to see county information, everyone
wants to be able to pull that up, and I think everyone will be very
pleased with that.”
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FLAGS TO
BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF THROUGH SUNDAY TO HONOR COVID-19 VICTIMS
As a mark of solemn respect for the victims of the COVID-19
pandemic, and in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s
national proclamation, Gov. Justice announced that he has issued a proclamation,
ordering that all United States and West Virginia state flags at
all state-owned facilities across West Virginia be displayed at
half-staff, beginning immediately and continuing until sunset on
Sunday, May 24.
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FLAGS TO
BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF MONDAY MORNING IN HONOR OF MEMORIAL DAY
Also on Friday, the Governor announced that he has issued a proclamation,
ordering that all United States and West Virginia state flags at
all state-owned facilities across West Virginia be displayed at
half-staff, from dawn until noon on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25,
to honor the memory of all the men and women who have paid the
ultimate price defending the United States of America.
Additionally, Gov. Justice’s order requests that all citizens
display their own United States and West Virginia state flags at
their homes at half-staff, from dawn until noon on Memorial Day.
The order also asks West Virginians to unite in prayer for
permanent peace at 11 a.m. and observe the National Moment of
Remembrance at 3 p.m.
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WEST
VIRGINIANS URGED TO ENJOY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND RESPONSIBLY
Gov. Justice also took time on Friday to remind all
West Virginians to be safe when celebrating
Memorial Day weekend.
“We hope that the sun is going to shine and that it’s going to be
warm over the holiday weekend,” Gov. Justice said. “But the one
thing that happens, every Memorial Day, that’s tragic beyond
belief, we have boating accidents and swimming accidents.
“I would thoroughly encourage everyone on the water to wear a life
jacket,” Gov. Justice said. “Enjoy yourself, but those life jackets
are incredibly, incredibly important.”
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WEST
VIRGINIA NATIONAL GUARD UPDATE
More than 80 members of the West Virginia National Guard are
providing assistance for high-density
population testing taking place in Cabell, Kanawha, Marion, and
Monongalia counties.
The WVNG is also finalizing plans with State partners from the
Bureau for Public Health and the local health departments in the
Eastern Panhandle region to address the recent uptick in positive
COVID-19 cases. The Guard has outlined four areas for additional
support to Governor Justice, which includes broader testing;
epidemiology support; personnel support to assist in data and
analytics tracking of positive versus recovered cases, local R0
rate tracking, and hospitalizations by category of case; providing
outreach to sectors in the area on best practices, sanitization and
PPE wear; and utilizing the Guard for logistical movement of
supplies and face coverings for distribution, if needed.
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SWIMMING
POOLS & CERTAIN INDOOR AMUSEMENT FACILITIES ADDED TO WEEK 5
REOPENINGS
On Thursday, Gov. Justice announced that swimming pools, as well as
bowling alleys, pool halls, roller rinks, and other places with
indoor amusement will all be allowed to reopen on Saturday, May 30,
provided that all additional guidelines are followed to help keep
West Virginians as safe as possible.
Guidance documents will be provided on The
Comeback page of the Governor’s
Office website as soon as they become
available.
Gov. Justice previously announced that limited video lottery
retailers, as well as spas and massage businesses will also be able
to resume operations on May 30 as part of the Governor’s Week 5
phase of business reopenings.
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MOVIE
THEATERS ADDED TO WEEK 6 REOPENINGS
Also on Thursday, Gov. Justice announced that movie theaters will
be permitted to reopen on Friday, June 5, provided that all
additional safety guidelines are followed.
Gov. Justice previously announced that casinos will also be able to
resume operations on June 5 as part of the Governor’s Week 6 phase
of business reopenings.
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HEIGHTENED
ALERT SYSTEM ACTIVATED IN BERKELEY, JEFFERSON COUNTIES
Also on Thursday, Gov. Justice announced that Berkeley and
Jefferson have triggered the State’s new Heightened Alert System.
Jefferson County had 20 new cases, while Berkeley County had 15 new
cases.
