MORGANTOWN — Gov. Jim Justice on Monday added Jackson County to his executive order list imposing additional restrictions to combat the spread of coronavirus.
On Friday, at Jackson’s request, he had chosen not to put it on the list because county officials believed they had the issue under control. But he said at his Monday press briefing that Jackson had the highest increase in positive cases over the last 24 hours.
The addition of Jackson brought the total to 12 counties, including Monongalia and Marion.
COVID-19 Czar Clay Marsh talked about the possibility of easing some of the stay-at-home and social distancing restrictions now that West Virginia has passed the surge peak projected by the University of Washington model, and discouraged moving prematurely.
The UW and other such models are dynamic and relay on daily data input, he said. Staying home and protecting ourselves gives us more time. As testing expands, more positive cases will be seen. The model supposes everyone is staying apart and at home until the end of May.
“We need to pay additional attention to the fact that we can’t let our guard down,” he said.
When might it be the right time to release some of the restrictions? They want to see positive cases go down for 14 days consistently.
He cautioned that some Asian countries that passed their peak and entered what he called Phase 2 are seeing a new batch of problems. He elaborated on that in response to a question from The Dominion Post.
Those countries, he said, are seeing citizens who got stuck abroad coming back home with the virus and activating some clusters of disease. Countries have re-opened to tourism and seeing issues form that. Also, they’re seeing new clusters of disease in communities as people are back out again.
The virus is heavily communicable, Marsh said, and spread by people who are asymptomatic. So we will need to be very committed to broad testing and good surveillance. Germany is even taking testing door-to-door
If the virus heats up here again, he said, we may need to step backward, then forward again as we await the development of treatment drugs and a vaccine.
Monday afternoon’s numbers from the Department of Health and Human Resources were 633 positive cases out of 16,748 tests – a rate of 3.76% – with nine deaths, one of those a 25-year-old Logan County man.
Justice commented, “Cathy and I pray everyday someway somehow this incline will stop.” They know it won’t yet but they hold out hope.
“It’s just tough to think we’ve lost nine people,” he said, and added later, “It makes me sick. I hate it to my soul.”
Justice announced that the number of unemployment claims has risen to 120,000 since March 1; and 62,000 workers have received the extra $600 from CARES unemployment funds. Also, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families – TANF – recipients will be receiving $500 payments to assist them through this period from WV WORKS, the state TANF program.
Justice said that the National Guard how has a mobile trailer deployed for sanitizing N-95 masks that can process up to 1,500 masks every three hours. In additional, the state has established a network to produce about 2,500 cloth masks per day. “West Virginians always have a way of solving our own problems.”
Before the brieifing, he had been on a conference call with Vice President Mike Pence and expressed the state’s immediate need for gowns and gloves, and was pleased with a positive response.
Bureau of Public Health Commissioner Cathy Slemp addressed some of the ongoing concerns about how the disease is spread. We don’t live in a germ-free world, she said, and this is a new virus in the mix.
It’s predominantly spread via respiratory droplets, she said, but can live on surfaces up to a few days depending on the surface and environmental factors. The risk of acquiring the virus via touch is lower but possible. It can also live for a time on money or payment options involving touch.
So the key, she said, it good hand washing, cleaning fruits and vegetables, sanitizing surfaces. If you wear a mask, clean your hands when you put it on and take it off.
Concerns about child abuse during the stay-at-home period are ongoing, and Justice noted that the schools have been a safe haven for abused kids.
DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch said the Bureau for Children and Families is working with community providers to make sure everyone is on their toes, but follow up is more difficult. Essential workers are still out doing follow ups by phone or in person if they suspect abuse. “The system’s still in place.”
Justice urged small businesses to work the federal stimulus offerings for every dollar they can through every program they offer. “Every dollar helps you and helps our state.”
He closed with his daily reminder not to ease up on the precautions. The fatality rate here, according to the DHHR, is 1.43% compared to 3.971% nationally and 4.91% in neighboring Kentucky. All five border states have higher death rates.
“Something is really working here. It’s working because of you,” he said. “But it can still get bad. Please, please stay the course.”
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