MORGANTOWN — While there were no specifics in terms of numbers, Gov. Jim Justice said Friday the state expects to receive an increase in its vaccine allocation.
The state receives 28,800 doses weekly through Operation Warp Speed.
Joint Interagency Task Force Director James Hoyer said he would like that number to be at least 125,000.
Justice said the state is probably looking at a 20% increase in allocation based on the latest information he was provided.
“That’s what we’re being told. We do not have final numbers yet. We know we’ll continue to get the 7,300 for the pharmacy program and we were also informed that we’ll get some additional doses for the federally qualified health clinics, but as of when this press conference started, we do not have the final numbers on what we’ll be getting,” Hoyer said.
Thus far, 6.81% of West Virginians have been vaccinated, the highest percentage in the country. More than 350,000 doses have been administered and the state has vaccinated 121,726 individuals over age 65.
Just one county, Hampshire, remains in the red. The state has seen its number of active cases drop every day for the last 27 days and just fell below 350 hospitalized COVID cases for the first time since mid-November.
These were just some of the numbers touted by Justice during a cautiously optimistic Friday briefing.
“We’re winning this now. We’re winning this. Let’s not slide back down the mountain,” he said.
Justice and Hoyer asked West Virginians 65 and older — particularly those in Gilmer, Calhoun, Clay, Grant, Braxton and Monroe counties — to continue to preregister for vaccination through the Everbridge portal at vaccinate.wv.gov.
There are more than 240,000 people preregistered. Hoyer said estimates put that number at 500,000 by March 4.
Tempering the optimism was the listing of 25 COVID deaths since Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 2,200 and reinforcing the plea from Justice and COVID czar Clay Marsh that West Virginians remain vigilant.
“We can, West Virginia, get across,” Justice said. “But it’s no time to drop your guard. It’s no time to celebrate yet. You’re not across the mountain. You can slide back down. So really, really right now, be on guard.”
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