As a result, the Governor ordered the West Virginia National Guard
to travel to these two counties immediately to assess the needs of
county health officials, to provide them with resources, and to
work alongside state medical experts in efforts to limit the spread
of COVID-19.
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GOVERNOR
URGES SCHOOLS TO SAFELY CELEBRATE GRADUATING SENIORS
Gov. Justice announced that he has asked officials with the
Department of Education to continue looking into options for being
able to safely celebrate graduating seniors across the state.
“Let’s find a way for our graduates to be able to walk up on the
stage and accept their diploma some way, even if it's not
traditional,” Gov. Justice said. “I absolutely want to be able to
do that so badly.
“Our Department of Education is going to be reaching out to the
counties and the superintendents and see if they can come together
to find a way to be able to have some form of graduation where
these kids and these families are able to come – maybe wearing
masks, maybe spreading out all over the place – but they’d be able
to see these kids. And our kids deserve it in every way.”
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DHHR URGES
WEST VIRGINIANS TO UTILIZE VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM
During his remarks on Thursday, Department of Health and Human
Resources Secretary Bill Crouch offered a
reminder to parents who may have recently lost
their insurance benefits that the State offers an option for
certain children to receive free vaccines.
“Some residents are experiencing hardships and loss of insurance
coverage,” Sec. Crouch said. “We want to remind residents that
DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health provides free vaccines to eligible
children, from birth through age 18, through the Vaccines For
Children (VFC) program.
“If children fall behind on their vaccines during this pandemic, we
could face a second crisis with an outbreak of vaccine-preventable
disease,” Sec. Crouch continued. “Uninsured and other eligible
children may receive free vaccines at more than 420 participating
provider sites.”
Eligibility requirements for the VFC program (must meet one of the
below criteria):
- Medicaid-eligible
- Uninsured
- American Indian or
Alaskan Native
- Underinsured
(children with insurance which does not cover vaccines)
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GOV.
JUSTICE ANNOUNCES WVSTRONG STATE PARKS DISCOUNT
To show his appreciation for the resiliency and support of West
Virginians during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Justice announced
Wednesday that West Virginia State Parks will soon offer a historic
discount on lodging for all West Virginia residents.
The offer is called the WVSTRONG
Discount. For stays between June 1 through August
31, all West Virginians will be eligible for a 30 percent discount
on lodging at all state parks.
This discount is the first of its kind in the history of West
Virginia State Parks.
To claim the 30 percent discount on a new reservation, simply book
online at wvstateparks.com and
enter promo code WVSTRONG at
checkout.
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TESTING
CONTINUES FOR MINORITY, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
Also Wednesday, Gov. Justice announced
that efforts to test susceptible populations across West Virginia
are set to continue.
The plan provides free optional testing to all residents in several
counties that are experiencing higher rates of COVID-19
transmission. It targets residents who have struggled to be seen by
a physician or do not have insurance to pay for testing. However,
other residents, including those who are asymptomatic are welcome
to be tested.
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WEST
VIRGINIA NATIONAL GUARD COMPLETES TESTING AT HUTTONSVILLE
CORRECTIONAL CENTER
At the direction of Gov. Justice and in coordination with the State
DHHR and County Health Departments, the West Virginia National
Guard began COVID-19 testing on Wednesday at Huttonsville
Correctional Center in Randolph County
Members from Task Force CRE and Task Force Medical tested 203 staff
at the corrections facility. Additional testing for the night shift
staff commenced on Thursday, May 21.
On Tuesday, Gov. Justice announced that, for the first time, an
inmate at one of West Virginia’s correctional facilities tested
positive for COVID-19. The positive case was found in a 62-year-old
male inmate at Huttonsville Correctional Center.
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CITY AND
COUNTY GRANT APPLICATION REMINDER
The Governor once again offered a reminder that, on May 15, the
State sent out the application for cities and counties throughout
West Virginia to apply for CARES Act money.
Gov. Justice also reiterated that a new web portal is now available
for city and county government officials to apply for this grant
funding, at grants.wv.gov.
Interested parties can also call the helpline: 1-833-94-GRANT.
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WEST
VIRGINIANS URGED TO PARTICIPATE IN CENSUS
Once more, Gov. Justice asked all West Virginians to participate in
the 2020 United States Census.
