MORGANTOWN — Gov. Jim Justice on Monday ordered all state park campgrounds closed, along with the overlooks at Blackwater Falls and Coopers Rock.
The reasons, he said during his Monday coronavirus press briefing, are tied to out-of-state visitors and, for the overlooks, the tendency to congregate in groups.
His message for now, he said: “We don’t want you to come.”
Additionally, Justice issued and an executive order requiring “all individuals who are traveling from areas with substantial community spread of COVlD-19, including without limitation Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Italy, and China, are … to isolate for a period of 14 days upon entry to West Virginia or for the duration of their visit, whichever is shorter.”
The order allows those people to leave isolation to obtain food and medicine.
He is instructing West Virginia State Police to monitor the situation.
The order doesn’t restrict commercial, traffic. Justice said he has in mind people trying to escape hot spots and come to West Virginia to ride it out. Justice’s General Counsel Brian Abraham further clarified that the order is aimed at people who come here and take up residence.
People suspected of coming here in that manner, both aid, may get a State Police visit. Justice said that as far as enforcement goes, they could possibly be charged with obstruction.
Justice and COVID-19 Czar Clay Marsh talked about case numbers. As of Monday afternoon, there were 124 positive cases (30 in Monongalia County, one in Preston and five in Marion, with one death in Marion) and 2,984 negative tests.
That puts the number of positives relative to the total number of tests at about 4%, they said, compared to 8% to 10% nationally and 30% to 50% in New York.
The credited the low number to West Virginians abiding by all the protective measures: staying home, practicing social distancing when out, and practicing good hygiene at all times.
“We are absolutely doing it, doing it in a good way today,” Justice said. “But this monster can turn on us and turn on us in a bad way. And the reason this monster can turn bad is just as simple as this :were an old, old state.”
Marsh said, “We are doing very well.” But we can’t get complacent. “This is not just a sprint. This is a longer race.”
He extrapolated how fast the disease could spread from a single person if we fail to practice safety: IN two months one infected person spreads it to 1,024 people; in four months that grows to 1 million; in six months, 1 billion.
The why we’re separating and staying in our homes and washing our hands is to break the compounding cycle, he said. “Keep it up stay strong. I’m really proud of what West Virginia is doing.”
Asked about the May 12 primary election, Justice said that remains the date for now. But it’s under review. “We’re considering all options at this point in time.”
Protective gear for health care workers is a daily topic at the briefings and Justice said there’s a nationwide shortage. But West Virginian officials are sourcing the whole world.
Every March 30 is National Doctors Day, a day to honor the work of physicians, and Justice said he was declaring Monday West Virginia Doctors Day to honor the work they’re doing during the pandemic
He closed by returning to the topic of practicing good safety measures. “Please stay the course,” he said. “We’ve pushed the right buttons so far. Let’s just keep pushing the right buttons as West Virginians.”
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