MORGANTOWN — West Virginia’s hungry kids will be taken care of through the summer, Gov. Jim Justice and his team announced during Monday’s coronavirus press briefing.
The state has been feeding 1.4 million meals per week, state schools Superintendent Clayton Burch said, and that will continue through the summer until school starts again.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved West Virginia’s application for Families First Coronavirus Response Act money to fund Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer cards to help feed kids. The P-EBT cards can be used anywhere where SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – is accepted.
Burch said about 231,000 kids are eligible, at $300 per card per child for June, July and August. The program will put $72 million into the state economy.
Over the weekend Justice issued an executive order removing three of 11 counties from the state’s coronavirus hot spot list: Jackson, Kanawha and Ohio. On Monday he announced three more will be coming off: Cabell Wayne and Wood.
Five remain: Monongalia, Marion, Berkeley,Jefferson and Harrison. Justice said over the weekend that Mon, Berkeley, Jefferson and Harrison all requested to be kept on the list. Hot spot counties are subject to additional restrictions, such as limiting gatherings to five people and directing all businesses to require employees to work from home to the maximum extent possible.
Week 3 of The Comeback begins May 11. Justice announced late Monday that wellness centers operated by or with state licensed health care providers and drive-in theaters will be allowed to open, subject to following the guidelines.
Justice reminded everyone at the briefing that Safer at Home began on Monday. The stay-at-home order changed to an encouragement to stay home unless performing an essential activity. The small business, outdoor dining and health care provider plans previously announced will continue. Groups exceeding 25 (9 for non-hot spot counties) will remain prohibited but churches are exempt: They have separate published guidance.
Week 2 of The Comeback also commenced Monday. Small businesses with less than 10 employees could consider reopening. Professional services — such as hair and nail care and pet grooming — were able to resume, with restrictions. Churches and funeral homes could also open to limited gatherings subject to social distancing. Outdoor dining could resume with proper sanitizing, distancing and PPE for the staff.
Justice reminded the eligible businesses to open only if they can follow the guidelines. And for residents to stay home if they have virus-related symptoms. He again urged seniors to consider waiting a couple more week to return to church, keeping in mind, “Things are really getting better.”
Bureau of Public Health Commissioner Cathy Slemp said the bureau has been working on a new database methodology to alert communities when they may be at increased risk of transmission. They plan to roll that out next week and she hoped to be able to explain it more thoroughly during Wednesday’s briefing.
As The Comeback unfolds, she echoed the others who’ve urged caution. “We are all really excited about reopening and accessing services that we’ve not accessed for some time.” But don’t expect to go back to normal. “We really have to be cautious and disciplined with this reopening,” or risk triggering a resurgence of the virus.
That means wearing face coverings, observe distancing for gatherings, telework and so on.
Asked about the projected revenue shortfall, expected to approach $500 million by the end of the fiscal year, Justice had no updates and no word of any change in the federal prohibition against using the state’s $1.25 billion from the CARES Act to backfill the hole. He said again the President Trump is not wanting to backfill many states’ decades-old pension liabilities, but he expects to get some clarity this week.
Monday morning’s coronavirus numbers from the DHHR were 1,224 positive cases out of 54,075 test results, a cumulative rate of 2.26%, with 50 deaths.
Justice closed by again touting the state’s good performance compared to its neighbors and the nation as a whole, and also urged everyone wear masks, wash their hands, keep distancing. “Use the good that got you to here.”
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