Every West Virginian who does not respond to the Census represents
a loss of $20,000 in federal funds over the next 10 years for the
state and its local communities. The funds can go toward things
like healthcare, education, infrastructure, school lunch programs,
and more.
Be counted in minutes: 2020census.gov.
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DATA
UPDATE
On Wednesday, Gov. Justice provided an overview of statewide data
on COVID-19, highlighting that West Virginia’s cumulative
percentage of positive test results has dropped, once again, to
1.92 percent.
West Virginia continues to excel in several metrics compared to its
surrounding states and the national average. View the latest
COVID-19 data at Coronavirus.wv.gov.
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EXECUTIVE
ORDER TO ALLOW WEEK 4 BUSINESSES TO REOPEN
On Tuesday, Gov. Justice announced that he had signed the executive
order formally allowing businesses,
scheduled to be able to reopen in the next wave of Week 4
reopenings on Thursday, May 21, to resume operations on that
date if they so choose.
The order officially went into effect at midnight on Thursday.
The new order also rescinded the requirement for out-of-state
travelers visiting West Virginia to self-quarantine for 14 days
upon their arrival, a mandate originally
put in place on March 30.
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STATE
HEALTH OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE RESULTS OF COVID-19 TESTING IN NURSING
HOMES
Also Tuesday, State Health Officer and Commissioner of the
DHHR's Bureau for Public Health Dr. Cathy Slemp shared the results
of Gov.
Justice’s recent directive that made West
Virginia the first state in the country to require the testing of
all residents and staff at all nursing homes statewide.
In total, 22,598 people at 123 nursing homes were tested; including
8,911 residents and 13,687 staff members.
At the time of the testing, six percent of facilities already had
COVID-19 cases identified. The initiative resulted in new
identification of 28 facilities with at least one individual
positive for COVID-19.
New individuals positive for COVID-19 was more common among staff.
Thirty-one staff tested positive, accounting for 74 percent of the
cases identified during the initial testing, while 11 residents
tested newly positive (26 percent of the cases).
Sixty-four percent of facilities had only staff test positive at
initial testing. In the majority of these (20 facilities, 87%), the
new finding was a single positive resident or staff person (14
staff, 6 residents).
In eight facilities, newly identified positive cases resulted in
new outbreaks (two or more cases in residents or staff). Staff were
involved more than residents (17 staff; 5 residents). Of these
outbreaks, six have had no additional cases.
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FIRST
POSITIVE CASE IN CORRECTIONS SYSTEM
Also Tuesday, Gov. Justice announced
that, for the first time, an inmate at one of West Virginia’s
correctional facilities tested positive for COVID-19.
The positive case was found in a 62-year-old male inmate at
Huttonsville Correctional Center in Randolph County. The Governor
also announced that additional testing would be performed at the
facility as a precautionary measure.
“We’ve got to be prepared to run to the fire,” Gov. Justice said.
“We know this disease is with us. We’ve had wonderful blessings
that we’ve not had an issue in our jail system. But we knew it was
probably coming and, now that it’s here, we’re trying to run to
this fire and put it out as quickly as possible.”
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STATE
RECEIVES REMDESIVIR SHIPMENT
Additionally Tuesday, Gov. Justice announced that the State of West
Virginia has received a shipment of the drug Remdesivir from the
United States Department of Health and Human Services.
The drug is produced by Gilead and was donated to the State for use
in critically ill COVID-19 patients from West Virginia.
“I want to personally thank our President for allowing us to get
some and have some of this potentially life-saving drug,” Gov.
Justice said.
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PAYCHECK
PROTECTION PROGRAM FUNDING STILL AVAILABLE
Gov. Justice also offered a reminder that the United States Small
Business Administration's Paycheck
Protection Program is still taking applications.
The funds are delivering much needed financial relief to small
businesses across West Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s still open and if you haven’t applied, I urge you to do so,”
Gov. Justice said. “If you could possibly qualify, but you’re not
sure, or you don’t know quite how to fill out the form, call them
and ask them to help you through the whole process for how you have
to fill out the application.
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GOV.
JUSTICE THANKS LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, LOCAL HEALTH OFFICERS
Gov. Justice took time to thank local health departments and local
health officers across West Virginia for their brave and important
work throughout the pandemic.
“I can’t say enough about our local health officials,” Gov. Justice
said. “They deserve all kinds of credit because they are our front
line soldiers.
“You have done great work and I really appreciate you.”
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MALLS
ADDED TO WEEK 4 REOPENINGS
Gov. Justice announced that indoor shopping malls would be allowed
to reopen on Thursday, May 21, provided that all additional
guidelines are followed to help keep West
Virginians as safe as possible.
“From the standpoint of our specialty retail opening back up and
our big box stores opening back up, naturally, our malls should be
open,” Gov. Justice said. “Working with our medical experts, we now
have additional guidelines on our indoor malls and we feel very
comfortable with them.”
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ADDITIONAL
WEEK 5 REOPENINGS ANNOUNCED
Also on Monday, Gov. Justice added several businesses and entities
to the list of Week 5 reopenings on Tuesday, May 26, including indoor and
outdoor bars at 50% capacity, museums
and visitor centers, and zoos.
Gov. Justice had previously announced that state park cabins and
lodges would also be able to reopen on Tuesday, May 26, for use by
in-state residents only.
Also Monday, Gov. Justice announced that spas and
massage businesses will be permitted to reopen
on Saturday, May 30, provided that all additional guidelines are
followed.
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CASINOS
& LIMITED VIDEO LOTTERIES
Additionally, Gov. Justice announced that limited video lottery
retailers will also be permitted to reopen on Saturday, May 30,
while all casinos across the state will be allowed to open their
doors beginning on Friday, June 5, provided that all additional
guidelines are followed.
Guidance documents will be provided on The
Comeback page of the Governor’s
Office website as soon as they become
available.
“As we continue to go forward and as we continue to get closer and
closer with dates, we’re monitoring our numbers all the time,” Gov.
Justice said. “We very well could have to change these dates if our
numbers change. But, hopefully, we won’t. Our numbers have been
unbelievable and, if they stay this way, we’ll be able to open more
and more.”
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FITNESS
AND TRAINING CENTERS OFFICIALLY REOPEN
Monday also marked the reopening date for fitness centers,
gymnasiums, recreation centers, and sports training facilities for
activities like gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, martial arts, and
more.
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ALL
COUNTIES REMOVED FROM HOTSPOT LIST
Gov. Justice also announced that, with the West Virginia Department
of Health and Human Resources putting
its new “High Alert Status” system in place to
quickly identify specific areas in West Virginia that may be
experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases, all counties that were
still remaining on the list of community hotspots have now been removed
from the list by executive order. This includes
Monongalia, Marion, Harrison, Jefferson, and Berkeley counties.
“At this point in time, under the new system, we no longer have
counties on the hotspot alert,” Gov. Justice said. “Our medical
experts will be watching all of our 55 counties closely as we move
forward with our new High Alert Status system.”
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DHHR
TESTING UPDATE
During his remarks Monday, Secretary Bill Crouch with the West
Virginia DHHR reported that 2,388 individuals from several
communities that have been identified as particularly susceptible
to COVID-19 were tested over the weekend as part of the DHHR’s new
initiative to test more minority and vulnerable populations throughout
the state.
A breakdown of the drive-thru testing that was provided is as
follows:
- Berkeley County:
872 tests performed
- Jefferson County:
748 tests performed
- Mercer County: 364
tests performed
- Raleigh County: 404
tests performed
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NEW
WEBSITE STREAMLINING CARES ACT APPLICATIONS FOR CITIES AND COUNTIES
Also, Gov. Justice announced that a new web portal is now available
for city and county government officials across West Virginia to
apply for grant funding through the federal CARES Act.
“I encourage all the cities and counties to apply,” Gov. Justice
said. “As we get applications, we’ll work our way through them very
quickly and find things they are qualified for and get those monies
to you very quickly.”
Applications are available at grants.wv.gov.
Interested parties can also call a helpline for more information by
dialing 1-833-94-GRANT.
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